US investigates Afghan civilian deaths claim
Jason Straziuso And Rahim FaiezThe U.S. military said Wednesday it was investigating claims an operation killed two dozen Afghan civilians — an announcement that seemed aimed at appeasing President Hamid Karzai.
But Afghan officials said a government inquiry found only militants were killed in the Tuesday raid in the Tagab Valley, a region just 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of the Afghan capital, Kabul where insurgents have a strong presence.
The U.S. announcement came just a day after Karzai made his latest plea to U.S. and NATO troops to avoid killing civilians, a demand he has made repeatedly and forcefully in recent months. The issue is a growing concern for commanders of foreign forces in Afghanistan.
Civilian deaths could undermine Karzai's re-election bid this year, and such killings also erode the support that the foreign forces need to help Karzai's government extend its reach nationwide.
Afghan news agency Pajhwok quoted villagers as saying 25 civilians died in Tuesday's raid.
Col. Greg Julian, the top U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan, said the investigation announcement was not related to Karzai's request, and that the military was doing all it could to avoid civilian deaths because they harm counterinsurgency operations.
"We are here to provide security for the Afghans, not to cause harm," Julian said.
Karzai meanwhile appeared to be trying to gain more influence in international military operations in his country.
Karzai has sent NATO headquarters a draft agreement that would give the Afghan government more say in future NATO deployments and would outlaw NATO troops from searching Afghan homes, according to a copy of the draft obtained by The Associated Press. NATO countries are studying the draft but have not yet discussed it.
His spokesman, Humayun Hamidzada, told the Associated Press during an interview Wednesday that the president believes international forces should be "mentors and as backup and support for our forces."
"The president has said ... we need to make sure that Afghans, particularly on the issue of searches and arrest, are in the forefront," Hamidzada said. "We have to make sure that in the villages we don't burst into people's houses, we don't arrest people arbitrarily and we don't act on intelligence that is not verifiable."
The coalition said Tuesday that the nighttime raid in Tagab Valley in Kapisa province had killed 19 militants, including a locally feared leader.
Julian said in a statement Wednesday that a coalition investigation would work to "determine the truth."
Naimatullah Hakimi, the deputy police chief for Kapisa, said a government delegation had met with local officials and elders near the site of the operation and determined that 16 people were killed, including a commander named Mullah Patang who was accused of carrying out orders from militant leaders in Pakistan.
Only "enemies" were killed in the operation, Hakimi said. "No civilians were killed."
The governor's spokesman also said no civilians were killed.
Julian said coalition forces do their best to separate women, children and the elderly from militants and only fight against those who show hostile intent.
"Most times we call out the insurgents first and give them an opportunity to surrender," Julian said. "And in a number of cases the women and children are allowed to leave."
Julian said no children or women were among the 19 killed in Tagab.
The U.S. is expected to increase its focus on the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan following President Barack Obama's inauguration. Some 33,000 U.S. troops are deployed in the country, but military commanders have said up to 30,000 more American forces will be sent to Afghanistan this year.
Taliban militants have taken control of territory throughout southern Afghanistan in the last three years. American military commanders say they have enough troops and power to win every battle but that there are not enough U.S., NATO and Afghan troops to hold territory where militants operate. In the latest violence Wednesday, a suicide bomber attacked a wedding party in the northern province of Baghlan, wounding five children and a district police chief, said Abdul Rahman Sayedkheil, a provincial police chief.
Separately, a suicide car bomber detonated his explosives near an Afghan army convoy in western Afghanistan, killing two troops, a defense ministry spokesman said.
Three other troops were wounded in the explosion about 20 miles (30 kilometers) outside the city of Herat, said Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, the Defense Ministry spokesman.