U.S. Marines bury Afghan fighter

12/08/2001

By DAVID MARTIN
Associated Press Writer

SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN — U.S. Marines buried an Afghan anti-Taliban fighter with military honors Saturday after he was killed by an errant American bomb.

The Afghan was one of six anti-Taliban fighters killed on Wednesday when an Air Force B-52 dropped a one-ton satellite-guided bomb that also killed three Army Green Berets. Twenty Americans and 18 Afghans were wounded.

The fighter, whose name wasn't released pending notification of his family, had been fighting alongside the forces of Hamid Karzai, who was named to head Afghanistan's new interim government. It will take power on Dec. 22.

After the bombing, the fighter died en route to the Marines forward operating base, known as Camp Rhino, and his body was flown to the USS Peleliu for storage until the burial ceremony could be arranged.

His family could not be contacted, said Marines spokesman Capt. Stewart Upton. ``We would have flown the family here for the service if we could have located them,'' he said.

Cpl. Anis Trabelsi, a Muslim from Baltimore with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, performed the graveside service in Arabic, and the body was placed in the grave according to Muslim custom, with his head facing Mecca.

Marines intelligence officer Maj. Beau Higgins, a Roman Catholic lay preacher, addressed the group.

``This is not a man we knew, or a man we served with, but we are tied together by a common goal — freedom,'' he said. ``This warrior paid the ultimate sacrifice in pursuing his dreams. ... It is now up to us to ensure that his life is not lost in vain.''

The Marines said they would give the fighter's family a map of coordinates of the burial spot at the base of a hill in Camp Rhino and would include a grave registration form and the gun casings from the 21-gun salute to show them he was given military honors.

Meanwhile, the Marines continued to patrol roads around Kandahar, where Taliban fighters and members of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network fled Friday as a surrender deal went into effect. They said their activity was light.

``We are searching for members of the al-Qaida, not regular Taliban soldiers. We hope the Taliban lay down his arms and goes his merry way,'' Upton said. ``We are closing down and monitoring all avenues of exit.''

He said Marines were carrying photographs of key terrorism suspects in case they meet up with them.

``If the mission has changed, it is that we are looking more for al-Qaida, instead of Taliban. We hope the Taliban realizes that if he doesn't drop his arms and raise his hands, he dies,'' Upton said.

The camp went on alert early Saturday when a potential enemy convoy approached, but Upton said it turned out to be a vehicle with flat tires.

``There hasn't been much activity in the last 24 hours, but it could be the calm before the storm,'' he said.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: David Martin is a photographer with The Associated Press who is part of a media pool at Camp Rhino.