Afghan National Police recruits participate in entry-level training at the Central Training Center, Kabul, Afghanistan, April 23, 2009. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeleyFrom Yahoo News/AP:
KABUL – The U.S. coalition blamed Taliban militants Saturday for causing what Afghan officials say are dozens of civilian deaths during a prolonged battle that included American airstrikes. The U.S. said an unspecified number of civilians died but did not take responsibility for any deaths.
Afghanistan's Interior Ministry declined to endorse the U.S. report, saying its own investigation would be completed soon.
Afghan officials have estimated up to 147 people died in the battle in the western province of Farah on Monday, but a U.S. spokeswoman called that number exaggerated. The U.S. report did not offer an estimate of the number killed in the battle.
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My Comment: This is an ominous development on many levels. (1) What struck me first about this battle was on the location on where it occurred. The western of part of Afghanistan has traditionally been quiet, having such a large battle break out reveals that the Taliban have built up their forces in the region, and are now flexing their strength. (2) The high rate of casualties involving civilians. More Taliban soldiers with more U.S. and NATO soldiers will result in more battles and more civilian casualties. Like what happened in Iraq, insurgents used civilian shields to stop allied and U.S. military strikes. This worked for a while until the gloves were taken off, and bombings resumed thereby making these "sanctuaries" moot. The same message has now been delivered in Afghanistan. The politicians and diplomats will make their apologies and regrets, but every village in Afghanistan now knows that if they have Taliban within their community, they will become a target. (3) Airstrikes are always called in when a situation is deteriating on your side. U.S. and Afghan forces were losing this battle .... and as a result they had to be desperate in order to to call in such a devastating strike.This reminds me of a saying from Vietnam ..... "We had to destroy the village in order to save it". In this part of Farah Province, Afghanistan .... two villages are now destroyed.