The day 69 children died

[Tehmasib]

LONDON: It is one of the worst incidents of the entire drones campaign, yet one of the least reported. A CIA strike on a madrassa or religious school in 2006 killed up to 69 children, among 80 civilians.

The attack was on a religious seminary in Chenegai, in Bajaur Agency.

CIA drones attacked on October 30, flattening much of the school. Their target was reportedly the headmaster, a known militant. According to some reports, there was also a token late contribution to the assault by Pakistani military helicopters. But dozens of children were also killed, the youngest aged seven.

Veteran journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai, speaking to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism from Peshawar, recalls visiting the village just after the strike: “People were devastated. I met with a father who had lost two children. He was very patient, talking of how God must have willed this, but he was clearly traumatised.”

Initially the Pakistan Army claimed that it had carried out the bombardment, even as shops and offices closed across the region and protests spread. But as the scale of the attack unfolded, the story changed. The Sunday Times carried a report from a key aide to then-President Pervez Musharraf stating: ‘We thought it would be less damaging if we said we did it rather than the US. But there was a lot of collateral damage and we’ve requested the Americans not to do it again.’

A week after the attack, a local English newspaper published the names and home villages of 80 victims. Sixty-nine were reported as children aged 17 or under. According to the paper’s sources,

It was claimed that ‘one of the deceased was only seven-year old, three were eight, three nine, one was 10, four were 11, four were 12, eight were 13, six were 14, nine were 15, 19 were 16, 12 were 17, three were 18, three were 19 and only two were 21-years old’.

Yusufzai is adamant that the attack was the work of the CIA: “I am absolutely confident, 100 per cent, that this was carried out by US drones, based on witnesses at the time and the subsequent comments of [Pakistani] government officials.”

The US Embassy in Islamabad declined to comment on the case when offered the opportunity by the Bureau and The Express Tribune

 

[Kobalt]

I am so sorry for what my nation's putrid, corrupt government and intelligence agency has done. They will pay the consequences soon enough. These children will not be forgotten.

 

[Leader]

http://www.defence.pk/forums/social-issues-current-events/224320-secret-drone-war-bbc-panorama.html

 

[Sugarcane]

That's really sad - But more pathetic is some low life justifying drone attacks. I wish someday their own kid/innocent family member gets killed in this way - than i will ask them what's their feeling. Killing dozens of innocent people, kids just for one or two militant that too "suspect" is just pathetic.

 

[tarrar]

When a single child dies in US the whole US & the terrorist Obama cries but when they kill Million Muslim childrens around the world they laugh & use abusive worlds.

 

[TheRafael00000]

Pakistan Army wants Drone Attack to sustain, even though politicians take it as game and subject to acquire power in Pak politics. That's really nasty. Pakistan army wants it as they are struggling against Taliban or new born Pakistani Taliban who defy Pakistan army and want to be autonomous. It could be risky for Belochistan and Waziristan. But what will hurt Pakistan most is politicians. They are throwing dirts and making it more gloomy than it is. The simple solution is bringing all the Pak regions on Islamabad command and overthrow the Taliban. Not to mention, even there is a problem. If Pakistan overthrow the Taliban, the Afghan Govt. who is highly run by US will remain as a puppet. Pakistan should find a way to keep US away from Afghanistan. Rather than providing support to US, Pakistan need to support Afghanistan and establish a lobby which will work for Afghan-Pakistan alliance. A military stance won't help at all. India is trying to take the game from here.So be careful.

 

[Black Widow]

That's really sad - But more pathetic is some low life justifying drone attacks. I wish someday their own kid/innocent family member gets killed in this way - than i will ask them what's their feeling. Killing dozens of innocent people, kids just for one or two militant that too "suspect" is just pathetic.

a) Ex Commando, General, President P Musharraf.
b) PLMN
c) PPP
d) Fauj
e) ISI
Except I K Khan, no one seems talking against Drones....

@incident: Horrible and sad attack. The casualities should have been averted if planned correctly, or may be plan went wrong during execution. I have no reason to believe that CIA will ever plan such incident where 69 innocent kids will die...

 

[Sugarcane]

a) Ex Commando, General, President P Musharraf.
b) PLMN
c) PPP
d) Fauj
e) ISI
Except I K Khan, no one seems talking against Drones....

@incident: Horrible and sad attack. The casualities should have been averted if planned correctly, or may be plan went wrong during execution. I have no reason to believe that CIA will ever plan such incident where 69 innocent kids will die...

First of all - my post is inclusive of everyone who support drones (irrespective of nationality and institution). Second, I am not surprised of your justification for CIA's acts.