Bill Sykes' Newsletter from America.
(March 2002)
An ex-Brit gives his views-(without fear
or favor)---of the American Scene
Reparations for friendly fire victims.
Investigations are being conducted by the United States
Government into a contested friendly fire incident which
has been described as an attack upon, what the Afghans claim
were a group of Afghan villagers, collecting scrap metal,
or as the American press are prone to describe such happenings,
as "collateral damage".
 The
investigation is aimed at collecting forensic evidence at
the site in order to prove positive identification of the
victims. Perhaps the investigation should also be aimed
at discovering whether the Special Forces, (presumably CIA
operatives), overstepped their mandate in their Military
operational capacity. In this ongoing anti-terrorist war
in Afghanistan, and maybe other locations in the world,
the agency appears to have carte blanche go it alone authority
to conduct covert operations as they wish.
Wonder who reports to who these days. !!!
By the way, in passing, I'm led to believe that the friendly
fire victims are demanding monetary reparations from the
American Government for wrongful death and injury suffered
in this and other friendly fire incidents.
Taliban sources claim that in excess of 1500 civilian casualties
have resulted from aerial bombardment by coalition aircraft
and missiles.
Follow up to the friendly fire incident.
 At
a news conference, held by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld,
on the 23rd of February 2002 it was stated that the 14 people
killed, (other sources had put the death toll higher), in
the United States raid last month were not Taliban or al
Qaeda as initially believed.
The raid was prompted by extensive U.S. surveillance, which
had indicated al Qaeda or Taliban activities at two compounds.
The Defense Secretary said that new information indicated
that the deaths of the men were unfortunate, as apparently
they were attempting to disarm the local population on behalf
of the new interim Afghan Government!!!
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