Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

After being attacked by a suicide bomber, a convoy of US marines decided to turn their guns on civilians (farmers, families, etc.);

…up to 10 civilians were killed yesterday as a convoy of US marines fled after being attacked by a suicide bomber in a minivan in eastern Nangarhar province. Nine Afghan witnesses said US marines had fired indiscriminately on civilian cars and pedestrians as they sped away…

Surely not indiscriminately? It doesn’t seem possible. What about the Geneva Conventions (specifically the fourth)?

“They were firing everywhere, and they even opened fire on 14 to 15 vehicles passing on the highway,” said 38-year-old Tur Gul, who was shot twice in his right hand. “They opened fire on everybody, the ones inside the vehicles and the ones on foot.” Some said that they were fired upon although they took care to get out of the way of the departing convoy. “We parked our vehicle, but when they passed us, they still opened fire on our vehicle,” said 15-year-old Mohammad Ishaq, who was hit by two bullets, in his left arm and his right ear, at a local hospital. Ahmed Najib, 23, lying in the next bed, was hit by a bullet in his right shoulder. He said: “One American was in the first vehicle, shouting to stop on the side of the road, and we stopped. The first vehicle did not fire on us, but the second opened fire on our car. My two-year-old brother was grazed on the cheek by a bullet.”

Thankfully journalists were on hand to record all of this for, let’s say, a later war crimes tribunal;

The Associated Press is to complain to the US military after journalists said US soldiers deleted footage of the aftermath of an attack in Afghanistan…

I see. Surely a misunderstanding… I wonder what the journalists say about all this;

“When I went near the four-wheel drive, I saw the Americans taking pictures of the same car, so I started taking pictures,” photographer Rahmat Gul said. “Two soldiers with a translator came and said, ‘Why are you taking pictures? You don’t have permission.’” Mr Gul said troops took his camera, deleted his photos and returned it to him. His APTN colleague, who did not want to be named, said he was told he could film the scene – but when he did so a US soldier got very angry and deleted any footage that included the Americans. Khanwali Kamran, a reporter for the Afghan channel Ariana Television, said the American soldiers also deleted his footage, AP reported. “They warned me that if it is aired … then, ‘You will face problems,’” Mr Kamran was quoted by the news agency as saying.

What say the US military?

The US military said it could not confirm its troops had seized any film.

Naturally. I suggest the US military reads the news from time to time, wherein they will find ample confirmation of their war crimes, etc.

J.K.

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