Azizabad airstrike

Attack on Azizabad village by the U.S. Air Force

For other uses, see Azizabad (disambiguation).

Azizabad airstrike

Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

Azizabad

Azizabad (Afghanistan)

Location| Azizabad, Herat, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Date| August 22, 2008 (2008-08-22)
Target| Taliban commander

Attack type

| Aerial attack
Weapon| US AC-130 ground attack aircraft
Deaths| 32-92 civilians killed

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The Azizabad airstrike was carried out by the United States Air Force on Friday 22 August 2008 in the village of Azizabad in Shindand district, Herat Province, Afghanistan. The airstrike killed 92 civilians, mostly children, and a number of structures in the village including homes were damaged or destroyed, although there remains some dispute about the accuracy of these figures. A Taliban commander was the intended target of the airstrike.[1]

## Summary of events

[edit]

American officials stated that Afghan soldiers were ambushed while in pursuit of a Taliban commander named Mullah Siddiq, and further stated that the Taliban attackers then fled to Azizabad.[2] The retaliatory airstrike killed approximately 90 people and destroyed eight homes, according to accounts from the American troops, aid workers, local villagers, and a report by the Afghanistan government. This was later confirmed by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) which also undertook an investigation.[3] The attack was carried out at night by a US AC-130 ground attack aircraft, called in by US Special Forces.[2]

## Reaction

[edit]

### Azizabad residents

[edit]

The day after the attack, Saturday 23 August 2008, villagers organised a demonstration against Afghan troops which had been deployed to Azizabad to distribute food and other assistance. Several people were injured during a confrontation between the protesting villagers and army personnel.[4]

### Government of Afghanistan

[edit]

Afghan President Hamid Karzai described the attack as "tragic" and "irresponsible". Karzai dismissed two senior Afghan military personnel, a general and a major, for "negligence and concealing facts".[5] After a cabinet meeting the government announced that it would seek to renegotiate the terms of the international presence in the country. Some analysts suggested that this announcement was a direct response to the Azizabad event. A government statement called for an end to "airstrikes on civilian targets, unilateral searches of homes and illegal detentions" by international forces.[6]

In February 2009, a primary court in Herat sentenced Mohammad Nader to death for giving "wrong information" to coalition forces which resulted in the Azizabad airstrike. The presiding judge, Qazi Mukaram, told Nader that he was being "sentenced to capital punishment for spying for foreign forces and giving wrong information that caused the death of civilians." Nader denied the charges, saying, "My information was accurate and I did it for the well-being and security of my village."[7]

### Government of United States

[edit]

The Pentagon described the attack as "a legitimate strike against the Taliban" and questioned the casualty estimates given by the government of Afghanistan and reported by the media.[8] The US military originally denied that any civilian casualties had occurred, but later acknowledged that some civilians might have been killed and announced its intention to conduct an investigation.[9] Preliminary findings of the investigation acknowledged that five civilians had been killed.[10] On 2 September 2008, a further report was announced in which the US stated that up to seven civilians had been killed and reasserted that the majority of those killed were members of the Taliban.[11] On 1 October 2008 the Department of Defense published the summary of a report by Brig. Gen. Michael Callan which accepted that 33 civilians were killed.

### United Nations

[edit]

In a statement on the attack, the United Nations reports that "An investigation by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has found that some 90 civilians, including 60 children, were among those killed during military operations in the strife-torn nation's western Herat province last week." The investigation found "'convincing evidence, based on the testimony of eyewitnesses, and others,' that some 90 civilians were killed – including 60 children, 15 women and 15 men – and another 15 villagers wounded."

### Other international reaction

[edit]

Russia circulated a draft United Nations Security Council statement on Tuesday 26 August which expressed serious concern about the numerous civilian casualties reportedly caused by the airstrike. It stated that member nations "strongly deplore the fact that this is not the first incident of this kind."[12]

## Video emerges that show more than 40 bodies

[edit]

On 8 September 2008, a video recorded on a mobile phone emerged, showing around 40 bodies. Following the emergence of this new evidence, the United States announced the need for an independent enquiry into the matter.[13] An Afghan government commission stated that 90 civilians, including 60 children and 15 women, died in the bombing.[14] General David D. McKiernan, the senior U.S. officer in Afghanistan and NATO commander, said in a statement "In light of emerging evidence pertaining to civilian casualties in the August 22 counter-insurgency operation in the Shindand District, Herat province, I feel it is prudent to request that U.S. Central Command send a general officer to review the U.S. investigation and its findings with respect to this new evidence".[14]

