From the BBC:
"Karzai criticises foreign tactics"
The above headline has this accompaning photograph.
And here are the first 3 paragrahps of the story that surround the photograph.
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has urged the international community to reassess how it is fighting the Taleban and their allies.
He said he was not surprised that so many people were being killed in southern Afghanistan.
His comments came as the US military said four more of its soldiers had been killed in north-eastern Afghanistan.
I haven't been able to find a transcript of Karazi's speech and notice the BBC doesn't quote Karazi as saying he was not suprised that so many have been killed in southern Afghanistan. But Karzai is quoted extensively here and what is reported here differs widely from the BBC's report. No surprise there. None of the quotes here has Karzai making any such statement. Besides, if Karzai did make the statement we are not given any context. Karzai could have been saying that given the amount of firepower mounted against the Taleban, he wasn't surprised that many taleban have been killed. The BBC in supporting the terrorists, simply say that "many people were being killed."
Not content with merely putting words into President Karzai's mouth, the BBC go on to report the opposite of what he did say. From the BBC:
"The BBC's Alastair Leithead in Kabul says President Karzai's careful criticism is a sign of his growing frustration at the worsening security situation in Afghanistan."
Really, Alastair? Let's let Karzai speak for himself and let us decide.
“On the change of strategy, I believe the progress in Afghanistan towards stability and peace, and the participation of the Afghan people, has taken us many, many steps forward," Karzai said. "The nature of the war on terrorism in Afghanistan has changed now. Therefore, we do not think that there is a serious terrorist challenge emanating from Afghanistan. Rather, we believe that we should now concentrate on where terrorists are trained, on their bases, on the supply to them, on the money coming to them. That’s what we need. A stronger political approach now.”
And
“I don’t think there is a big need for military activity in Afghanistan anymore," Karzai said. "The use of air power is something that may not be very effective now because we have moved forward.
So, what tactics exactly does Karzai want changed?
And similarly, going into the Afghan homes -- searching Afghan homes without the authorization of the Afghan government -- is something that should stop now. No coalition forces should go into Afghan homes without the authorization of the Afghan government. The Afghan government is now capable of doing that. The Afghan society is now better organized [and] can handle things like that better than it could a year or two years ago. That’s what I mean by a change of strategy.”
President Karzai talks of so much "progress" in his country that he doesn't see "a big need for military activity in Afghanistan anymore" and that the government is "now capable" and "Afghan society is now better orgazinized" to police themselves. But the BBC know better and to them "President Karzai's careful criticism is a sign of his growing frustration at the worsening security situation in Afghanistan." Does that sound like what Karzai said to you?
The BBC aren't done trying to fool you yet. Listen to this:
The American soldiers were killed after US-led coalition forces attacked "enemy extremists" in the Kamdesh district of Nuristan Province, a coalition statement said.
Fighting has intensified in Afghanistan in recent months. Hundreds of suspected Taleban militants have been killed.
Attacks blamed on the Taleban and their allies, including suicide bombings, have also targeted US and other foreign troops.
Your impression? The Taleban have regrouped, are stronger and are on the attack again. The BBC needs you to have that impression as it backs up their claim that Karzai's comments mean things are getting worse.
The reality is, the coalition has mounted a huge operation using 10,000 of thousands of troops. The stated goal of the operation is to extend Karzai's control over the remainder of his country. That's why the fighting has intensified and hundreds of Taleban have been killed. We are on the offensive - hunting down and driving out the Taleban - not the defensive.
Lastly the BBC give us this death toll.
No mention of the tens maybe hundreds of thousands of terrorists killed.
Just more proof that the BBC are rooting for the terrorists to win.
UPDATE
I found this AP report at MSNBC.
The AP, like the BBC, still have the wrong end of the stick.
In recent weeks, Afghan and coalition forces have launched a massive anti-Taliban operation across four southern provinces aimed at killing or capturing fighters blamed for an upsurge in violence.
More than 600 people, mostly militants, have been killed in recent weeks as insurgents have launched their deadliest campaign of violence in years. At least 14 coalition soldiers have been killed in combat since mid-May.
Here again, the operation wasn't launched as a response to an "upsurge in violence". It's the other way around.
Strangely, the BBC didn't report on this interesting comment by Karzai.
“It is not acceptable for us that in all this fighting, Afghans are dying. In the last three to four weeks, 500 to 600 Afghans were killed. (Even) if they are Taliban, they are sons of this land,” he said.
I'd like to see a video clip of the speech. If Karzai did say that it will raise a few eyebrows.
UPDATE
The Times (UK) has more and says Karzai is talking more about the broader war on terror. Here's the Times headline: "Karzai calls for War on Terror rethink"
And his complaints seem to be directed at Pakistan. But here again, as with the BBC, the Times seems to be injecting their own opinion into the story. Speaking of the current violence, the Times fails to mention that it is us who are taking the fight to the Taleban and not the other way around. This is stated in the current operations mission plan.
More than 1,000 people, including at least 40 foreign soldiers, have been killed in Afghanistan since the turn of the year during the worst period of sustained unrest since the fall of the Taleban in November 2001. The violence is expected to worsen this summer as Nato prepares to take over the military mission to the country.
Yes, it is as we will be increasing our attacks to root out the Taleban.
Now listen as the Times puts words in Karzai's mouth.
"We know the causes," said Mr Karzai of the deteriorating security situation. "There are shortcomings and inabilities in our system, that weakness is present all over the country. But there is no doubt it is largely because of foreign factors, terrorism and planned and co-ordinated attacks."
Without the full quote we don't know the context or exactly what Karzai was speaking of. The Times simply claims Karzai was talking about "the deteriorating security situation". Without a transcript how do we know what he actually said.
Here is what he has to say about what's going on in his country.
Asked whether he thought the US-led fight against the Taleban in Afghanistan was failing, Mr Karzai recommended a "thorough look" at the strategy of the War on Terror.
"I strongly believe... that we must engage strategically in disarming terrorism by stopping their sources of supply of money, training, equipment and motivation," he said. "This ’War on Terror’ has been limited to Afghanistan soil. We can’t tolerate it forever... in the past three weeks five, six hundred people have died in the country. We want an end to this, a basic end to this."
It sounds to me as if Karzai wants other countries to do more to stop terrorists before they get to Afghanistan. And he's right.
What this shows is that we need a complete transcript of Karzai's speech.
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