McChrystal to Afghans: " Sorry guys, for all the, you know, death & stuff..."

[laststeamtrain]

McChrystal tries to calm Afghans after air strike
Sat Sep 5, 2009 6:46pm EDT

By Mohammad Hamed

YAQOUBI, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan flew on Saturday to the scene of a deadly air strike by his forces, trying to cool anger that threatens his strategy of winning hearts and minds.

Afghan officials say scores of people were killed, many of them civilians, when a U.S. F-15 fighter jet called in by German troops struck two hijacked fuel trucks before dawn on Friday.

The incident was the first in which Western forces are accused of killing large numbers of civilians since U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal took command in June, announcing that protecting Afghans was the centrepiece of a new strategy.

In an unprecedented televised address to the Afghan people, the general said his forces had launched the air strike against what they thought was a Taliban target. He promised to make the outcome of an investigation public.

"As Commander of the International Security Assistance Force, nothing is more important than the safety and protection of the Afghan people," he said in the taped address, released in versions dubbed into the two official languages, Dari and Pashtu.

"I take this possible loss of life or injury to innocent Afghans very seriously."

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http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSISL12983720090905

[msongs]

1. let's bring the US troops home ok? pay off the afghanis n get outta there nt

[newfie11]

2. Not a good way to get the locals to like you!

We need to get the hell out! This is bullshit.