U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan

[webfact]

U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan

By Ahmad Sultan and Abdul Qadir Sediqi

 

Men carry a coffin of one of the victims after a drone strike, in Khogyani district of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan September 19, 2019.REUTERS/Parwiz

 

JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A U.S. drone strike intended to hit an Islamic State (IS) hideout in Afghanistan killed at least 30 civilians resting after a day's labour in the fields, officials said on Thursday.

 

The attack on Wednesday night also injured 40 people after accidentally targeting farmers and labourers who had just finished collecting pine nuts at mountainous Wazir Tangi in eastern Nangarhar province, three Afghan officials told Reuters.

 

"The workers had lit a bonfire and were sitting together when a drone targeted them," tribal elder Malik Rahat Gul told Reuters by telephone from Wazir Tangi.

 

Afghanistan's Defence Ministry and a senior U.S official in Kabul confirmed the drone strike, but did not share details of civilian casualties.

 

"U.S. forces conducted a drone strike against Da'esh (IS) terrorists in Nangarhar," said Colonel Sonny Leggett, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. "We are aware of allegations of the death of non-combatants and are working with local officials to determine the facts."

 

About 14,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, training and advising Afghan security forces and conducting counter-insurgency operations against IS and the Taliban movement.

 

A U.S. drone strike intended to hit an Islamic State hideout in Afghanistan killed at least 30 civilians resting after a day's labor in the fields. Lauren Anthony reports.

 

Haidar Khan, who owns the pine nut fields, said about 150 workers were there for harvesting, with some still missing as well as the confirmed dead and injured.

 

A survivor of the drone strike said about 200 labourers were sleeping in five tents pitched near the farm when the attack happened.

 

"Some of us managed to escape, some were injured but many were killed," said Juma Gul, a resident of northeastern Kunar province who had travelled along with labourers to harvest and shell pine nuts this week.

 

Angered by the attack, some residents of Nangarhar province demanded an apology and monetary compensation from the U.S. government.

 

"Such mistakes cannot be justified. American forces must realise (they) will never win the war by killing innocent civilians," said Javed Mansur, a resident of Jalalabad city.

 

Scores of local men joined a protest against the attack on Thursday morning as they helped carry the victims' bodies to Jalalabad city and then to the burial site.

 

Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor said the aerial attack was meant to target IS militants who often use farmlands for training and recruitment purposes, but had hit innocent civilians.

 

Jihadist IS fighters first appeared in Afghanistan in 2014 and have since made inroads in the east and north where they are battling the government, U.S. forces and the Taliban.

 

The exact number of IS fighters is difficult to calculate because they frequently switch allegiances, but the U.S. military estimates there are about 2,000.

 

There was no word from IS on the attack.

 

There has been no let-up in assaults by Taliban and IS as Afghanistan prepares for a presidential election this month.

 

In a separate incident, at least 20 people died in a suicide truck bomb attack on Thursday carried out by the Taliban in the southern province of Zabul.

 

Hundreds of civilians have been killed in fighting across Afghanistan after the collapse of U.S.-Taliban peace talks this month. The Taliban has warned U.S. President Donald Trump will regret his decision to abruptly call off talks that could have led to a political settlement to end the 18-year-old war.

 

The United Nations says nearly 4,000 civilians were killed or wounded in the first half of the year. That included a big increase in casualties inflicted by government and U.S.-led foreign forces.

 

(Additional reporting and writing by Rupam Jain in Kabul; Editing by Toby Chopra, Andrew Cawthorne, William Maclean)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-20

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[Mel Bourne]

non combatants ..AKA. innocent civilians.

The USA is the war of terror.

Thank heavens Bolton is gone but Pompeo is just as power hungary and reckless.

Not a word of condemnation from Pompeo about Saudis slaughtering civilians in Yemen with US weapons of terror.

But blow up a few lousy oil plants and Pompeo has a fit and runs off to Riyhad like a bitch on heat.

[Saint Nick]

"We have no idea, why they hate us so much...."

????

[Sujo]

US waiting for confirmation?

 

Shouldnt it be confirmed who they are before they are bombed?

