Monday, February 22, 2010

Afghan Civilian Casualties A Thorn In The Side For NATO/US Forces



U.S. Special Operations Ordered Deadly Afghan Strike -- Wall Street Journal

KABUL—U.S. Special Operations Forces ordered an airstrike that killed at least 27 civilians in southern Afghanistan and the soldiers may not have satisfied rules of engagement designed to avoid the killing of innocents, Afghan and coalition officials said Monday.

The airstrike Sunday hit a group of minibuses in a remote part of the south near the border between Uruzgan and Daykundi provinces. The area is hundreds of miles from Marjah, where the largest allied offensive since 2001 is now in its second week. But the airstrike nonetheless illustrated one of the major problems for coalition forces as they try to win over civilians in Marjah and across Afghanistan: figuring out who is a civilian and who is an insurgent—and not killing the civilians.

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More News On Civilian Casualties In Afghanistan

U.S. airstrike kills at least 27 Afghan civilians -- Washington Post
NATO Strike Mistakenly Kills Afghan Civilians, Complicating Mission -- NPR
McChrystal apologizes as airstrike kills dozens in Afghanistan -- CNN
NATO Secretary-General Expresses Regret for Civilian Afghan Casualties -- Voice of America
Nato defends Afghan air strike forces -- BBC
Afghanistan condemns deadly Nato air strike in Uruzgan -- BBC
Afghans call for Nato to leave after airstrike kills 27 civilians -- Times Online
Afghanistan war challenge: civilian deaths from NATO airstrike -- Christian Science Monitor
NATO strikes that killed many Afghan civilians -- Washington Post/AP

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