## Possible deaths of coalition contractors

[edit]

The New York Times reported on October 7, 2010, that eight coalition security contractors were killed in the attack. The contractors were alleged to be headed by a 'Mr. White II' whose men included former Taliban fighters.[15]

## See also

[edit]

* Granai airstrike
* Sangin airstrike
* Uruzgan helicopter attack
* Haska Meyna wedding party airstrike

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Murphy, Brett, "Show of Force: Inside the U.S. military's raid against its own security guards that left dozens of Afghan children dead", USA Today, 1 January 2020
2. ^ a b Cogan, J. 2008, 'US air strike massacres civilians in western Afghanistan', World Socialist Web Site, 26 August. Retrieved on 26 August 2008.
3. ^ UN says air strikes killed 90 Afghans Archived September 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine \- FT.com, 26 August 2008
4. ^ Straziuso, J. and Faiez, R. 2008, 'Rights group: 78 Afghans killed; US to investigate', The Associated Press, 24 August. Retrieved on 26 August 2008.
5. ^ Gulf Daily News 2008, 'Top army generals sacked', Gulf Daily News, 25 August 2008. Retrieved on 26 August 2008.
6. ^ BBC 2008, 'Afghan bombing drives allies apart', BBC News, 27 August. Retrieved on 29 August 2008
7. ^ Meo, Nick, Afghan villager sentenced to death for 'wrong information' which caused bombing tragedy, The Sunday Telegraph, March 1, 2009.
8. ^ AFP 2008, 'Afghanistan attack was 'legitimate' hit at Taliban: Pentagon'[permanent dead link], Yahoo News, 25 August. Retrieved on 26 August 2008.
9. ^ BBC 2008, 'Afghans demand new troops deal', BBC News, 25 August. Retrieved on 26 August 2008.
10. ^ AFP 2008, 'US-led force says 5 Afghan civilians killed in strikes', ABC News, 26 August. Retrieved on 27 August 2008.
11. ^ Straziuso, J. 2008, 'US probe finds fewer deaths than UN claimed', Associated Press, 3 September. Retrieved on 3 September 2008. Archived September 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
12. ^ U.N. accuses U.S.-led troops in Afghan deaths Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine \- Times Argus, 27 August 2008
13. ^ Cellphone Video of Afghan Casualties on YouTube \- New York Times, September 9, 2008
14. ^ a b "US re-examines Afghan civilian deaths from attack". KansaCity.com. Associated Press. September 9, 2008.[dead link] Alt URL
15. ^ Afghans Linked to the Taliban Guard U.S. Bases - NYTimes.com

## External links

[edit]

* Gregory, Thomas (26 Apr 2012). "Potential Lives, Impossible Deaths: Afghanistan, Civilian Casualties and the Politics of Intelligibility". International Feminist Journal of Politics. 14 (3): 327–347\. doi:10.1080/14616742.2012.659851. S2CID 142864199.
* Videos show dead Afghan children after US raid in Azizabad
* Afghans will dig up graves to prove civilian deaths - Images
* In memory of 91 innocent Afghans massacred by US troops in Azizabad - The names of the victims
* Afghanistan: Investigate Any Newly Disclosed Civilian Casualty Incidents Human Rights Watch, July 26, 2010

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Timeline|

| 2001|

* Bombing of Kandahar
* Fall of Mazar-i-Sharif
* Siege of Kunduz
* Herat uprising
* Fall of Kabul
* Battle of Tarinkot
* Fall of Kandahar
* Battle of Qala-i-Jangi
* Dasht-i-Leili massacre
* Battle of Shawali Kowt
* Battle of Sayyd Alma Kalay
* Battle of Tora Bora

|

2002
–2006|

* 2002
* Guantanamo Bay
* Uruzgan bombing
* Kabul bombing
* 2003
* Pakistan Embassy in Kabul attack
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* Taliban offensive

2007|

* Shinwar shooting
* Hyderabad airstrike
* Nangar Khel incident
* Helmand airstrikes
* Baghlan bombing
* Bagram bombing
* South Korean hostage crisis

2008|

* Haska Meyna airstrike
* Azizabad airstrike
* Wech Bagtu airstrike
* Kabul Indian embassy bombing
* Kabul S Hotel attack
* Kidnapping of David Rohde
* Sarposa attack
* Kandahar bombing
* Spin Boldak bombing

