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Loveland Summerfest 2007 / 7-16-2007-01.jpg coloradobodywork.com |
The 2007 Shinwar shooting refers to the killing of a number of Afghan civilians by US Marines who were fleeing the scene of a bomb attack, in the Shinwar District of the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan on March 4, 2007. According to some reports, as many as 12 civilians were killed and 35 injured in the shootings.[1] The true casualty figures have not been firmly established, however. [2]
[edit] Sequence of eventsHaji Ihsanullah, a member of Hezb e Islami[3], initially drove a minivan laden with explosives into one of the five vehicles making up the US convoy, which included three[4], or six[5], humvees, wounding one Marine.[6] Sources differ on whether or not hidden gunmen then also opened fire on the convoy.[7] US forces then fled the scene of the ambush[4], opening fire on some vehicles for 6-16[8] miles while driving along the Afghan street[9]. According to several witnesses and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, US Marines responded to the attack with excessive force, firing indiscriminately at civilians passing by on the busy highway, killing elderly men, women, and children. Akhtyar Gul, a local reporter who witnessed the shooting, claimed that the Marines sprayed civilians with machine gun fire even though they were not under attack.[10] Associated Press and Afghan journalists claimed that US soldiers confiscated photos and videos of the killings and their aftermath. [11] [12] [edit] Afghan response
The killings were followed by widespread protests across Afghanistan and drew sharp criticism from President Hamid Karzai.[2] The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission contends that, "In failing to distinguish between civilians and legitimate military targets, the U.S. Marine Corps Special Forces employed indiscriminate force," the report said. "Their actions thus constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian standards."[13] [edit] AftermathMajor 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.[5] On April 3, 2007 the unit's commander and senior officer were relieved of their duties and sent back to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.[14] Compensation payments of approximately $2000 were reportedly paid to the families of those killed or wounded.[15] The shooting came under investigation by both Afghanistan[16] and the United States. On April 12, 2007 an 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.[17] On May 7, 2007 a formal apology was issued by The Pentagon[18], 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'".[19] In January 2008, a Marine Corps Court of Inquiry at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina formally investigated the incident, hearing from more than 50 witnesses, including Afghans, over 17 days. Much of the testimony was characterized as "vague and contradictory", but in the end the inquiry concluded that the convoy "acted appropriately and in accordance with the rules of engagement and tactics, techniques and procedures in place at the time in response to a complex attack."[20] [edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
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