United States military helicopters kill their Afghan allies

This video from the USA says about itself:

Malalai Joya Speaks at Anti-War Rally, Dolores Park, San Francisco, CA (10 April 2011)

12 April 2011

Malalai Joya, Afghan feminist (and youngest person ever elected to the Afghan parliament), speaks at the rally. Her status as a feminist/human rights activist and as an outspoken critic of the rampant corruption in the Afghan government (and its collusion with shady US interests) has gotten her suspended from Parliament and made her a target for death back home in Afghanistan–she lives underground there. She’s also been a fierce opponent and critic of Obama and his escalation of US war in Afghanistan since his inauguration, and ~coincidentally~, the US State Dept recently tried to refuse her entry into the US for a book/speaking tour until public outcry made them cave in.

Apologies in advance as the first half-minute or so of Joya’s comments are not recorded.

From the BBC:

Afghan troops ‘killed by US friendly fire‘ in Logar

18 minutes ago

At least eight Afghan soldiers have been killed in a US air strike on an army checkpoint in Logar province, south of Kabul, Afghan officials say.

They say two US helicopters attacked the checkpoint in broad daylight on Monday. Several troops were injured.

…

The army commander in the area told the BBC that the checkpoint was clearly flying an Afghan flag.

Logar is an unsettled area where much of the countryside is in the hands of the Taliban.

There is much confusion over the morning incident in the Baraki Barak district, says the BBC’s David Loyn in Kabul.

Afghan reinforcements deployed to the area also came under fire, a defence ministry statement said.

A spokesman for international forces said they were aware of an incident involving US forces and were investigating.

Analysis: BBC’s David Loyn in Kabul

There are still more than 13,000 international troops in Afghanistan – about half of them American. And more have remained for longer than US President Barack Obama originally ordered, after he acceded to military requests to slow down the withdrawal.

Since the Nato combat mission was wound up at the end of 2014, their principal mission is to “train, advise and assist” Afghan forces.

Most of the advice is at ministerial level and the top ranks of the armed forces, improving logistics and co-ordination.

The only active international fighting units are assisting Afghan special forces, and that is the mission that the helicopters believed to have been involved in the attack on Logar would have been engaged in.

There are air strikes, mostly from unmanned drones, somewhere in the country, every day.

Statistics recently emerged showing that more than 100 bombs were dropped in June – more than twice as many as any other month since combat operations ended.

Civilian and military deaths in coalition air strikes have been a contentious issue in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion of the country in 2001. They have provoked anger from the government and from many Afghan people.

‘Friendly fire’ from US helicopters kills 10 Afghan soldiers in Logar: here.

Afghan officials say 14 soldiers killed in US air strike: here.

Afghanistan: sharp rise in women and children casualties in first half of 2015. UN reveals 1,591 civilians killed and 3,329 wounded as war enters its 14th year, as fighting in residential areas and greater role of militias contribute to increase: here.

No warlords need apply — a call for credible peacemaking in Afghanistan: here.