The picture which shames US army-Aljazeera

[darrels joy]

The picture which shames US army


By Yvonne Ridley

Friday 17 October 2003, 14:37 Makka Time, 11:37 GMT


US soldier frisks Afghan child in Zermit village

A secretly taken picture of an American soldier frisking an Afghan child has shocked human rights campaigners across the world.


The picture was given to Aljazeera.net by the Islamic Observation Centre to highlight the plight of children in Afghanistan.

It will now be shown to delegates and discussed at the Washington Conference on Civil Liberties in America on Saturday, 25 October.

Taken by a strategically placed camera, and using a telephoto lens, the undercover photographer snapped a four-year-old child having his clothing searched by a heavily armed US soldier.

The child and his friends were playing in the village of Zermit in Paktika when American soldiers, hunting for Taliban fighters, arrived.

"Those children could have been carrying explosives," said an unapologetic US Major Peter Mitchell who was shown the picture by Aljazeera.net.

Major Mitchell, a US marine and spokesman for US Central Command, added: "The troops on the ground in Afghanistan will respond accordingly to whatever threat in that environment exists.

"Maybe they received intelligence that children were carrying explosives and that the children could be used against coalition forces.

"Coalition forces will do whatever it is they need to do to protect themselves. In times of conflict their personal security comes before hearts and minds.

Trigger fingers

"If someone is offended because a four-year-old is being searched they should know that the security of forces will always come first."

Aljazeera.net was given another picture also taken in Zermit village, at the same time, which appeared to show nervous-looking, armed US soldiers aiming their weapons at a sheep during a house search.

Not everyone shares Major Mitchell's views of the child search. Mauri Saalakhan, director of the Peace and Justice Foundation in America said he was shocked when shown the pictures by Aljazeera.net.

"My first reaction is concern for the welfare of the children of Afghanistan. It is quite possible tragedies could unfold if trigger-nervous US soldiers look at these children as potential security risks.

"..tragedies could unfold if trigger nervous US soldiers look at these children as potential security risks"

Mauri Saalakhan, director, Peace and Justice Foundation

Civil liberties

"We will raise awareness about this and will certainly be discussing the issue at the civil liberties conference later this month in Washington," added Saalakhan.

Yasser Ansiri, director of the Islamic Observation Centre based in London, said one of his correspondents based in Afghanistan and Pakistan had taken the picture, but wished to remain anonymous so he could continue his work.

"This is a shocking picture. We want Aljazeera.net to show the world what the Americans are doing in Afghanistan. It is a picture which will shame the US military," added Ansiri, spokesman for the centre which is a human rights organisation.


Aljazeera

Since this seems to be the worst they can find with hidden cameras with telephoto lens, we must be doing really, really well.

[darrels joy]

The boy with friends...

[BLUEHAWK]

These things happen in war, all war, always.

Correct me if wrong, but our troops are possibly the most noble who ever ever served government throughout all history.

I see nothing in the photograph as cause for outrage or alarm.

[darrels joy]

Like I said "we must be doing really, really well. "

[Jerry D]

Ok who here remembers from VN where the VC would booby trap little kids with hand grenades and have them run into the arms of our troops and when the unsuspecting GI reached down to pick up the cute little tyke the kid would raise their arms and the wire from their wrist would pull out the pin of the grenade attached to the kids chest and boom no more kid and GI . its sad but happened more times then we would like to remember . So I think the soldier in the pic was doing a great job protecting him and his fellow soldiers. better to be safe then carried by six

[BLUEHAWK]

Jerry, fer cryin' out loud man, VC booby-trapped little kids? I didn't remember that, but thought about it when I read Joy's post up top, the guys must have some good reason for what they have to do... any word from the theatre of this happening lately?

I know the chance cannot be taken, just wondering if any of it's going on...

[Seascamp]

As to Vietnamese kids being a risk, hell yes they were. As a matter of fact they made a sport of tossing pop cans into jeeps and such just to watch the Troops or whatever bail out and get all scuffed up. Mean little buggers for sure, but then kids will be kids I suppose. On the other hand a jeep or whatever running loose without a driver usually made a mess of something so that was part of the what goes around comes around deal. Military busses in the Da Nang area had thick mesh screens over the windows for the specific purpose of discouraging this sport.

So all in all, I?d say the Troops are doing their job in protecting themselves and the area kiddos. Not knowing is what causes itchy fingers and so-called trigger-happy behavior.

Scamp

[SuperScout]

Methinks you might have been reading too many "Really, No-Shit Urban Myths" about Vietnam. Irrespective of political persuasion, tell me what parent would wire their small children to go make boom on GI? This type of perversion might exist in the Muslim world with teenagers, but little children in Vietnam? Never heard of it or saw it.

[SEATJERKER]

...if I'm not mistaken, one member here stated before about 2 MP's the "vanished" when a child of sorts(person of smallness) ran up to a checkpoint , and detonated all three to oblivian,...

...In this case, It just might be that that soldier could be saving that child's life too by checking them,...

...better to be safe then sorry,...

...

SS-

On at least two occasions during my tour I helped out at explosion sites where the GI's present claimed the cause of the explosion was similar to the one noted by Jerry D.

Helped police up at a village where the VC had apparently determined an object lesson in practical politics was in order.I policed up body parts while other guys tried to match them up with the appropriate bodies.All bodies were civilian.Most were women and children.All appeared to have been tortured-probably over a considerable time period-and/or raped prior to death.

Don't believe parents wired their children,but am convinced that the VC wired the children of other folks.