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US Army targetting women and children

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US Army targetting women and children
humble_muslim
06/01/02 at 11:23:21
http://theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20020525/topstories/380284.html

From their own mouths ...

For Army Private Matt Guckenheimer, who recently returned home to Tompkins County after two missions in Eastern Afghanistan, processing these memories and readjusting to American life has just begun.
Guckenheimer, who helped clear the L-shaped valley near the border of Pakistan whose twists and turns are burned into his memory, explained the nature of his company's mission. In doing so, he spoke candidly about the reality of war.
In an April interview with The Ithaca Journal at his family's Cayuga Heights home, Guckenheimer, 22, shared his experiences during Operation Anaconda. He was sent on March 6 in a company of more than 100 soldiers to participate in the largest U.S.-led ground engagement in Eastern Afghanistan.
"We were told there were no friendly forces," said Guckenheimer, an assistant gunner with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum. "If there was anybody there, they were the enemy. We were told specifically that if there were WOMEN AND CHILDREN TO KILL THEM."

NS
Re: US Army targetting women and children
Kareema_Abdul-Khab
06/02/02 at 02:47:44
[slm]
Unfortunately, practices like this aren't as rare as one would like to think.
It reminds me of a story a Marine I knew told. There were a bunch of women and children and civilian men who wanted to go back to their homelands, but were being prevented by the army. Finally, the Marines relented and said'if you can walk back to your land, your free to go'.

What the Marines didn't tell them was that the whole area they would be walking over was mined, so they were actually sending them into a trap. The guy I knew saw some of them still alive, twitching after stepping on the mines, and asked his commander what to do about them. He ordered him to gun the survivors down from the helicopter he was in, and that's what he did.

Everyone around the table just looked very shocked(we were eating at a near-empty restaurant)and simply couldn't believe it, it was difficult since we all would be working together, he did seem remorseful, almost sobbing aloud though. He drinks a lot, and we agreed this is probably part of the reason why.  Noone really knew what to do or say, going public is the only thing I can think of to do, or apologize to the families of the victims. Mentally, he's kinda screwed up, I once saw him thumbing through a copy of the Quran,but I was very unsure of what to do.
06/02/02 at 02:49:36
Kareema_Abdul-Khab


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