British Criticize U.S. Air Attacks in Afghan Region

[cal04]

Source: NYTimes

A senior British commander in southern Afghanistan said in recent weeks that he had asked that American Special Forces leave his area of operations because the high level of civilian casualties they had caused was making it difficult to win over local people.

Other British officers here in Helmand Province, speaking on condition of anonymity, criticized American Special Forces for causing most of the civilian deaths and injuries in their area. They also expressed concerns that the Americans’ extensive use of air power was turning the people against the foreign presence as British forces were trying to solidify recent gains against the Taliban.

An American military spokesman denied that the request for American forces to leave was ever made, either formally or otherwise, or that they had caused most of the casualties. But the episode underlines differences of opinion among NATO and American military forces in Afghanistan on tactics for fighting Taliban insurgents, and concerns among soldiers about the consequences of the high level of civilians being killed in fighting.

A precise tally of civilian deaths is difficult to pin down, but one reliable count puts the number killed in Helmand this year at close to 300 civilians, the vast majority of them caused by foreign and Afghan forces, rather than the Taliban.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/09/world/asia/09casualties.html?hp

[cliss]

1. There's a word for this ~

it's called "Bull in a China Shop".


The US apparently has not realized yet that indiscriminate bombings cause enormous resentment among locals.

[superkia]

2. Oh they realize but its not about lives its about $$$$$!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. This might shed some light:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9512774

Lotsa money to control there.

[gratuitous]

4. Another violator of the Bush doctrine

Say Georgie, sounds like the Tommies aren't with us in the global war on terror any more. That makes them agin us, don't it? Tea sipping surrender monkeys, that's what they are! Get 'em George, get 'em!

[cal04]

5. British generals blast 'cowboy' US troops

Tension between British and American commanders in southern Afghanistan erupted into the open today as a senior UK military officer said he had asked the US to withdraw its special forces from a volatile area that was crucial in the battle against the Taliban.

British and Nato defence officials have consistently expressed concern about US tactics, notably air strikes, which kill civilians, sabotaging the battle for "hearts and minds" and infuriating Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president.

Des Browne, the defence secretary, recently raised the issue with Robert Gates, his US counterpart, and Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Nato's secretary general, admitted last month that an increasing number of civilian casualties was undermining support for alliance troops.

He said Nato commanders had changed the rules of engagement, ordering their troops to hold their fire in situations where civilians appeared to be at risk.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,,2145710,00.html