NATO Airstrike Magnifies Political Divide Over the War in Afghanistan
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Nxxx,2009-09-05,A,009,Bs-BW,E3 THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2009 ØØN A9 NATO Airstrike Magnifies Political Divide Over the War in Afghanistan governor of Ali Abad, Hajji Habi- From Page A1 bullah, said the area was con- with the Afghan people.” trolled by Taliban commanders. Two 14-year-old boys and one The Kunduz area was once 10-year-old boy were admitted to calm, but much of it has recently the regional hospital here in Kun- slipped under the control of in- duz, along with a 16-year-old who surgents at a time when the Oba- later died. Mahboubullah Sayedi, ma administration has sent thou- a spokesman for the Kunduz pro- sands of more troops to other vincial governor, said most of the parts of the country to combat an estimated 90 dead were militants, insurgency that continues to gain judging by the number of charred strength in many areas. pieces of Kalashnikov rifles The region is patrolled mainly found. But he said civilians were by NATO’s 4,000-member Ger- also killed. man force, which is barred by In explaining the civilian German leaders from operating deaths, military officials specu- in combat zones farther south. lated that local people were con- The United States has 68,000 scripted by the Taliban to unload troops in Afghanistan, more than the fuel from the tankers, which any other nation; other countries were stuck near a river several fighting under the NATO com- miles from the nearest villages. mand have a combined total of about 40,000 troops here. But some people wounded by If a high number of civilian cas- the strike said that they had gone ualties is confirmed, it is likely to to the scene with jerrycans after not only deepen antipathy to- other people had run through ward NATO forces in Afghani- their villages saying that free fuel stan, but also further diminish was available. support for the war in Germany, “They were just telling us, where it is already unpopular. It ‘Come and get the fuel,’” Wazir could also become an issue in the Gul, a 23-year-old farmer, said at coming German election as the hospital, where he was treat- Chancellor Angela Merkel tries ed for serious burns on his back. to win a second term. He estimated that hundreds of A senior NATO official who had people from surrounding villages watched aerial surveillance video went to siphon fuel from the of the attack site said the Ger- trucks before the airstrike. mans who ordered the strike Mr. Gul said his older brother “had every reason to believe Amir was among the villagers in- what they were looking at was cinerated in the blast. “When the groups of insurgents offloading tanker exploded and burned, I AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES Afghan villagers on Friday buried one of the victims of a NATO airstrike near Kunduz that officials said killed up to 90 people. tankers,” a process that went on knew he was dead,” Mr. Gul said. for several hours. The wounded 10-year-old, Sha- The official said that the near- fiullah, who like many Afghans Miles 20 er est villages were two miles away Riv goes by only one name, said he Panj Area of and that the authorities “don’t had defied his father’s orders by TAJIKISTAN detail know yet” whether the attack vi- climbing on the family donkey to AFGHANISTAN olated the rules governing the join the throng of villagers head- KUNDUZ use of airstrikes tightened this ing to pick up fuel. PROVINCE summer by General McChrystal. “When I arrived there, I was K u According to the new rules, air- n d on the donkey,” Shafiullah, u z strikes are, in most cases, al- R wounded in his arms and legs, iv lowed only to prevent American er said from his hospital bed. “I was Kunduz and other coalition troops from not very close. I had not gotten being overrun by enemy fighters. the fuel yet when the bomb land- CHAR DARA Omar Approximate site of airstrike Even in the case of active fire- ed and the shrapnel injured me.” DISTRICT Kheil fights with Taliban forces, air- German forces in northern Af- strikes are to be limited if the ghanistan under the NATO com- ALI ABAD combat is taking place in populat- mand called in the attack, and DISTRICT ed areas. AFGHANISTAN German military officials initially From initial accounts given by insisted that no civilians had NATO and Afghan officials, it was been killed. But a Defense Min- WAHDAT/REUTERS THE NEW YORK TIMES not clear whether this strike met istry spokesman in Berlin later NATO officials said the attack hit two fuel tankers near Omar Kheil, at the border of the districts of Char Dara and Ali