Errant Afghan civilian deaths surge -- By Laura King, Times Staff Writer

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN —U.S. and NATO troops killed more noncombatants in the last six months than did Taliban insurgents, several tallies indicate. --- Why? Why?" Reza asked. "They are supposed to protect us, not kill us." --- In a communal society such as Afghanistan, "no death is isolated," said Hekmat Karzai, who runs a security think tank in Kabul and is a cousin of the president. "When one person dies, it affects a whole village or clan or tribe. Ultimately, it affects everyone, and there's no escaping that."