BS: US Humanitarian Aid?

Subject: US Humanitarian Aid?
From: GUEST,A Friend
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 12:27 PM

A breaking story from European news agencies:

Two US bombs hit a warehouse operated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the centre of the Afghan capital today,prompting a furious reaction from officials who said it was clearly a civilian facility.

One Afghan member of staff was seriously injured in the attack, the ICRC said.

Rescue workers and Afghan ICRC employees raced to try to put out the blaze with fire extinguishers, but at least 35 percent of the food and other equipment stored at the facility were destroyed, witnesses and officials said.

"It is definitely a civilian target. In addition to that, it is a clearly marked ICRC warehouse," said Mr Robert Moni, head of the ICRC delegation in Kabul and now evacuated to Pakistan.

"It is marked on the top with a red cross. People should take all necessary measures to avoid such things," he said.

All aid agencies withdrew their international staff after the ruling Taliban said they could no longer guarantee their security in the face of attacks by US warplanes.

Subject: RE: BS: US Humanitarian Aid?
From: Kim C
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 01:12 PM

Sounds like a not-so-smart bomb to me. I doubt it was purposely targeted.

Subject: RE: BS: US Humanitarian Aid?
From: Wolfgang
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 01:53 PM

Much too early for comment, the news agencies not even agree to the number of warehouses hit yet (one or two). And let's not forget the report comes from sources who have not been there since days.

There are so many possibilities, (1) error in hitting (unsmart bomb, Kim), (2) error in targeting, (3) damage comes from hitting another object nearby which led to other explosions (perhaps from ammunition stored there), or the more remote ones, (4) the Taliban changed the signs on the buildings, (5) the USA targeted the building on purpose (knowing that the Taliban had used it for storing other things after the Red Cross left), (6) the Taliban blew it up for propaganda (after removing the goods), (7) the USA hit it on purpose knowing it was a red cross building (not allowing the Taliban to use the goods later; or for propaganda claiming the Taliban blew it up).

So why should we speculate or comment now?

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: US Humanitarian Aid?
From: Kim C
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 02:14 PM

True, Wolfgang. I am constantly amazed at the news media putting out stories before they have the full information, or putting out non-stories, like the one I saw on my local news the other night... seems drawings of the Sears Tower, Disneyworld, and the Mall of America were found in the terrorists' possessions, but "there were no indications that any of these establishments were being targeted for terrorist activity."

Well then, it's not much of a story, is it? Unless you're just wanting to make people nervous.

And this whole anthrax thing. If I never hear the word anthrax again, I should be so lucky.

Subject: RE: BS: US Humanitarian Aid?
From: Wesley S
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 02:26 PM

Kim - What I've noticed lately is that local news has one purpose only. And that's to get you to watch their program. Truth is a by-product. Ratings are the answer. My guess is if the station is anything like the ones I watch that there were many lurid promos along the lines of " Disney World or the Sears Tower - which will be the next terrorist target ???"

Subject: RE: BS: US Humanitarian Aid?
From: Kim C
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 03:11 PM

"Truth is a by-product."

How true that often is.

I do want to know the facts. I like to know what's going on. However I DON'T like the situation being milked for the Drama Factor, and that started the day after the Incident. The newspeople are going to make us so damn tired of it we won't care anymore.

Anyway, as regards the original subject, my gut feeling is that this was an error, however as Wolfgang pointed out, we need more information first. And I mean real information, not Sears information.

Subject: RE: BS: US Humanitarian Aid?
From: DougR
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 03:48 PM

It has not been confirmed yet that the building was hit by one of our bombs. Even if it were, as Kim says, I'm sure it was not an intended target. We are in a war folks, and sometimes mistakes happen.

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: US Humanitarian Aid?
From: Kim C
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 04:07 PM

It was the alien druids from outer space. Or the Roswell crash test dummies. I'm not sure which. ;-)