Syrian Opposition Group Seeks Investigation After Deadly Airstrikes The death toll from the airstrikes range from at least 56 to more than 125 By Noam Raydan see note please
http://www.wsj.com/articles/syrian-opposition-group-seeks-investigation-after-deadly-airstrikes-1469055896
If this happens to Israel, the whole UN and its assorted tyrants are called in for another anti-Israel censure, and Obama moans about “disproportionate” response….rsk
Syria’s main opposition group on Wednesday called for the suspension of U.S.-led coalition airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria, a day after strikes that activists blamed on the international alliance killed scores of civilians in a village.
In a letter to foreign ministers of countries in the international alliance, Anas al-Abdah, the president of the Syrian National Coalition, condemned the airstrikes and asked for a thorough investigation of the incident, according to a statement issued by the group’s media office.
“We believe that such incidents indicate a major loophole in the current operational rules followed by the international coalition in conducting strikes in populated areas,” Mr. al-Abdah said in the letter. “It is essential that such investigation not only result in revised rules of procedure for future operations, but also inform accountability for those responsible for such major violations.”
Airstrikes blamed by residents of the area on the U.S.-led coalition killed dozens of civilians early Tuesday in the northern village of Tokhar, according to activists and monitoring groups. The death toll estimates ranged from at least 56 to nearly 100—among them many women and children.
The SNC put the death toll higher, saying the airstrikes killed more than 125 civilians.
The village lies just north of the city of Manbij, where U.S.-backed forces have been battling Islamic State militants for weeks.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said Wednesday that the Pentagon is aware of reports of civilian casualties in and around Manbij City.
“We’ll investigate these reports and continue to do all we can to protect civilians from harm,” Mr. Carter said at Joint Base Andrews after a meeting of defense ministers from the member countries of the coalition fighting Islamic State.
“We will conduct an investigation into any possible civilian casualties in this area, as we always do, and we will be transparent about that,” Mr. Carter said. “That is because that is a reflection of the values that we bring to this campaign.”
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