In mid-February 2006, Vice-President Cheney, while shooting at a quail during a bird-hunt, accidentally shot and wounded his hunting colleague, Harry Whittington. [See CNN story]
In December 2003, a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan accidentally killed nine Afghan children. The Bush Administration expressed regret for the accidental civilian deaths, but justified them by claiming that the strike also killed the intended target, a Taliban warlord.
In January 2006, a U.S. airstrike in the mountains of Pakistan accidentally killed 17 civilians, including women and children. The Bush Administration expressed regret, but again justified the attack by claiming that it did kill several Taliban and Al Qaeda insurgents.
Countless other civilian deaths and injuries caused by U.S. attacks in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere have been similarly excused as necessary “collateral damage” in attacks on terrorists.
So, in this shooting accident, in which Mr. Whittington was “collateral damage”, we need to know: Did Cheney at least kill the quail?
Peace Pundit
