We all know that these soldiers were put in a sitution that was impossible to know how to react other then survival...It is just sad that no matter if they did the right or wrong thing the outcome now will haunt all involved for ever...These stories should remind us all of the tradgedy of war and ask oursleves,Is there not a better way to make the world a safer and better place without killing each other?......There must be,cause these kind of stories produce nothing but sadness on both sides of this war....
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By Alexander Panetta, The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Canadian troops have killed a four-year-old girl and her two-year-old brother by opening fire on a car that they feared was about to attack their convoy in Afghanistan.
Soldiers said that as the car sped toward them in Panjwaii district outside Kandahar city, they flashed the lights on their vehicles, made hand gestures and issued audio warnings for it to pull over.
The car came within 10 metres of the convoy.
The crew in a light armoured vehicle faced a life-or-death choice and had very little time to make it - fire at the car, or risk being blown up by a suicide bomber.
The gunner pulled the trigger.
The 25-millimetre cannon round tore through the little girl's skull and left a gaping wound in her younger brother's torso, said a doctor and two others who saw their bodies at the local hospital.
The children's mother frantically paced the hallways at the hospital, shrieking and cursing foreign soldiers between sobs.
One police officer at the hospital said he saw and heard the mother scream: "My innocent children have been killed by foreigners - for no reason!"
The father was also a passenger in the vehicle. He was being treated for lacerations but left the Kandahar city hospital without permission to attend his children's funeral.
Another hospital visitor said that if he were the children's father, he would personally strap on a suicide vest and exact vengeance on Canadian troops.
Shopkeeper Din Mohammad said foreign soldiers had better stop accidentally killing civilians or they will suffer the same fate as the defeated Soviets.
"They must stop this," said Mohammed, who was visiting his son at Mirwais hospital when he saw the children's lifeless bodies carried in.
"Otherwise the day will come when everybody will stand up against the foreigners in a holy war - a jihad."
"It's happened once before (with the Soviets). If things continue like this, history will repeat itself."
An investigation into Sunday's incident will be conducted by Afghan police and the major crimes unit within Canadian Forces Military Police.
The Canadian military expressed remorse over the tragedy.
"We deeply regret this incident, and our thoughts are with the families and friends of the deceased during this difficult time," it said in a statement.
"This is a tough incident for the crews involved to deal with, as this is the last thing soldiers want to happen," the army said.
"The soldiers believed they had to take action to protect their convoy because the car was coming toward them at high speed."
In Ottawa, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said the deaths of the two children was a "horrible circumstance" in which a "horrible decision had to be taken."
Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill, MacKay said soldiers live with the possibility that it "may be a bomb coming your way" whenever a car approaches.
"With these suicide bombs that have occurred in the past with these approaches, soldiers have sometimes a split-second to make a decision on protecting their fellow soldiers and protecting themselves, protecting fellow civilians that are in the area," the minister said.
Staff at the Kandahar hospital said the children's father, Rozi Khan, suffered minor injuries. The children's mother and the driver of the car were not injured.
Afghan and United Nations officials have pleaded with international troops to avoid causing civilian casualties, which undermine support for the government and foreign forces.
Human Rights Watch says at least 300 Afghan civilians were mistakenly killed by the coalition last year, and thousands are believed to have died since 2001.
Insurgents killed even more civilians - at least 374 - in attacks last year.
The police officer who saw the children's mother crying in the hospital said foreigners aren't the only ones to blame for civilian deaths.
"They're not killing civilians in Kabul. Why is that?" Abdul Karim asked rhetorically. "They don't kill them in Kabul because there is peace there. Here, (soldiers) are scared."
The policeman was being treated for injuries from a land-mine explosion.
Militants regularly use civilian cars loaded with explosives in suicide missions.
With a finger constantly on the trigger, LAV gunners scan the road ahead for possible threats.
In cases where coalition forces have fired a split-second too late, soldiers have been killed in suicide explosions. In cases where they've fired too early, innocent people have died - as was the case Sunday.
Coalition forces run frequent advertising campaigns that warn Afghan locals to keep a safe distance from convoys. In fact, most locals are terrified of getting close to military vehicles.
The approach of such convoys frequently triggers a frantic scene in Kandahar city. Brakes screech, steering wheels swerve and drivers seek to avoid crashing into each other as they pull off the road and out of the convoy's way.
Taxi drivers in Kandahar city wave down their colleagues and shout at them to stay off certain streets where foreign troops are spotted.
Earlier this month, U.S. forces wiped out an entire wedding party in eastern Afghanistan, killing 47 civilians in an aerial bombing, the Afghan government has said.
Canada has no aircraft in Afghanistan capable of such attacks from the sky. But Canada has been involved in other civilian killings before.
In one incident, a 90-year-old man who was a respected political scientist and mentor to President Hamid Karzai was shot when he approached troops on a motorbike.
In another, a young man riding on a motorbike was shot through the chest and the bullet struck the head of his little brother riding behind him, killing the boy.
The Canadian military frequently offers financial compensation for civilian deaths. It said it would speak to the family and follow the local custom in this case.
"We will remain in contact with the family and will provide them with explanations about why our soldiers took the actions they did," the military said.
