US airstrikes kill as many as 160 civilians
Suspected U.S. airstrikes in Syria kill scores of civilians, activists say
IRBIL, Iraq — Scores of civilians died Tuesday in airstrikes allegedly carried out by U.S. warplanes on a Syrian village in an area that is the target of a U.S.-backed offensive, according to human rights groups and opposition activists from the area.
The U.S. military said it is investigating claims that American airstrikes were responsible for the deaths of as many as 160 civilians early Tuesday in Tokhar, 10 miles from the northern town of Manbij.
A military statement said investigations are underway into whether the site where the victims died matches any of the locations bombed at the time by American warplanes.
“If the information supporting this allegation is determined to be credible, we will then determine the next appropriate step,” the statement said. The U.S. military takes “all measures during the targeting process to avoid or minimize civilian casualties,” it added.
The alleged strikes coincided with intense fighting in the Manbij area as a U.S.-backed coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters called the Syrian Democratic Forces presses ahead with a seven-week-old offensive to capture Manbij. Earlier Tuesday, the U.S. military announced that the SDF had secured control of the Islamic State headquarters in the town. A separate statement said American warplanes had conducted 18 strikes in the previous 24 hours around Manbij.
Other warplanes involved in the widespread bombing of Syria, including the Russian and Syrian air forces, occasionally stray into areas where the U.S. military is operating.
People from the Manbij area said, however, that U.S.-led coalition warplanes are the only ones that have been bombing in the area since the offensive was launched June 1.
If Tuesday’s reports are confirmed, the tragedy could undermine local support for the U.S.-backed effort to free the strategically important town from militant control, said Jassem al-Sayed, a member of the local council that governed Manbij on behalf of the Syrian opposition before the Islamic State’s takeover in January 2014.
“People are now full of hatred for the SDF. We thought they were coming to finish ISIS, but it seems they are finishing us first,” he said, speaking from the opposition-controlled northern town of Azaz and using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State.
The SDF is overwhelmingly dominated by Kurds, but out of sensitivity to the Arab population of Manbij, the United States has helped enlist local Arab forces in the offensive. Some of them are now questioning whether they want to remain part of the force, Sayed said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/scores-of-civilians-killed-in-suspected-us-strikes-in-syria/2016/07/19/0246d5e0-89a4-458a-9c50-50095c9a12d9_story.html
IRBIL, Iraq — Scores of civilians died Tuesday in airstrikes allegedly carried out by U.S. warplanes on a Syrian village in an area that is the target of a U.S.-backed offensive, according to human rights groups and opposition activists from the area.
The U.S. military said it is investigating claims that American airstrikes were responsible for the deaths of as many as 160 civilians early Tuesday in Tokhar, 10 miles from the northern town of Manbij.
A military statement said investigations are underway into whether the site where the victims died matches any of the locations bombed at the time by American warplanes.
“If the information supporting this allegation is determined to be credible, we will then determine the next appropriate step,” the statement said. The U.S. military takes “all measures during the targeting process to avoid or minimize civilian casualties,” it added.
The alleged strikes coincided with intense fighting in the Manbij area as a U.S.-backed coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters called the Syrian Democratic Forces presses ahead with a seven-week-old offensive to capture Manbij. Earlier Tuesday, the U.S. military announced that the SDF had secured control of the Islamic State headquarters in the town. A separate statement said American warplanes had conducted 18 strikes in the previous 24 hours around Manbij.
Other warplanes involved in the widespread bombing of Syria, including the Russian and Syrian air forces, occasionally stray into areas where the U.S. military is operating.
People from the Manbij area said, however, that U.S.-led coalition warplanes are the only ones that have been bombing in the area since the offensive was launched June 1.
If Tuesday’s reports are confirmed, the tragedy could undermine local support for the U.S.-backed effort to free the strategically important town from militant control, said Jassem al-Sayed, a member of the local council that governed Manbij on behalf of the Syrian opposition before the Islamic State’s takeover in January 2014.
“People are now full of hatred for the SDF. We thought they were coming to finish ISIS, but it seems they are finishing us first,” he said, speaking from the opposition-controlled northern town of Azaz and using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State.
The SDF is overwhelmingly dominated by Kurds, but out of sensitivity to the Arab population of Manbij, the United States has helped enlist local Arab forces in the offensive. Some of them are now questioning whether they want to remain part of the force, Sayed said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/scores-of-civilians-killed-in-suspected-us-strikes-in-syria/2016/07/19/0246d5e0-89a4-458a-9c50-50095c9a12d9_story.html
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Not surprised, that's only what Americas good at. Brainwashing and killing innocent people by stuffing "freedom" down their throats.
(edited 7 years ago)
"All we want to do is enforce democracy there, even if that does mean that we'll bomb the **** out of your country then wonder why you hold such unfavourable views of us" - USA
A great shame.
Still, I'd rather the US be doing the airstrikes than Syria/Russia or some crackhead militant group!
Still, I'd rather the US be doing the airstrikes than Syria/Russia or some crackhead militant group!
Original post by TelAviv
A great shame.
Still, I'd rather the US be doing the airstrikes than Syria/Russia or some crackhead militant group!
