UN Accuses US Coalition Troops in Afghanistan of Killing 90 Civilians

AP-Kabul
The United Nations announced today that it has found “convincing evidence” 90 civilians, including 60 children were killed by US coalition troops and Afghan forces in western Afghanistan.

The U.N. findings were based on eyewitness testimony of villagers and meetings with Afghan officials. No photo or other evidence was provided.

Associated Press released several photos of civilians injured, however, including one of Zinat Gul, 24, who was allegedly wounded by the U.S. air strike in Shindand district. She was photographed while lying in a hospital bed in Herat, east of Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, Aug. 25, 2008



Afghan President, Hamid Karzai's in a harshly worded statement called for a negotiated end to "air strikes on civilian targets, uncoordinated house searches and illegal detention of Afghan civilians.”

The U.S. coalition reported killing 25 militants and five civilians in an operation in Shindand district of Herat province on Friday.

U.S.-led coalition troops, which were supporting Afghan commandos during the raid, said they believe that 25 militants, including a Taliban commander, and five civilians were killed during the Friday raid in Azizabad village of Herat province. The top coalition commander in the country has ordered an investigation.

Karzai's statement appears to condemn the actions of both international forces operating in Afghanistan: the U.S.-led coalition, which conducts Special Forces counterterrorism operations and trains the fledgling Afghan army and police, and the U.N.-mandated NATO-led force tasked to provide security for the war-ravaged nation.



The UN accusation will likely fuel tensions among the various military groups in Afghanistan.

Afghan Presidential spokesman, Humayun Hamidzada, said Tuesday that the statement was issued after Afghan officials "lost patience" with foreign forces, and the killings and detentions of civilians during raids in remote villages.

"We do not want international forces to leave Afghanistan until the time our security institutions are able to defend Afghanistan independently," Hamidzada clarified to reporters Tuesday, “but the presence of those forces has to be based "within the framework of Afghan law with respect to international law," Hamidzada said.
Hamidzada also pointed out that "Afghanistan of 2001 is different from Afghanistan today," He said the government has not discussed any timetable for the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan.

Capt. Mike Windsor, a spokesman for the NATO-led force, said the force had seen media reports about the government's decision but had not received "any official notification so far." He pointed out that NATO's "mission is based on a U.N. mandate and carried upon the invitation of the Afghan government."

White House spokesman Tony Fratto told reporters Monday that foreign forces in Afghanistan "take every precaution to try to avoid innocent civilian casualties." He said as far as the attack in question, the Defense Department believes "it was a good strike."

The decision also comes a year ahead of Afghanistan's presidential elections amid growing criticism that Karzai's government is unable to contain the insurgency and deal with the deep-rooted corruption that afflicts officials in the government.
Karzai has said he will run in the election. No date has been set yet.


Sources:
Yahoo: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080826/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan
Salon: http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/world/2008/08/26/D92Q046G1_afghanistan/index.html