"German friendly fire kills Afghan troops; Soldiers were heading to scene of deadly firefight" by Rahim Faiez, Associated Press | April 4, 2010
KABUL, Afghanistan — German soldiers traveling to the scene of a deadly firefight with Taliban insurgents accidentally killed six Afghan troops, the Afghan military said yesterday. Three Germans died in the firefight with the militants.
The friendly fire shooting Friday took place in northern Kunduz Province, where German forces were sharply criticized last September when they ordered an air strike on two tanker trucks that had been captured by the Taliban. Up to 142 people died, many of them civilians.
Related: Slow Saturday Special: Americans Caught in Afghan Fireball
The German central command confirmed Friday’s shooting, but put the number of Afghan troop casualties at five. The deaths occurred amid heavy fighting between German troops and militants near Kunduz city....
Speaking during a visit to South Africa, German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg expressed sorrow over the friendly fire deaths and said German soldiers were doing everything possible to avoid such incidents....
The German military said....
Might as well take this hello on, too:
"Karzai urges public to back offensive" by Associated Press | April 5, 2010
KABUL, Afghanistan — NATO confirmed that international troops were responsible for the deaths of five people, including three women, killed Feb. 12 in Gardez, south of Kabul. A NATO statement said a joint international-Afghan patrol fired on two men mistakenly believed to be insurgents. The three women were “accidentally killed as a result of the joint force firing at the men,’’ it said....
Yup, another oooops!
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More hails!
"27 Taliban reported killed in western Afghan fighting; In south, four civilians die in NATO air attack" by Amir Shah, Associated Press | April 7, 2010
KABUL — Afghanistan’s military said 27 insurgents were killed in ground fighting and airstrikes in a western province yesterday, in what appeared to be a major blow to Taliban influence in the region, while four civilians died in a NATO airstrike in the south....
A NATO airstrike on a residence in the southern province of Helmand killed four insurgents and four civilians — two women, an elderly man, and a child, an Afghan official and the military alliance said yesterday.
Afghan authorities and NATO said they had launched a joint investigation into the deaths, which could further strain relations between President Hamid Karzai and his international allies.... The presence of the civilians was discovered only after the troops entered the compound, NATO said.
Afghan and international forces have launched a joint investigation “to review the factors leading up to this unfortunate loss of civilian life,’’ NATO said in its statement e-mailed to journalists....
While a large majority of civilian deaths are attributed to the insurgents, civilian deaths at the hands of foreign forces are highly sensitive because they stir resentment against the 120,000 foreign troops in the country and could drive more Afghans into the arms of the Taliban....
Earlier this week, NATO confirmed that international troops were responsible for the deaths of five civilians, including three women, on Feb. 12 in Gardez, south of Kabul....
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And the kind of hail you want to see:
KABUL -- Also Wednesday, Germany's foreign minister joined the calls for the Afghans to place more emphasis on good governance, saying that was necessary to allow foreign forces to begin withdrawing....
Meanwhile, a suicide attack Wednesday on a NATO convoy passing through the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad killed a civilian and wounded 15 others, officials said. One of the vehicles and several nearby shops were damaged.Not that kind of goodbye.
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