Still, I'd rather the US be doing the airstrikes than Syria/Russia or some crackhead militant group!
This.
Russian Sukhoi's bomb pretty indiscriminately. The Americans are a joke but the Russians are even worse
Original post by PrincessZara
Not surprised, that's only what Americas good at. Brainwashing and killing innocent people by stuffing "freedom" down their throats.
Do you get your political views from Green Day or Rage Against the Machine?
Original post by KingBradly
Do you get your political views from Green Day or Rage Against the Machine?
What's wrong with Rage Against the Machine? Pretty decent guitarist in my opinion they have, decent stuff.
Original post by oShahpo
What's wrong with Rage Against the Machine? Pretty decent guitarist in my opinion they have, decent stuff.
Tom Morello's guitar solos are like listening to a clanger getting raped. Awful. The bass and drums are great though, and they have some great riffs and songs. Killing in the Name of is of course a classic. Their songs are hardly indepth political essays though, and they're also kinda hypocritical given the fact that they purport to be anti-capitalist and anarcho-communist but belong to Sony. They've compared themselves to Chomsky selling his books through Barnes and Noble, but in the end I'm sure they know that none of the kids at their gigs really gives a damn what Zack is screaming about in his songs, as long as it sounds rebellious and vaguely revolutionary. They make money from their image, they're not successful because anyone actually cares what the band's view of the gulf war is.
Original post by KingBradly
Tom Morello's guitar solos are like listening to a clanger getting raped. Awful. The bass and drums are great though, and they have some great riffs and songs. Killing in the Name of is of course a classic. Their songs are hardly indepth political essays though, and they're also kinda hypocritical given the fact that they purport to be anti-capitalist and anarcho-communist but belong to Sony. They've compared themselves to Chomsky selling his books through Barnes and Noble, but in the end I'm sure they know that none of the kids at their gigs really gives a damn what Zack is screaming about in his songs, as long as it sounds rebellious and vaguely revolutionary. They make money from their image, they're not successful because anyone actually cares what the band's view of the gulf war is.
f*** their politics, I just like Morello
One of the great shames of strategic bombing.
Original post by Esoteric-
On the contrary. If we kill enoigh Syrians and other Arabs/Muslims, then they will finally get the message and stop trying to bomb us. If anything I say brava to the USA.
No they won't. Innocent Syrians are being killed by ISIS every day. ISIS target Muslims all the time.
Original post by Esoteric-
Well the more dead arabs/msulims the better.
You might say I am being extreme, but tbh what I am saying is the sentiment a lot of people in the west now have.
You might say I am being extreme, but tbh what I am saying is the sentiment a lot of people in the west now have.
Even if that is a sentiment that a lot of people hold, it doesn't make advocating genocide somehow okay. This position is morally repungnant.
It's just impossible to try and hit Daesh. They have realised the only way to stop these air-strikes is to hide behind civilians and use them as human shields.
I say syria, russia, and the US led coalition should just abandon air-strikes.
There is no way Daesh are just going to sit in isolated locations easy to hit. They are going to get into the thick of populations and operate from there to create headlines like this.
I say syria, russia, and the US led coalition should just abandon air-strikes.
There is no way Daesh are just going to sit in isolated locations easy to hit. They are going to get into the thick of populations and operate from there to create headlines like this.
Original post by stevey396
The more airstrikes the better I say. Give those savages something to be worried about.
It's pretty clear to me atleast, Daesh are using civilians as human shields. The same applies for a lot of these groups so far - they have used civilians as shields.
I say end all air-strikes , and focus on the regional forces - not the US- and help them fight this on the ground to minimize civilian deaths.
Original post by Tawheed
It's pretty clear to me atleast, Daesh are using civilians as human shields. The same applies for a lot of these groups so far - they have used civilians as shields.
I say end all air-strikes , and focus on the regional forces - not the US- and help them fight this on the ground to minimize civilian deaths.
I say end all air-strikes , and focus on the regional forces - not the US- and help them fight this on the ground to minimize civilian deaths.
Then we should order more airstrikes in order to destroy the shields and reach the people behind them. If civilians have to die then so be it, much rather them than us.
Original post by stevey396
Then we should order more airstrikes in order to destroy the shields and reach the people behind them. If civilians have to die then so be it, much rather them than us.
I would rather Daesh , al nusra, ahrar asham et al who use human shields remain in power and grow and potentially threaten the whole of the middle east than continuing to kill more and more civilians because these terrorist groups are using them as shields.
It's human life tbh.
Original post by remiremi
Maybe if ISIS didn't use human shields and operate in civilian areas this would never happen
Do you support Jaysh Al Fatah ?
Original post by stevey396
Then we should order more airstrikes in order to destroy the shields and reach the people behind them. If civilians have to die then so be it, much rather them than us.
If 'us' is the West, then I'm not sure your strategy is working.
Original post by Esoteric-
Well the more dead arabs/msulims the better.
You might say I am being extreme, but tbh what I am saying is the sentiment a lot of people in the west now have.
You might say I am being extreme, but tbh what I am saying is the sentiment a lot of people in the west now have.
What on earth did I just read?
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