Staff / TruthdigAug 4, 2007
A U.S.-led airstrike on a meeting of Taliban leaders killed a "large number" of civilians, witnesses said. Roughly 50 people were hospitalized for injuries. NATO has said it is considering the use of smaller bombs in order to curtail civilian casualties. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Tom Engelhardt / TruthdigJul 9, 2007
Civilian deaths as a result of ground operations (see Haditha) often evoke cries of barbarism from the media, but the killing of innocents in airstrikes is routinely characterized as "collateral damage" and a cold fact of modern warfare. Tom Engelhardt of Tomdispatch proposes that we start to speak honestly about the devastation American military operations have rained down on Afghanistan and Iraq and see "collateral damage" for what it really is: carnage. Dig deeper ( 23 Min. Read )
Staff / TruthdigJun 18, 2007
An airstrike by U.S.-led forces near the eastern border of Afghanistan killed seven children Sunday night -- a tragic error that coalition forces attributed to al-Qaida operatives who had used "human shields" as cover, according to The New York Times. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
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Staff / TruthdigMay 17, 2007
After five days of fighting between rival Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, Israel has entered the fray, responding to rocket attacks on its soil with airstrikes in Gaza. The BBC reports that two Hamas officers were killed in the air attacks, and that at least 40 people have been killed since violence erupted last weekend. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Staff / TruthdigFeb 20, 2007
U.S. Central Command has developed a plan for airstrikes against Iran that includes hitting not just nuclear facilities but most military targets throughout the country. According to the BBC, either confirmation that Iran is building a nuclear weapon or evidence linking Tehran to a high-casualty attack inside Iraq could set the plan in motion. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Staff / TruthdigJan 10, 2007
The United States launched its second air assault in Somalia in as many days, according to a representative from the Somali government, who told Reuters: "As we speak now, the area is being bombarded by the American air force." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Staff / TruthdigJul 23, 2006
Israeli troops have taken the Lebanese village of Maroun al-Ras, which they claim has been used as a rocket base by Hezbollah. Israel has said it has no plans for a large-scale invasion but intends to use ground forces to attack targets unavailable to its jets. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Staff / TruthdigJun 10, 2006
American forces carried out almost 40 raids in the wake of the airstrike death of the terrorist leader But as Truthdig contributor Nir Rosen writes, the absence of Zarqawi is likely to lead to greater sectarian bloodshed in Iraq
(Also: Zarqawi survived the attack and tried to escape)
. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Staff / TruthdigApr 9, 2006
Contrary to the official "diplomatic solution" line, Seymour Hersh reports that Washington is stepping up plans for a possible airstrike on Iran. According to Reuters, Hersh's story in the April 17 issue of The New Yorker reports that a former senior defense official said the planning was, in Hersh's words, "based on the belief that a bombing campaign against Iran would humiliate the leadership and lead the Iranian public to overthrow it." The ex-official reportedly added that he was shocked to hear the strategy. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Staff / TruthdigMar 18, 2006
The US military announced Thursday that it had launched the "largest air assault since the U-led invasion" in 2003 As it turns out, however, it was little more than a photo op According to Time magazine, "there were no airstrikes no leading insurgents were nabbed there were no shots fired at all," and U forces met no resistance
Can anyone say Potemkin assault?
UPDATE: The L Times is now reporting that the operation has yielded 48 arrests, including at least one major insurgent ringleader, along with seizures of weapons and training manuals. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Staff / TruthdigJan 15, 2006
A purported CIA airstrike aimed at the top Al Qaeda deputy turns out to be another screw-up; 17 reported dead. | story Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
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