Reporter's diary: Inside Operation Moshtarak
Atia Abawi
CNN International Correspondent
For more than a week, CNN International Correspondent Atia Abawi has been embedded with U.S. Marines who are working alongside Afghan soldiers to rout out Taliban forces from the southern Afghan province of Marjah. Abawi filed this inside look at Operation Moshtarak:
It's been over a week now since Operation Moshtarak began here in southern Afghanistan. The city of Marjah shakes with the sound of improvised explosive devices, most of them set off by controlled explosions. Between IED blasts, the air is filled with the sounds of whizzing bullets, booming mortars, clacking helicopters, and other noises of war that I can't even express in writing.
The U.S. Marines and the Afghan Army are fighting a fierce battle against the Taliban inside Marjah while other NATO forces are in the surrounding towns in villages. The story started well before the launch of Operation Moshtarak on February 13. In fact, journalists – aware of the impending operation – began deploying to Helmand province at the beginning of the month.
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Filed under: Afghanistan • Behind The Scenes |
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The US Army white wash is simply pathetic. The excuse for the bombing of a Afghanistan caravan carrying 27 civilians fleeing the war is 'someone thought they were Taliban fighters going TO engage American and Allied Soldiers'.
That's total BS! The Afghanistan civilian caravan was clearly traveling AWAY from the fighting. And if American's here at home believe soldiers are handcuffed by the supposed DO NOT ENGAGE anyone that is not firing a weapon nor armed with a weapon, this civilian caravan should NEVER had been bombed nor targeted. NONE of these women and children had any weapons whatsoever!
Yes, tragic events like this happen in wars. Given the supposed NATO rules of engagement, this should never had occurred period. NONE of these women and children could even remotely be considered to be a threat, they had no weapons and they fired no weapons. Thanks to the American taxpayers, these women and children are now dead.
Americans should not think the Afghanistan people think the Taliban did this.