From: Ali Abunimah
To: morning@npr.org
Subject: Dismissing reports of civilian victims of US bombing in Afghanistan

October 8, 2001

Dear NPR News,

On Morning Edition today, Cokie Roberts declared that claims from the Taliban that 20 civilians had been killed in yesterday's US attacks were "not credible."

There is no one who holds the Taliban in greater contempt than I do, but I was surprised that Cokie seemed to be dismissing the possibility that US bombing harmed civilians. I cannot think of a case in history where heavy bombing of a country did not result in at least some civilian victims and the evidence suggests that this was also the case yesterday.

Al Jazira television today said that it was impossible to verify Taliban claims precisely because of restrictions the Taliban had imposed on filming and movement, however the Al Jazira TV crew in Kabul were able to film a number of civilian houses that had been completely destroyed near a radar site hit by the US.

Al Jazira interviewed a man who lived in one of the houses. At least one person in this man's family had been injured. The man was covered in dust and extremely distressed as he and his neighbors were digging through the rubble trying to salvage some possessions.

Given that the bombing hit more than 30 sites and in addition to Kabul took in major cities such as Kandahar and Jalalabad, it is more than possible that this scene was not unique.

Since Cokie is principally interested in politics, rather than human rights or justice, she ought to know that the avoidance of civilian victims is the key to the US maintaining support or acquiescence for its actions in the Arab and Muslim worlds. If pictures such as those shown this morning multiply, the US may have a serious problem.

Sincerely,

Ali Abunimah
http://www.abunimah.org