Table of Contents NATO strike blamed for 100 civilian deaths; Women, children said to be among dead; international force disputes toll...............................................................................................................................................1 'Happiest man in NATO' lifted spirits of those around him; Funeral for soldier held at church where he was to have been married.............................................................................................................................3 Afghans have often funny views of Canucks....................................................................................................5 Air strike goes awry; U.S.−led attack targeting Taliban may have killed as many as 60 civilians.............7 Ace's report on Iraq rings true today; Barker wanted to use air power in 1920s........................................9 [ST. PATRICKS, N.L. (CP)− A Newfoundland man who died in a bombing while serving in Afghanistan was remembered Saturday as a loyal son and...]....................................................................11 Hugs, tears greet soldiers; Reservists complete six−month tour of duty in Afghanistan...........................13 Sister of N.L. soldier killed in Afghanistan kisses casket, chokes back tears..............................................16 U.S.−led air strikes kill, wound civilians in southern Afghanistan..............................................................18 Pakistan's army struggles to ferry aid to 1.3 million affected by floods......................................................20 Edmonton soldier killed in Afghanistan laid to rest in private ceremony...................................................22 CP News Budget, Saturday, June 30...............................................................................................................23 Cdn soldier, Sgt. Christos Karigiannis, remembered as inspirational instructor......................................26 Three soldiers killed while serving country remembered on Canada Day weekend..................................27 Fallen Canadian soldier remembered as inspirational instructor...............................................................29 Canada Day−Military.......................................................................................................................................30 INDEX:International, Defence........................................................................................................................31 INDEX:Defence, International, Politics..........................................................................................................32 Afghan−Violence...............................................................................................................................................33 HFX OUT HQQ................................................................................................................................................34 INDEX:Defence, International........................................................................................................................36 Three soldiers buried as family, friends recall their sacrifices.....................................................................37 i Table of Contents Canada 2007: Independent and strong; We have the world's second largest expanse of real estate, 32 million well−educated, globally connected people, a strong infrastructure and good public services..............................................................................................................................................................39 National. Three soldiers laid to rest................................................................................................................43 National. Judge refuses Khadr charges..........................................................................................................44 What's happening on Canada Day..................................................................................................................45 Funerals held for soldiers killed in Afghanistan; Family and friends crowd churches across Canada...51 Ontario seems alone in putting Canada first..................................................................................................53 A Canada Day salute to our troops.................................................................................................................55 Wild Art.............................................................................................................................................................57 A Canada Day salute to our troops.................................................................................................................58 Heroes laid to rest Family and friends say goodbye to 3 Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan..........60 Kin, comrades bid trio farewell.......................................................................................................................62 Killed soldiers lauded on eve of Canada Day Funeral services are held for Sgt. Christos Karigiannis in Quebec, for Pte. Joel Wiebe in Alberta and for Cpl. Stephen Bouzane in Nfld....................................64 Air strikes hit Helmand homes........................................................................................................................66 Halifax welcome................................................................................................................................................67 'Huge diamonds, no sun' Afghan citizens know little, care less, about Canada.........................................68 Bravery in a dangerous land............................................................................................................................71 'Strength in being together' Pte. Joel Wiebe is laid to rest...........................................................................73 Blasts kill civilians Afghan homes slammed by air strikes targeting Taliban.............................................75 Final goodbye to fallen heroes.........................................................................................................................77 Freedom cherished Afghan women love new lives here................................................................................79 ii NATO strike blamed for 100 civilian deaths; Women, children said to be among dead; international force disputes toll IDNUMBER 200707010123 PUBLICATION: Edmonton Journal DATE: 2007.07.01 EDITION: Final SECTION: News PAGE: A4 KEYWORDS: WAR; TERRORISM DATELINE: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan SOURCE: The Washington Post WORD COUNT: 473 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan − Just a week after Afghan President Hamid Karzai chastised international forces for being "careless," Afghan officials reported Saturday that possibly 100 or more civilians had been killed in a NATO and U.S.−led assault. The battle in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, which was prompted by a Taliban ambush, began Friday night and continued into Saturday morning, Afghan officials said. It ended with international forces bombing several compounds in the remote village of Hyderabad. "More than 100 people have been killed. But they weren't Taliban. The Taliban were far away from there," said Wali Khan, a member of parliament who represents the area. "The people are already unhappy with the government. But these kinds of killings of civilians will cause people to revolt against the government." Another parliament member from Helmand, Mahmood Anwar, said that the death toll was close to 100 and that the dead included women and children. "Very few Taliban were killed," he said. Spokesmen for the international forces acknowledged that civilians were killed in the battle, though they disputed the numbers. Maj. John Thomas, a spokesman for the NATO force, said the civilian death toll was "an order of magnitude less" than what the Afghan officials reported. Thomas said U.S. ground forces helping to carry out a NATO mission had come under fire by Taliban insurgents using small arms, rocket−propelled grenades and mortars. Thomas said the troops responded by firing on insurgents who were shooting from a compound and a network of trenches. U.S. helicopters and NATO bombers were later brought in for support, he said. Thomas said troops returned to the area after the battle and found what appeared to be civilian bodies among the dead insurgents in the trenches. "This confirms for us again that militants are willing to fire from among civilians," he said. "We are deeply saddened by any loss of innocent lives," U.S. Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a coalition forces spokesman, said in a statement. "Insurgents are continuing their tactic of using women and children as human shields in close combat." NATO strike blamed for 100 civilian deaths; Women, children said to be among dead; international 1force disputes toll Karzai has not accepted that argument, repeatedly criticizing international troops for not doing more to protect noncombatants. After a series of particularly deadly incidents in June that Karzai blamed on poor co−ordination, he told reporters that international troops would have to "work the way we ask them to work." Violence has increased in recent months in Afghanistan, especially in Helmand. A NATO soldier was killed and another injured in a separate incident in the province Saturday. The force did not identify the soldiers' nationalities. More