In memory of

6-12 civilians (mostly women and children)

killed on Wednesday, September 19, 2007

in the village of Zumbelay in the Gereshk district of Helmand Province by NATO bombing. On that day, British-led occupation forces launched a large offensive in Gereshk involving some 2,500 troops (British, US, Czech, Estonian and Afghan) backed by Warrior armored vehicles, guided rocket systems, attack helicopters and fighter bombers. A firefight with the Taliban resistance erupted and close air support was called-in. The “precision” bombing of a so-called “compound” killed 6 civilians according to both the district governor and even a NATO spokesman, Major Charles Antony, in Kabul. Residents reported that the NATO bombing killed a dozen civilians.

The reporting of this incident is revealing:

The Associated Press (AP) mentioned the 6 civilians in a wire service report titled “82 Killed in Afghanistan Violence”;

The Agence France Press (AFP) titled its wire service report “Six Afghan Civilians Killed in Air Strike: Governor”;

Deutsche Press Agentur (DPA) titled its report “Afghan Civilians Again Killed in Airstrike”;

Reuters uncharacteristically also buried the story in another wire service report;

Pajhwok Afghan News titled its wire service story with “A dozen civilians perish in NATO bombing: Residents.”

The Associated Press displays its political bias (again) by burying the civilian casualty story in another text.

Killed in a “precision” close air support strike by NATO/US warplanes