[robblok]

I wanna bet nobody will go to jail for this.. the US wonders why they lose the war on terror.. its because they create terrorist themselves. 

[usviphotography]

And yet the Left calls Trump "crazy" and "irresponsible" for trying to negotiate an end to this pointless travesty of a war. 

[Berkshire]

6 minutes ago, usviphotography said:

And yet the Left calls Trump "crazy" and "irresponsible" for trying to negotiate an end to this pointless travesty of a war. 

Actually, it was Trump's own NSA John Bolton who thought talking to the Taliban was not a good idea. 

[Chomper Higgot]

Pause for a moment to consider the impact these killings have on the families of the victims.

[ballpoint]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"Such mistakes cannot be justified. American forces must realise (they) will never win the war by killing innocent civilians," said Javed Mansur, a resident of Jalalabad city.

A lesson they never learned in Vietnam.  But, then again, winning the war isn't always the goal.  Perpetuating it, while sitting safely at home, well beyond the reach of the enemy, brings in far more arms sales and carries a greater message to anyone else considering going their own way.  

[Blue Muton]

Hearts and minds.

 

RIP to them.

[mtls2005]

Some AF drone jockey in a trailer in NV will probably go 'postal' soon?

 

Just imagining what would happen if ISIS used a drone to attack and kill 30 farmers in Iowa? We'd be knee-deep in another two or three 30-year wars, assuming we didin't nuke part of the world.

 

 

[mauGR1]

.. shame..

[meechai]

Almost as bad as the time they attacked a wedding party (by mistake of course)

The Wech Baghtu wedding party airstrike refers to the killing of about 37 Afghan civilians, mostly women and children,

 

Or the time they killed the village elders at a meeting ( by mistake of course) And Many More

 

2015

https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/drone-war/data/get-the-data-a-list-of-us-air-and-drone-strikes-afghanistan-2015

2016

https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/drone-war/data/get-the-data-a-list-of-us-air-and-drone-strikes-afghanistan-2016

2017

https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/drone-war/data/get-the-data-a-list-of-us-air-and-drone-strikes-afghanistan-2017

 

Time for these undeclared drone war crimes to go to trial.

 

[bristolboy]

12 hours ago, usviphotography said:

And yet the Left calls Trump "crazy" and "irresponsible" for trying to negotiate an end to this pointless travesty of a war. 

Oh, it's the left doing that, is it?

Senate Republicans snub Trump with legislation rebuking his plan to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, Syria

https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-led-senate-slams-trumps-syria-afghanistan-withdrawal-plans-2019-1

 

And what's stopping Trump from declaring a moratorium on these drone strikes? Are you aware that he's the Commander-in-Chief?

[usviphotography]

10 hours ago, bristolboy said:

Oh, it's the left doing that, is it?

Senate Republicans snub Trump with legislation rebuking his plan to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, Syria

 

And what's stopping Trump from declaring a moratorium on these drone strikes? Are you aware that he's the Commander-in-Chief?

 

You may be shocked to hear this, but there are Leftist (Neocon) and Globalists firmly entrenched in both political parties in the USA. Indeed, Trump's victory in the 2016 GOP Primary was essentially a repudiation by the voters of the Neocon leadership of the GOPe. As for Trump himself, it is no secret that he has been unable thus far to wrest control of American Foreign Policy from the Neocons that have run the show at the State Dept, Intelligence Communities, and Military for the past two decades. I wish he were more competent in that regard, but at least the man is trying. That sets him apart from every other President we have had and unless Tulsi Gabbard miraculously wins the Democratic Nomination, it means he will once again be the only Peace Candidate running for the Presidency in 2020. 

[Becker]

1 hour ago, usviphotography said:

And yet the Left calls Trump "crazy" and "irresponsible" for trying to negotiate an end to this pointless travesty of a war. 

Actually, it was mainly the invitation to Camp David just before the 9/11 commemoration the left and the right reacted to. 