Abad. those conditions, regardless of said the ministry believed that whether the majority of the dead more than 50 fighters had been were insurgents or civilians. killed but could give no details that “most of them were civilians carried by insurgents. women is not acceptable,” the On Friday, Foreign Secretary Reporting was contributed by Ab- about civilian casualties. and villagers.” A statement issued by the of- statement added. David Miliband of Britain called dul Waheed Wafa from Kabul, Af- The public health officer for But he said it was also clear fice of the Afghan president, Ha- Afghan officials said the attack for a “prompt and urgent investi- ghanistan; Sultan M. Munadi Kunduz Province, Dr. Azizullah that some of the dead were mil- mid Karzai, said that he was struck a collection of hamlets gation.” from Kunduz; Judy Dempsey Safar, said a medical team sent to itants, noting that the site was “deeply saddened” and that he known as Omar Kheil, near the “It is a vital time for NATO and from Berlin; and Sharon Otter- the village reported that 80 peo- scattered with remnants of am- had sent a delegation to investi- border of the districts of Char Afghanistan’s people to come to- man from New York. ple had been killed, and he said munition vests and other gear gate. “Targeting civilian men and Dara and Ali Abad. The district gether,” he told Sky News. Premier Reaffirms Britain’s Afghan Role, but Seeks More NATO Aid Embassy Guards In Kabul Are Fired By JOHN F. BURNS electorates to any wider Afghan can ill afford to align himself with LONDON — With support for role. Angela Merkel, the German policies that alienate Labour’s KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Britain’s military role in Afghani- chancellor, who is running for a popular base. Eight civilian security guards at stan weakening in opinion polls second term in an election later On the eve of Friday’s speech, the United States Embassy in Af- and among lawmakers in the rul- this month, faces polls showing he had what amounted to an ear- ghanistan were fired and two re- that more than 70 percent of Ger- ing Labour Party, Prime Minister ly warning. Eric Joyce, a Labour signed following accusations of mans are opposed to the coun- Gordon Brown recommitted his lawmaker who was an aide to lewd behavior and sexual mis- try’s existing 4,000-troop commit- government on Friday to its part- Bob Ainsworth, the defense min- conduct at their living quarters. ment. Polls show similar resist- nership with the United States ister, resigned abruptly over Af- The Kabul senior management ance in Italy, France and Spain. ghanistan. Mr. Joyce, 49, who was and other allied nations in the team of ArmorGroup North Mr. Brown said the reluctance previously an army officer, said battle with the Taliban. America, the private contractor of some troop contributors to ac- in a letter to the prime minister “When the security of our that provides guards for the State cept their share of the fighting that Britain should set a date for country is at stake we cannot has weakened the resolve of oth- withdrawing its troops, since the Department, was also “being re- walk away,” Mr. Brown said in a ers in the 103,000-troop coalition public would not “accept for placed immediately,” the embas- speech that aides billed as a wa- POOL PHOTO BY SHAUN CURRY and prompted them to consider much longer that our losses can sy said Friday in a statement. tershed moment in the debate in withdrawing from the conflict. He Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, right, and Defense be justified by simply referring to The fired guards, who left Af- Britain over the Afghan conflict mentioned Canada and the Neth- Minister Bob Ainsworth took questions in London on Friday. the risk of greater terrorism on ghanistan on Friday, all appeared and rising casualties being suf- erlands, which have been in- our streets.” in photographs that depicted fered by British troops. He add- volved in the bloody fighting in cancer. Mr. Brown used his ap- In his speech, Mr. Brown ac- guards and supervisors in vari- ed: “A safer Britain requires a Helmand Province, and Japan. An appeal unlikely to knowledged that most people in ous stages of nudity at parties safer Afghanistan.” pearance before the Internation- The Brown speech was certain al Institute for Strategic Studies Britain were anxious to know where alcohol flowed, the embas- But the British leader accom- to have been closely watched in have much influence how long their troops would stay sy said. Their names and nation- panied his vow to stick with the in London to address the issue in- Washington, where President on Europe’s leaders.