"It is not our policy to discuss in detail compensation to families . . . (but) we will strive to follow cultural customs and traditions in the manner in which we express our condolences."
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By Alexander Panetta, The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Canadian troops have killed a four-year-old girl and her two-year-old brother by opening fire on a car that they feared was about to attack their convoy in Afghanistan.
Soldiers said that as the car sped toward them in Panjwaii district outside Kandahar city, they flashed the lights on their vehicles, made hand gestures and issued audio warnings for it to pull over.
The car came within 10 metres of the convoy.
The crew in a light armoured vehicle faced a life-or-death choice and had very little time to make it - fire at the car, or risk being blown up by a suicide bomber.
The gunner pulled the trigger.
The 25-millimetre cannon round tore through the little girl's skull and left a gaping wound in her younger brother's torso, said a doctor and two others who saw their bodies at the local hospital.
The children's mother frantically paced the hallways at the hospital, shrieking and cursing foreign soldiers between sobs.
One police officer at the hospital said he saw and heard the mother scream: "My innocent children have been killed by foreigners - for no reason!"
The father was also a passenger in the vehicle. He was being treated for lacerations but left the Kandahar city hospital without permission to attend his children's funeral.
Another hospital visitor said that if he were the children's father, he would personally strap on a suicide vest and exact vengeance on Canadian troops.
Shopkeeper Din Mohammad said foreign soldiers had better stop accidentally killing civilians or they will suffer the same fate as the defeated Soviets.
"They must stop this," said Mohammed, who was visiting his son at Mirwais hospital when he saw the children's lifeless bodies carried in.
"Otherwise the day will come when everybody will stand up against the foreigners in a holy war - a jihad."
"It's happened once before (with the Soviets). If things continue like this, history will repeat itself."
An investigation into Sunday's incident will be conducted by Afghan police and the major crimes unit within Canadian Forces Military Police.
The Canadian military expressed remorse over the tragedy.
"We deeply regret this incident, and our thoughts are with the families and friends of the deceased during this difficult time," it said in a statement.
"This is a tough incident for the crews involved to deal with, as this is the last thing soldiers want to happen," the army said.
"The soldiers believed they had to take action to protect their convoy because the car was coming toward them at high speed."
In Ottawa, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said the deaths of the two children was a "horrible circumstance" in which a "horrible decision had to be taken."
Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill, MacKay said soldiers live with the possibility that it "may be a bomb coming your way" whenever a car approaches.
"With these suicide bombs that have occurred in the past with these approaches, soldiers have sometimes a split-second to make a decision on protecting their fellow soldiers and protecting themselves, protecting fellow civilians that are in the area," the minister said.
Staff at the Kandahar hospital said the children's father, Rozi Khan, suffered minor injuries. The children's mother and the driver of the car were not injured.
Afghan and United Nations officials have pleaded with international troops to avoid causing civilian casualties, which undermine support for the government and foreign forces.
Human Rights Watch says at least 300 Afghan civilians were mistakenly killed by the coalition last year, and thousands are believed to have died since 2001.
Insurgents killed even more civilians - at least 374 - in attacks last year.
The police officer who saw the children's mother crying in the hospital said foreigners aren't the only ones to blame for civilian deaths.
"They're not killing civilians in Kabul. Why is that?" Abdul Karim asked rhetorically. "They don't kill them in Kabul because there is peace there. Here, (soldiers) are scared."
The policeman was being treated for injuries from a land-mine explosion.
Militants regularly use civilian cars loaded with explosives in suicide missions.
With a finger constantly on the trigger, LAV gunners scan the road ahead for possible threats.
In cases where coalition forces have fired a split-second too late, soldiers have been killed in suicide explosions. In cases where they've fired too early, innocent people have died - as was the case Sunday.
Coalition forces run frequent advertising campaigns that warn Afghan locals to keep a safe distance from convoys. In fact, most locals are terrified of getting close to military vehicles.
The approach of such convoys frequently triggers a frantic scene in Kandahar city. Brakes screech, steering wheels swerve and drivers seek to avoid crashing into each other as they pull off the road and out of the convoy's way.
Taxi drivers in Kandahar city wave down their colleagues and shout at them to stay off certain streets where foreign troops are spotted.
Earlier this month, U.S. forces wiped out an entire wedding party in eastern Afghanistan, killing 47 civilians in an aerial bombing, the Afghan government has said.
Canada has no aircraft in Afghanistan capable of such attacks from the sky. But Canada has been involved in other civilian killings before.
In one incident, a 90-year-old man who was a respected political scientist and mentor to President Hamid Karzai was shot when he approached troops on a motorbike.
In another, a young man riding on a motorbike was shot through the chest and the bullet struck the head of his little brother riding behind him, killing the boy.
The Canadian military frequently offers financial compensation for civilian deaths. It said it would speak to the family and follow the local custom in this case.
"We will remain in contact with the family and will provide them with explanations about why our soldiers took the actions they did," the military said.
"It is not our policy to discuss in detail compensation to families . . . (but) we will strive to follow cultural customs and traditions in the manner in which we express our condolences."
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