US admits civilians died in air attack
The US commander in Afghanistan today acknowledged that civilians were killed in a US air attack and that a formal investigation would be launched to determine how and why.
Afghan foreign minister Dr Abdullah said 48 people died in the attack on Monday in Uruzgan province and 117 others were wounded.
However, he said the campaign against al Qaida and the Taliban would continue, although ways must be found to protect innocent civilians.
Lt Gen Dan McNeill and the Afghan minister spoke at a joint news conference following a preliminary investigation into the air attack in Kakarak and four other hamlets where US troops said they had observed anti-aircraft guns shooting at US planes.
‘‘Subsequent to the operation we determined there were civilian casualties,’’ McNeill said.
‘‘We will initiate a more formal investigation to determine what caused these civilian casualties and what we can do to make sure they do not happen again.’’
Dr Abdullah said there was no question that the government of Hamid Karzai supported US-led operations against remnants of the Taliban and al Qaida but it was imperative that ways be found to protect civilians.
Among the dead were 25 members of an extended family attending a wedding celebration, Afghans said.
‘‘The question is not whether to continue the operations against al Qaida or not,’’ Abdullah said.
‘‘We should find ways and means in order to prevent tragedies and civilian losses in the campaign.’’
McNeill said the formal investigation would take several weeks to complete and would address possible changes in the way US forces conduct operations.
‘‘If innocent civilians died, it was an accident,’’ McNeill said. ‘‘It’s not our policy to target innocents.’’
He insisted that coalition forces always ‘‘give due consideration’’ to the risks to civilians when planning combat operations.
During the press conference, it appeared both sides were trying to put the issue behind them. Karzai relies heavily on US support, and the United States needs the consent and co-operation of the Afghans to continue the war against al Qaida and the Taliban.
However, relations have been strained by a series of mishaps.