 

"“Never should leaders of a terrorist organization that hasn’t renounced 9/11 and continues in evil be allowed in our great country. NEVER. Full stop,”

Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/08/trump-taliban-afghanistan-republicans-democrats-reaction

 

But hey, don't let silly facts get in the way of a "evil left" rant, right?

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

12 minutes ago, Becker said:

Actually, it was mainly the invitation to Camp David just before the 9/11 commemoration the left and the right reacted to. 

 

"“Never should leaders of a terrorist organization that hasn’t renounced 9/11 and continues in evil be allowed in our great country. NEVER. Full stop,”

Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/08/trump-taliban-afghanistan-republicans-democrats-reaction

 

But hey, don't let silly facts get in the way of a "evil left" rant, right?

 

 

Dang, and I was really hoping to hear Trump end up saying he "loved" the Taliban leaders and that Melania had become very close with them (even though she's never actually met them....)  

 

Trump seems to have quite an affinity for murderous autocratic dictators (Putin, Kim), as well as murderers and sponsors of terrorism (Saudi Arabia), and the Taliban could have joined his prized inner circle... Shame!!!!

 

[grumbleweed]

Quote

U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan

How to win friends and influence people.. and they wonder why half the world wants to destroy them

Maybe they should get lessons from the Iranians / Yemeni on how to hit the target

[CGW]

1 hour ago, ballpoint said:

A lesson they never learned in Vietnam.

Didn't the "corporations" (multi national satanists!) behind the war who run the government learn that they can make lots of money from constant war! Appears so?

[zydeco]

1 hour ago, usviphotography said:

As for Trump himself, it is no secret that he has been unable thus far to wrest control of American Foreign Policy from the Neocons that have run the show at the State Dept, Intelligence Communities, and Military for the past two decades.

That is because he has been too busy hiring them for top positions in his administration.

[MaksimMislavsky]

1 hour ago, meechai said:

Almost as bad as the time they attacked a wedding party (by mistake of course)

The Wech Baghtu wedding party airstrike refers to the killing of about 37 Afghan civilians, mostly women and children,

 

Or the time they killed the village elders at a meeting ( by mistake of course) And Many More

Looks like their drones are automatically detecting and targeting gatherings of people based on some unknown criteria. Probably action-training their AI algorithms.

[car720]

2 hours ago, ballpoint said:

A lesson they never learned in Vietnam.  But, then again, winning the war isn't always the goal.  Perpetuating it, while sitting safely at home, well beyond the reach of the enemy, brings in far more arms sales and carries a greater message to anyone else considering going their own way.  

Yes.  One day someone is going to be able to explain to me the exact meaning of 'US interests'.

[PremiumLane]

[lust]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Angered by the attack, some residents of Nangarhar province demanded an apology and monetary compensation from the U.S. government.

The taliban have killed thousands of civilians. Where’s the outrage from their own citizens? Good luck getting the taliban to write you a check.

[Sujo]

20 minutes ago, lust said:

The taliban have killed thousands of civilians. Where’s the outrage from their own citizens? Good luck getting the taliban to write you a check.

What has that to do with a foreign govt bombing their innocent civilians.

[IAMHERE]

Weren't these the same people that were dancing around their campfires when the Trade Towers collapsed ?  

[bristolboy]

16 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

Weren't these the same people that were dancing around their campfires when the Trade Towers collapsed ?  

Yes, we've heard many intelligence reports about the dangers posed by pine nut harvesters dancing around campfires. They definitely deserved what they got.

[Tayaout]

2 hours ago, MaksimMislavsky said:

Looks like their drones are automatically detecting and targeting gatherings of people based on some unknown criteria. Probably action-training their AI algorithms.

More like they are targeting 1 or more individuals and the others one are collateral damage.

[bristolboy]

2 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

More like they are targeting 1 or more individuals and the others one are collateral damage.

Who happened to be hanging out with a bunch of pine nut harvesters? Because US intelligence is close to infallible?

[Sujo]

31 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

Weren't these the same people that were dancing around their campfires when the Trade Towers collapsed ?  

Must be. Im always hearing about pine nut pickers sitting around their tents after a day in the field on their iphone x dancing to the latest news updates from US.