Swedish Charity: US troops stormed through Afghan hospital, tied up staff

[Liberty Star]

This can't be good for winning hearts and minds of civilians of Afghan race:

Charity: US troops stormed through Afghan hospital
By KAY JOHNSON (AP) – 9 hours ago

KABUL — A Swedish charity accused American troops Monday of storming through a hospital in central Afghanistan, breaking down doors and tying up staff in a search for militants. The U.S. military said it was investigating.

The allegation that soldiers violated the neutrality of a medical facility follows the reported deaths of Afghan civilians in a U.S. airstrike in the country's north last week. An Afghan human rights group said Monday the strike on two hijacked fuel tankers may have killed as many as 70 civilians in Kunduz province.

Civilian deaths and intrusive searches have bred resentment among the Afghan population nearly eight years after the U.S.-led coalition invaded to oust the Taliban's hard-line Islamist regime for sheltering al-Qaida terrorist leaders.

Foreign forces are working to persuade the population to support the Afghan government after last month's presidential election, which has yet to be decided amid allegations of vote-rigging.

On Monday, the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan said the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division entered the charity's hospital without permission to look for insurgents in Wardak province, southwest of Kabul.

"This is simply not acceptable," said Anders Fange, the charity's country director.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...hjZJQD9AIDLQO0

[KCIndy]

The U.S. Army's response:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...-dispute_N.htm

Would never have been an issue if we weren't there in the first place.... or even left four years ago.

U.S. officials deny Swedish hospital was 'stormed'
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is disputing a report by a Swedish charity that alleged U.S. soldiers stormed one of the charity's hospitals in Afghanistan in search of Taliban fighters.

Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division searched the hospital in Wardak Province in east-central Afghanistan with the permission of hospital administrators, two senior defense officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk on the record.

The troops were searching for a militant they believed was hiding in the hospital after taking part in a nearby roadside bombing attack on a convoy that killed a civilian, one official said.

Officials of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, which operates the hospital, said Monday that soldiers stormed the facility last week, breaking down doors, and tying up staff and visitors.

But the U.S. Defense Department officials said Tuesday that troops went to the hospital with Afghan security police, got agreement from hospital administrators for a search and did not break doors, but rather broke the lock off one door after being told no one had the key.

The search did not turn up the Taliban they were searching for.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

[Liberty Star]

The U.S. Army's response:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...-dispute_N.htm

Would never have been an issue if we weren't there in the first place.... or even left four years ago.

Good news, it's good to have both sides of a story in these times of flaky media reporting.

Can we fine this Swedish Charity for making up such serious flase charges:

Officials of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, which operates the hospital, said Monday that soldiers stormed the facility last week, breaking down doors, and tying up staff and visitors.

Could they be doing it for money or what could be their motivation? Swedes are supposed to be on our side and not on Afghans' side.

[BlackTerrel]

Swedish Committee for Afghanistan

Sounds like a nonpartisan group.

[james1906]

Good news, it's good to have both sides of a story in these times of flaky media reporting.

Can we fine this Swedish Charity for making up such serious flase charges:



Could they be doing it for money or what could be their motivation? Swedes are supposed to be on our side and not on Afghans' side.

They're ticked because we had GM abandon Saab.