US fears reprisals after Afghan massacre in Kandahar

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17336074


Angry crowds have been gathering outside military bases in Afghanistan following the shootings

US troops in Afghanistan have been placed on alert following the killings of 16 Afghan civilians by a US soldier.

US officials warned of reprisals after the soldier went on a rampage in villages near a base in Kandahar. Nine children were among those killed.

President Barack Obama phoned his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai to express condolences. But Mr Karzai has said the massacre is "unforgivable".

And Taliban militants have vowed to avenge the deaths.

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1. Doesn't a terrorist attack demand reprisal?

A U.S. soldier (allegedly) commits a terror attack killing 16 Afghans ... of course, a reprisal should be expected.

The only solution --- is ending the U.S. military occupation of Afghanistan.

How many more Afghanis, U.S. military personnel and contractors will be killed and maimed, how much property will be destroyed in the next few weeks because of the inability of American policy-makers to do the right thing instead of the 'political' thing?

And just watch how two-faced are the Repuglicans on this: they will demand we double down on Afghanistan while criticizing the Obama 'surge' strategy that they themselves supported.

[Robb]

2. I think calling this a "terrorist attack" is too loose with the term.

If we're going to play it that way, the only solution would be for the Taliban to invade Iraq.