Friday, November 29, 2013

U.S. General Apologizes to Afghan President After Airstrike --- KABUL—The top U.S. general in Afghanistan called Afghan President Hamid Karzai to apologize following a coalition airstrike that killed a child and injured two women, an incident that further complicated attempts to reach a security agreement on long-term American military presence here. -- Mr. Karzai's spokesman, Aimal Faizi, said Friday the airstrike, in the Garmsir district of southwestern Helmand province, represents a "clear breach" of a commitment made by President Barack Obama in a letter to the Afghan leader this month to "respect the sanctity and dignity of Afghans in their homes and in their daily lives." -- "This strike is an indication that the U.S. has no regard for the lives, houses, and sovereignty of the Afghan people," Mr. Karzai said in a statement protesting Thursday's airstrike in Helmand. "Under these circumstances, the BSA with the U.S. may not be signed." -- The coalition said in a statement Friday the Helmand airstrike targeted a "known insurgent" riding a motorcycle. The coalition official described the insurgent as a "midlevel Taliban commander" who had been involved in organizing attacks on Afghan and coalition forces and ferrying around bomb-making materials. -- The insurgent was killed after a first--and unsuccessful--strike that killed and injured civilian bystanders, the official added. -- "The initial attempt to strike him missed," the official said. "We believe it was that airstrike that caused the civilian casualties." -- Mr. Karzai has long condemned coalition airstrikes and raids on Afghan homes, calling them a violation of Afghan sovereignty. While coalition officials said the incident Thursday didn't target or strike a house, Mr. Karzai has insisted the bilateral agreement would preclude foreign troops from attacking Afghan homes. - More, Nathan Hodge - WSJ

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