When the body count doesn't count

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=340&objectid=686660

17.01.2002


Critics say the death toll from the United States bombing of Afghanistan has been covered up - and the media are most to blame, reports SCOTT MacLEOD.

The call of nature drew Khalil Rahman from his home just after the B-52 bombers started their pass over his village.

In the early morning darkness of the remote area, 50km southwest of Jalalabad, Mr Rahman could not see the bellies of the mighty United States aircraft split open and release 25 bombs into the cold air.

But he did hear one of the 450kg bombs slam into his home, killing 12 relatives. He also heard the other bombs as they cut a swathe through the other houses, killing more than 100 of the village's 300 residents.

It was December 1 last year when the US-led war on terrorism came to Kama Ado.

Fifteen hours later, when accusations of the latest civilian deaths filtered back to the West, Marine Corps spokesman Major Brad Lowell said simply: "It just did not happen."

But journalists who visited the village and found huge bomb craters, smashed houses, scattered children's shoes, dead cows and sheep and graves swear it did.

Which raises the questions - how many civilians really have died in the US bombing of Afghanistan and why have we heard so little about them?

A study by New Hampshire professor Marc Herold says 3767 civilians died in the first nine weeks of bombing. The toll, he says, is now well over 4000.

[valerief]

1. As Tony Snow would say, it's just a number.

Cold bastard.

[malaise]

2. Time to expose the deaths of

all these people killed by Bushco.

[Master Mahon]

3. and what an extensive length of time that'll be! n/t

[malaise]

5. Yep n/t

[ThomCat]

4. If there is a God, and if he believes in collective guilt for

collective actions, then we're all in a hell of a lot of trouble. Our taxes, our government, our military are responsible for so much evil that we'd all be damned.