Loose Cannons

Except on Mondays

"It is not a policy of this coalition to target innocents, nor would it ever be to target innocents" — Lieutenant General Dan McNeill, US commander of allied forces in Afghanistan, July 6, after acknowledging that US warplanes had killed at least 48 Afghan civilians in the early hours of July 1. Quoted in the July 7 New York Times.

They'll be relieved

"The United States may station troops in the area where a recent American airstrike killed scores of civilians in a move to encourage local development and improve community relations, the commander of US forces said Sunday" — Associated Press report, July 7.

Take cover!

"We are more resolved than ever to bring stability to the country so that the Afghan people can have peace and hope" — US President George "Crusader" Bush, quoted in the July 7 Washington Post, commenting on the July 1 massacre and the assassination of Afghan vice-president Abdul Qadir.

Non-evil drugs baron

"Diplomatic sources said during the recent loya jirga in Kabul that the United States blocked Qadir's appointment as interior minister because of his reputation as a drugs baron" — BBC, July 7.

"There's all kinds of scenarios as to who killed [Qadir]. It could be drug lords, it could be long-time rivals. All we know is that a good man is dead and we mourn his loss" — Crusader Bush in the July 8, NYT.

From Green Left Weekly, July 17, 2002.

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From GLW issue 500