March 4, 2007 Shooting in Afghanistan

On March 4, 2007, US Marine Special Forces [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/04/world/main2534069.shtml Afghan Bomb Attack Prompts U.S. Backlash, Wounded Afghans Say Marines Fired On Civilians Following Car Bomb Explosion; 10 Killed - CBS News ] ] who had just escaped an early-morning ambush by Taliban insurgents in Muhmand Dara, Afghanistan, retaliated [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200703/s1862626.htm 16 civilians killed in Afghanistan attack, retaliation. 05/03/2007. ABC News Online ] ] by opening fire, killing nearby civilians, including pedestrians and passing cars, and those that had pulled to the side of the road to comply with orders [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0C9913A0-F8E5-41E0-B40C-661E3450B73A.htm Al Jazeera English - News - Us Troops Kill Afghan Civilians ] ] . Ultimately 19 Afghan civilians were killed in the incident, and another 50 wounded. [http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/05/marine_marsoc_jones_070516/ Congressman tells Army: Stop MarSOC comments - Army News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Army Times ] ]

hootings

Haji Ihsanullah, a member of Hezb e Islami [ [http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0700world/tm_headline=troops-kill-afghan-civilians-after-suicide-attack&method=full&objectid=18705643&siteid=50082-name_page.html Troops kill Afghan civilians after suicide attack - icWales ] ] , initially drove a minivan laden with explosives into one of the five vehicles making up the US convoy, which included three [http://www.currentargus.com/ci_5356692 Carlsbad Current-Argus - U.S. forces flee Afghan ambush firing wildly ] ] , or six [http://www.dawn.com/2007/04/16/top12.htm Marines killed civilians in Afghanistan: report -DAWN - Top Stories; April 16, 2007 ] ] , humvees, wounding one Marine. [ [http://www.alaskareport.com/z45380.htm U.S. investigating reports of Afghan civilians killed by its military forces ] ] Sources differ on whether or not hidden gunmen then also opened fire on the convoy. [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/FBF1B06D-723D-4A91-BF4D-5B65984D9AB4.htm Al Jazeera English - News - Us Seizes Afghan Shooting Footage ] ]

US forces then fled the scene of the ambush, opening fire on some vehicles for 6-16 [ [http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0416/p99s01-duts.html Pentagon inquiry finds US Marine unit killed Afghan civilians | csmonitor.com ] ] miles while driving along the Afghan street [ [http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-03-04-voa5.cfm US Revises Downward Number of Civilians Killed in Afghan Convoy Attack ] ] .

Initial reports stated that 14 civilians had been killed in the attack, and another 35 were wounded by the gunfire. But officials at Bagram Air Base later claimed that only 8 had been killed, [ [http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=3252 Soldier Injured, Civilians Killed in Afghanistan Convoy Attack ] ] while other sources reported that 4 of the wounded later died of their injuries at Jalalabad Hospital. [http://www.capitolhillblue.com/cm/content/view/144/131/] Ultimately it was announced by the US military that 19 civilians had been killed, and another 50 wounded. [ [http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=262249 FayObserver.com - Current Article Page ] ]

The shootings led to hundreds of demonstrators shouting "Death to America!" and "Death to Karzai!" [ [http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_opens_inquiry_into_marine_shooti_04122007.html The Raw Story | US opens inquiry into marine shootings in Afghanistan ] ]

The event was described as an "emotional" response by the US forces, by Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Zmarai Bashiri. Hundreds, or thousands, of Afghans gathered to protest the shooting.

A US soldier, acting on his own initiative, also forced two Associated Press photojournalists to delete their digital photographs of the attack's aftermath after they crossed the security perimeter to approach the scene, [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200704/s1894972.htm US soldier deleted media images to protect inquiry: NATO. 12/04/2007. ABC News Online ] ] although al Jazeera photojournalists later visited the site and captured similar footage.

Aftermath

Major General Frank Kearney, head of the SpecOps Central Command, ordered the entire 120-member unit out of Afghanistan pending an investigation into the incident, and announced that there was no evidence supporting the Marines' story that they had come under fire.

On April 3 the unit's commander and senior officer were relieved of their duties and sent back to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. [ [http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/04/marine_specops_investigation070411/ Probe: Spec ops Marines used excessive force - Navy News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Navy Times ] ] The former commander is now being represented by attorney Mark Waple.

Compensation payments of approximately $2000 were paid to the families of those killed or wounded. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/15/africa/afghan.php Rights group assails U.S. marines in killings of Afghans - International Herald Tribune ] ]

The shooting is under investigation by both Afghanistan [ [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/05/world/main2535077.shtml 9 Afghan Civilians Killed In NATO Strike, Deaths Come Day After Witnesses Say U.S. Marines Killed 10 Civilians Prompting Backlash - CBS News ] ] and the United States.

On April 12, the initial US inquiry determined that the Marines used "excessive force when they killed civilians after a suicide bombing", and was referred to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service for a criminal inquiry. [ [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1176152775203&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Probe: US Marines killed civilians in Afghanistan | Jerusalem Post ] ]

On May 7, a formal apology was issued by The Pentagon, [ [http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/05/08/us.afghan.apology/index.html Pentagon apologizes for deaths of Afghan civilians - CNN.com ] ] but was dismissed as premature by General James Conway who said ""I would just as soon that no one...apologize or talk about 'terrible, terrible mistakes'". [ [http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,136157,00.html Conway Condemns Afghanistan Apology ] ]

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