Raid targeting al-Qaida kills 15 civilians

[unhappycamper]

Raid targeting al-Qaida kills 15 civilians
By Steven R. Hurst - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Oct 12, 2007 20:07:03 EDT

BAGHDAD — A U.S. attack killed 19 insurgents and 15 civilians, including nine children, northwest of the capital — one of the heaviest civilian death tolls in an American operation in recent months. The military said it was targeting senior leaders of al-Qaida in Iraq.

American forces have applied fierce and determined pressure on militants, especially al-Qaida in Iraq, since the full contingent of additional U.S. troops arrived June 15. But Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has recently confronted American commander Army Gen. David Petraeus about what he sees as overly aggressive U.S. tactics that harm innocent civilians, according to Iraqi officials.

The military statement detailing Thursday’s air and ground assault said soldiers were acting on intelligence reports about an al-Qaida meeting in the Lake Tharthar region about 50 miles northwest of the capital.

The American account said U.S. surveillance confirmed “activity consistent with the reports and supporting aircraft engaged the time-sensitive target.” The first air attack killed “four terrorists,” the statement said.

The military said it then tracked some of those who escaped the initial attack to a place south of Lake Tharthar. It said ground forces moved on the site and came under fire. Air support was called in.

“After securing the area, the ground force assessed 15 terrorists, six women and nine children were killed,” the statement said. Two suspected al-Qaida members, a woman and three children were wounded, according to the military account.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/10/ap_raidcivilians_071012/

[Turbineguy]

1. We fight the war

on Al-Qaeda's terms.

[NYVet]

2. Those deaths are on the heads of the people who ran into that building to hide.

Not the soldiers and airmen who fired on the building.

Rule 7 of the Geneva Convention.


7. The presence or movements of the civilian population or individual civilians shall not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations, in particular in attempts to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield, favour or impede military operations. The Parties to the conflict shall not direct the movement of the civilian population or individual civilians in order to attempt to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield military operations.


In plain language.

Don't hide among civilians to avoid getting shot at.