The Shinwar Massacre refers to the killing of at least twelve civilians, including an infant and three elderly men, by U.S. Marines in the Shinwar district of the Nangrahar province of Afghanistan on March 4, 2007. At least thirty-three civilians were injured in the shootings.[1] The casualty figures continue to be disputed.[2]
Events preceding the shootings
A suicide bomber struck a convoy of an elite Marine Special Operations Unit on March 4, wounding one American soldier. Marines reported taking small arms fire following the blast. The attack took place near the main highway 25 miles east of Jalalabad. According to military and eye-witness reports, a man driving a minibus exploded his vehicle while passing the convoy of several marine Humvees. According to the military, the convoy then faced a “complex ambush from several directions,” although this has been disputed by witnesses and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.[3]
"Excessive force"
According to witnesses and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, U.S. Marines responded to the attack with excessive force, firing indiscriminately at civilians passing by on the busy highway, killing elderly men, women, and children. Akhtyar Gul, a local reporter who witnessed the shooting, claims that the Marines sprayed civilians with machine gun fire even though they were not under attack.[4] Both the Afghan Commission and the U.S. Military have acknowledged the Marines' response was a violation of international law, and the U.S. command took the unusual step of removing the entire company of Marines involved in the incident from Afghanistan. U.S. military commanders have since referred the incident to Naval Criminal Investigative Service for further inquiry.[5] Maj Gen Frank H Kearney III has told the Washington Post that the inquiry has found no evidence that the Marines were under attack or that any of the casualties were "fighters." "My investigating officer believes these folks were innocent," Kearney said.[6]
Associated press and Afghan journalists claim that U.S. soldiers confiscated photos and videos of the killings and their aftermath.[7][8]
Afghan response
The killings were followed by widespread protests across Afghanistan and drew sharp criticism from President Hamid Karzai.[9] The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission contends that, "In failing to distinguish between civilians and legitimate military targets, the U.S. Marine Corps Special Forces employed indiscriminate force," the report said. "Their actions thus constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian standards."[10]
External links
References
- ^ http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0416/p99s01-duts.html
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301721.html
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/world/asia/15afghan.html
- ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article1654878.ece
- ^ http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2007/04/ap_marines_afghanistan_070415/
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/15/AR2007041500466.html
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6556721.stm?ls
- ^ BBC News: US 'erased Afghan attack footage'
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301721.html
- ^ http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070415/NEWS/704150407/1039