Allied commander apologises for deadly airstrike 23/02/2010 - 07:43:26
The commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan took his apology for an airstrike that killed civilians directly to the Afghan people, with a video in which he pledged to work to regain their trust.
In the video, translated into the Afghan languages of Dari and Pashto on a Nato website, a stern General Stanley McChrystal apologised for the strike in central Uruzgan province that Afghan officials said killed at least 21 people.
Sunday’s attack by Nato jets on a convoy of cars was the deadliest attack on civilians in six months and prompted a sharp rebuke from the Afghan government.
It came as Nato was struggling to win public backing for a major military offensive against the Taliban in the south.
"I pledge to strengthen our efforts to regain your trust to build a brighter future for all Afghans,'' Gen McChrystal said in the video.
“I have instituted a thorough investigation to prevent this from happening again,” he added.
Gen McChrystal apologised directly to President Hamid Karzai on Sunday shortly after the incident and the video is another sign of the military coalition’s intense public relations campaign.
Although the airstrike was not related to the Marjah offensive, civilian casualties undermine Nato’s goal of turning back the Taliban and winning the confidence of the Afghan people – one of the main objectives of the southern operation.
Yesterday, Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon that the efforts against the Taliban were “messy” and “incredibly wasteful,” as was war in general. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the cost.”
The incident in Uruzgan “reminds us of just how fragile and how tragic any move we can make, any move we make can ultimately be”, he said.
“These are split-second decisions that commanders in combat on the ground have to make,” he added.
Mullen said the troops in Marjah are making “steady, if perhaps a bit slower than anticipated, progress.” He cited the prevalence of planted bombs and the care taken to avoid civilian casualties for the slow pace.
Mr Karzai repeatedly called on Nato to do more to protect civilians during stepped-up military operations, and the Afghan Cabinet strongly condemned the airstrike.
In recent months, Nato limited airstrikes and tightened rules of engagement on the battlefield to try to protect the Afghan people and win their loyalty from the Taliban.
It was the second time in nine days that Nato apologised for killing civilians. On February 14, two US rockets slammed into a home outside Marjah, killing 12 people, including six children.
According to Nato, at least 16 civilians were killed so far during the offensive; human rights groups say the figure is at least 19.
