Civilians Killed in Afghanistan

On Monday the two villages of Granai and Shiwan in the Balu Baluk district of Afghanistan were bombed by U.S. planes. The resulting damage done by the bombs destroyed several homes and led to over 100 deaths. These latest deaths join the growing list Afghans killed during the war.

The bombing followed fighting between U.S. forces and Taliban outside the two villages. The Taliban retreated through the villages but did not stay according to villagers. After the Taliban pulled out the airstrikes were called in leading to the civilian deaths. U.S. officials said the Taliban were the targets not the civilians.

American officials have made claims that the deaths were caused by grenades thrown by Taliban fighters. Initial examinations of bodies appear to support this claim but this is denied by villagers. They claim that all the deaths were caused by U.S. bombs and that no Taliban threw grenades into homes. The structural damage points toward larger ordinance.

General W. T. Sherman said “War is Hell”, in both Vietnam and Afghanistan civilians were killed by U.S. soldiers, Is there a way for us to keep civilians from being killed?

New York Times “Civilian Deaths Imperil Support for Afghan War” By Carlotta Gall and Taimoor Shah http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/world/asia/07afghan.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper