Airstrike on al Qaeda kills 7 children in Afghan madrassa

[nevadamedic]

Story Highlights
• U.S. military says there was no sign of children around building before airstrike
• U.S. military considered compound "a suspected safehouse for al Qaeda fighters"
• U.S. military says mosque suffered only minor damage

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapc...ike/index.html

That sucks, but what were we supposed to do? Go up and knock on the door and say were about to bomb you, is there any women or children in the house?

[Gaffer]

Women and children are used all the time as shields by all the al queda and taliban groups as well as hamas and hizbollah. The leaders always keep children around to help deter air strikes on them. It keeps the coalition forces at bay and if they are attacked they get the propaganda benefit by pointing at the dead children. They have used it very effectively with Israel.

[Dilloduck]

Women and children are used all the time as shields by all the al queda and taliban groups as well as hamas and hizbollah. The leaders always keep children around to help deter air strikes on them. It keeps the coalition forces at bay and if they are attacked they get the propaganda benefit by pointing at the dead children. They have used it very effectively with Israel.

Shields my ass---they use them as outright walking bombs. The article could very easily read " US strikes kill new Al queada recuits "

[Guernicaa]

Shields my ass---they use them as outright walking bombs. The article could very easily read " US strikes kill new Al queada recuits "

Thats true....Or it could say "US strikes killed future US Ambassador to Afghanistan"

[LiberalNation]

Why don't they send ground troops in if there is a risk children will get blown up when the bombs are dropped on a place. Not as safe for us but atleast you try and avoid killing kids.

[manu1959]

what are children doing in an al queda safe house?

[No1tovote4]

what are children doing in an al queda safe house?

Acting as a just in case, if they are attacked they can use the propaganda to evoke more emotion and recruit replacements.

[nevadamedic]

Why don't they send ground troops in if there is a risk children will get blown up when the bombs are dropped on a place. Not as safe for us but atleast you try and avoid killing kids.

Because we dont want to lose anymore troops. That would be suicide sending our troops in a place like that.

[Gaffer]

It was a madrass and the children were being kept there for the purpose of them being killed by our attack. They were beaten and driven back when they tried to leave the building. They were there for the very thing we are reading right now and the expected response.

If you have enemy combatants in a building shooting at you. There is no one else visible, do you call an air strike and blow it away or do you assault it on foot? Even if the assault was made on foot, chances are the children would have been killed in the fighting.

we are not fighting nice guys with ethics over there.