NATO says night raid killed Afghan insurgents; residents say it killed civilians

SURKHROD, AFGHANISTAN -- "I thought that the Taliban must have attacked this man's house," he said. He was wrong. It was a raid by U.S. Special Operations forces and their Afghan colleagues, and it left at least nine Afghan men dead in the Surkhrod district of Nangahar province in eastern Afghanistan.

In Afghan culture, McChrystal wrote in his directive, "a man's home is more than just his residence."

"It represents his family, and protecting it is closely intertwined with his honor. He has been conditioned to respond aggressively in defense of his home and his guests whenever he perceives his home or honor is threatened," the general wrote. "In a similar situation, most of us would do the same."

On Monday, Kushkaki walked around his property showing the bloodstains of his slain relatives and friends. His son, 16-year-old Habibuddin, and Kushkaki's brother, Hafizuddin, were both shot and killed, he said. An elderly farmer who lived at the house, Sayid Rahim, and four of his sons were also killed, as were two drivers, he said. He said all the home's residents were Tajiks with no links to the insurgency, which is composed primarily of Pashtuns. ---- Residents: Night raid killed civilians

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