2009|

* Granai airstrike
* Kunduz airstrike
* Narang raid
* February Kabul raids
* Kabul Indian embassy bombing
* Kandahar bombing
* NATO HQ bombing
* Camp Chapman attack
* Battle of Sabzak

2010|

* January Kabul attack
* Raid on Khataba
* February Kabul attack
* Uruzgan attack
* Sangin airstrike
* Maywand murders
* Tarok Kolache
* Nadahan bombing
* May Kabul bombing
* Badakhshan massacre
* Operation Halmazag

2011|

* Mano Gai airstrike
* Sarposa prison escape
* Bin Laden raid
* Logar bombing
* I-C Hotel Kabul attack
* Nimruz bombing
* Zabul bombing
* Chinook shootdown
* Helmand killing
* Pakistani border attack
* Ashura bombings

2012|

* Order of battle
* Urination video
* Kapisa airstrike
* Quran burning protests
* April attacks
* Forward Operating Base Delhi massacre
* Kandahar massacre
* September Camp Bastion raid
* Shesh Aba raid
* Body pictures

2013|

* Farah attack
* June Kabul bombings
* Presidential palace attack
* Herat U.S. consulate attack
* Jalalabad Indian consulate bombing

2014|

* Kabul S Hotel attack
* Herat Indian consulate attack
* Bagram bombing
* Paktika bombing
* Yahyakhel bombing
* December Kabul bombings
* Atiqullah Raufi assassination

2015|

* Park Palace attack
* Kabul Parliament attack
* Khost bombing
* April Jalalabad bombing
* 7 August Kabul attacks
* 10 August Kabul bombing
* 22 August Kabul bombing
* Ghazni prison escape
* Battle of Kunduz
* Hospital airstrike
* Kandahar Airport bombing
* Kabul Spanish Embassy attack
* Bagram bombing

2016|

* Nangarhar offensive
* Operation Omari
* April Kabul attack
* Kunduz-Takhar highway hostage crisis
* Kabul Canadian Embassy convoy bombing
* 30 June bombings
* July Kabul bombing
* Janikhel offensive
* AUoA attack
* September Kabul attacks
* Battle of Tarinkot
* Battle of Kunduz
* Battle of Boz Qandahari
* Mazar-i-Sharif German consulate bombing
* Bagram bombing

2017|

* January bombings
* Sangin airstrike
* March Kabul attack
* Nangarhar airstrike
* Camp Shaheen attack
* May Kabul bombing
* June Herat bombing
* Battle of Bora Bora
* June Lashkargar bombing
* August Herat attack
* 17 October attacks
* 20 October attacks
* 28 December Kabul bombing

2018|

* I-C Hotel Kabul attack
* STC Jalalabad attack
* Kabul ambulance bombing
* March Kabul bombing
* Kunduz madrassa attack
* 22 April Kabul bombing
* 30 April Kabul bombings
* Battle of Farah
* July Jalalabad bombing
* Battle of Darzab
* Ghazni offensive
* September Jalalabad bombing

2019|

* Maidan Shar attack
* Camp Shorabak attack
* 2019 Kabul mosque bombing
* 1 July Kabul attack
* Ghazni bombing
* 28 July Kabul bombing
* July Farah bombing
* 7 August Kabul bombing
* 17 August Kabul bombing
* 2 & 5 September Kabul bombings
* 17 September bombings
* Qalat bombing
* Jalalabad suicide bombing
* Haska Meyna mosque bombing
* Bagram attack

2020|

* 6 March Kabul shooting
* Kabul gurdwara attack
* May attacks
* June attacks
* July attacks
* August attacks
* Jalalabad prison
* September attacks
* October attacks
* November attacks
* Kabul University attack
* December attacks

2021|

* Attacks
* Taliban offensive
* Kabul school bombing
* Battle of Kandahar
* Fall of Herat
* Battle of Lashkargah
* Capture of Zaranj
* Fall of Kabul
* Kunduz mosque bombing
* Kandahar bombing
* 2021 Kabul airlift
* Operation Allies Refuge
* Operation Pitting
* Operation Devi Shakti
* Kabul airport attack
* August 29 drone strike

Aftermath|

* Recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
* Republican insurgency
* Islamic State–Taliban conflict
* Afghan frozen assets

War crimes|

* ICC investigation
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* UK Afghan Unlawful Killings inquiry
* Australian Brereton Inquiry
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* Kunduz hospital airstrike
* Kandahar massacre
* Torture
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* Salt Pit

Peace
process|

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* Enlightenment Movement
* Uprising for Change
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* 2021–2022 Afghan protests

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