Number two commander on the ground in Afghanistan concedes civilians may have been killed this week

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. . . in a joint military operation with Afghan forces.


KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- {snip}

Soaring violence has made this year the deadliest since the US-led invasion ousted the Taliban from power in 2001, with record numbers of civilians, Afghan and foreign troops killed.

(Lieutenant General David Rodriguez) conceded that civilians may have been killed in a joint military operation with Afghan forces in the east of the country this week.

Civilian deaths are highly sensitive in Afghanistan because of fears they fan animosity against the Western-backed government and foreign forces.

"There could possibly have been some civilians killed," Rodriguez told reporters.

Karzai's office said six civilians, including a woman, died when troops from the NATO-led force conducted a raid in the eastern province of Laghman.


report: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/pentagon-chief-warned-over-afghan-army-problems-20091209-kjwb.html

[bigtree]

1. AP report

General: Attack may have killed Afghan civilians

The No. 2 commanding general in Afghanistan acknowledged Wednesday that a NATO-led attack the day before in eastern Afghanistan possibly resulted in civilian deaths.

NATO said Afghan and international forces came under fire as they assaulted the compound of a militant leader responsible for directing several suicide strikes in the region. The international force said seven insurgents were killed and four were detained, but no civilians were killed or injured.

"We are aware of civilian casualty allegations, however there are no operational reports to substantiate those claims of harming civilians, including women and children, during this operation," the NATO statement said Tuesday.

However, a statement issued by the Afghan presidential palace said six civilians were killed during the firefight, including one woman.

Local officials in the Afghan province said 12 people were killed in the clash outside Mehtar Lam, including an unspecified number of civilians. After the operation, about 400 people marched on Mehtar Lam to protest the raid, and an official said one demonstrator died in clashes with police.

read more: http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/General-Attack-may-have-killed-Afghan-civilians-281245.php

[timeforpeace]

2. Who to blame? Where's Bush when you need him?

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3. blame the poster

unrecs :eyes:

Better to not know?

[bigtree]

4. .

[gratuitous]

5. Surge baby, surge!

Another 30,000 troops will get this part-ay started, all right. Gen. McChrystal said he absolutely had to have 40,000, no doubt about it, not a man less, but now he's just fine with 30,000. Would have have been just fine with 25,000, too? is there something magical about surging in another 30,000 troops? And what will they do in the next 18 months that couldn't possibly have been accomplished in the last seven years? Are these, like, super troops who can blast more terrorists to kingdom come? Why didn't we use these guys before this? And is there any description of what the conditions on the ground will be like before we dare authorize the beginning of withdrawal? How will we know if we've won if we don't have any goals? Or did we already win, and now we're just taking a victory lap with a bunch of folks tumbling out of the stands (so to speak) to join their heroes on the field for one last farewell?

I have lots of questions, I guess.

[Edweird]

6. Still haven't sorted out that whole "winning their hearts and minds" thing I see.

More of a bad idea doesn't make it better.

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7. you gotta love the initial denials

you think . . . they can't be that ignorant

[Forkboy]

8. Reminds me of a punchline to an old joke....

"It wasn't me, I never did it, where's my lawyer?"