Collateral Damage X Ten

A United Nations Organisation convoy of food has been destroyed by US military aircraft in Afghanistan.

A Food Aid convoy of 22 lorries which was driving towards Bamian in central Afghanistan has been destroyed, according to Michael Huggins, spokesperson for Food Aid. He stated that the attack was carried out by US military aircraft and that the number of victims was not yet known.

The attack took place at the weekend (November 10th/11th). The convoy was not marked with any UN symbols.

To note, is the bombing of Red Cross installations in Kabul and Kandahar during the campaign against the Taleban, clearly marked. Had the UN convoy been marked with insignia of this organisation, there is nothing to guarantee that this would have made any difference. Pilots flying on high missions are unable to differentiate between clearly marked hospitals and other buildings which they mistakenly take for military installations.

The same goes for humanitarian vehicles, mistaken for tanks or armoured personnel carriers. Such is the state of modern warfare. High-altitude precision bombing raids, which when they are less precise, are termed as “collateral damage”.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.Ru