U.S. General Apologizes to Afghan President After Airstrike --- Gen. Dunford Calls President Karzai Following Airstrike That Kills Child -- 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. -- A coalition official said U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, the head of the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force, called Mr. Karzai late Thursday to express regret over the incident and to promise a joint investigation with the Afghans. -- 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." -- Mr. Obama wrote the letter as part of negotiations to seal the bilateral security agreement, or BSA, which is needed to maintain a limited number of U.S. troops and massive U.S. aid once the current coalition's mandate expires in December 2014. Though the BSA was approved by Afghanistan's Loya Jirga assembly on Sunday, Mr. Karzai said he would delay signing it until several of his conditions are met, throwing the deal's future in doubt. -- "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. -- The White House has said that if Mr. Karzai doesn't sign the deal by the end of the year, it would force planning for the "zero option" -- the total withdrawal of U.S. and international troops by the end of next year. - Nathan Hodge, WSJ, at: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304017204579227880997564904