Editor-in-chief
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Terror struck the United States on September 11th, and shortly after that, Afghanistan found itself in another big war. Unfortunately, there are infinite victims in both places. Moreover, as time goes by, the victims are not just isolated to these two countries, but rather, throughout the world.
While people turn on their televisions to watch the war, the death toll of war correspondents rises. Did you hear about the reporter who was killed on September 19th, after publishing an exclusive news story? She was a famous reporter for the Italian Daily Newspaper, and was dispatched to Afghanistan to cover the war.
She accidentally discovered a training camp of al-qaeda on September 18th, and in the face of danger, approached the camp anyway. She discovered 20 bottles of chemical agents that were named ¡®Sarin’ which create poisonous gas. She was sure that members of al-qaeda, who prepared the biochemical terror, had left it.
The report that she sent back home included this important information on the first page, as a scoop! Unfortunately, she was killed the next day, along with three other war correspondents, by armed runaway troops of the Taliban. The deaths toll of war correspondents in the Afghanistan crisis has now reached 10.
Other victims of this war include all the young soldiers who were dispatched as support troops. Some of these young soldiers came from France, Italy, Japan, and so on. About 15 countries dispatched thousands of young soldiers.
The United States announced there were no soldiers killed in battle except six privates who died in a helicopter accident, and other non-combat accidents. But military advisers and military experts foresaw that there would be many fallen soldiers because of lots of land mines, ambushes, etc.
The United States also announced they would dispatch a ground army. They have not to forget the war between Russia and Afghanistan. In that war, 4,500 Russian soldiers were killed. The UN also warned the United States to stop the war because there would be over 900,000 Afghanistan people who would die of hunger in the coming winter.
On another side, Americans who already experienced miserable terror in New York, were now seized with the fear of anthrax. Since the first victim of anthrax poisoning was discovered on September 18th to October 24th, five people are dead, and 13 are infected. The fear of anthrax spread like wildfire.
Innocent civilians in the United States are sacrificed continuously. In all these terrible situations, the most pitiable people are, of course, the people of Afghanistan. There is a word, ¡®collateral damage’.
Collateral damage, refers to civilians that are damaged as a result of war. The problem is that the damage does not extend to just ¡®collateral’. The deaths of civilians are not only caused by military attack, but also by starvation and disease. Currently, about 750 million people in Afghanistan are skipping meals. What is the primary purpose of this war? Is it to eliminate ¡®terrorism’?
The situation runs upstairs to the worst! Too many victims and sacrifices are being made. Terror cannot be tolerated anymore. No one knows if this war is for revenge from the terror, or terror for revenge.
The only thing we do know is that this attack makes endless sacrifices on innocent people. No more victims, and no more sacrifices! We all want peace made by no sacrifice.
The UOS Times
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