Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Los Angeles Times
May 9, 2007
By Associated Press
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — The upper house of parliament backed a bill Tuesday that calls for international forces to cease military operations unless they are attacked or have first consulted with the Afghan army, government or police.
Lt. Col. David Accetta, a U.S. military spokesman, said he did not have an immediate response.
A spokeswoman at NATO's International Security Assistance Force declined to comment.
The bill also says that when the Afghan army and police ranks reach their target numbers, a timetable should be drafted for international military forces to leave. The army and police probably won't reach their goals for several years.
The bill would need to be approved by the lower house and signed by President Hamid Karzai to become law.
The upper house backed the bill in the wake of recent civilian deaths at the hands of foreign military forces. Afghan officials have repeatedly pleaded with the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to take care during operations.
On Tuesday, a U.S. commander said he was "deeply ashamed" of Marine killings of Afghan civilians March 4 and reported that the American military had made condolence payments to their families.
"Today we met with the families of those victims: 19 dead and 50 injured," said Col. John Nicholson, commander of the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. "We made official apologies on the part of the U.S. government" and payments of about $2,000 for each death.
Speaking to Pentagon reporters by videoconference, Nicholson read the apology he made:
"I stand before you today, deeply, deeply ashamed and terribly sorry…. The death and wounding of innocent Afghans at the hand of Americans is a stain on our honor and on the memory of the many Americans who have died defending Afghanistan and the Afghan people."
In the March 4 incident in Nangarhar province, an explosives-rigged minivan crashed into a convoy of Marines that U.S. officials said also came under fire from gunmen. Injured Afghans said the Americans fired on civilian cars and pedestrians.
Violence against U.S. forces also continued. The U.S.-led coalition said a soldier was killed Tuesday during a battle in southern Afghanistan. It gave no nationality for the soldier, but most troops are American.
May 9, 2007
By Associated Press
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — The upper house of parliament backed a bill Tuesday that calls for international forces to cease military operations unless they are attacked or have first consulted with the Afghan army, government or police.
Lt. Col. David Accetta, a U.S. military spokesman, said he did not have an immediate response.
A spokeswoman at NATO's International Security Assistance Force declined to comment.
The bill also says that when the Afghan army and police ranks reach their target numbers, a timetable should be drafted for international military forces to leave. The army and police probably won't reach their goals for several years.
The bill would need to be approved by the lower house and signed by President Hamid Karzai to become law.
The upper house backed the bill in the wake of recent civilian deaths at the hands of foreign military forces. Afghan officials have repeatedly pleaded with the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to take care during operations.
On Tuesday, a U.S. commander said he was "deeply ashamed" of Marine killings of Afghan civilians March 4 and reported that the American military had made condolence payments to their families.
"Today we met with the families of those victims: 19 dead and 50 injured," said Col. John Nicholson, commander of the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. "We made official apologies on the part of the U.S. government" and payments of about $2,000 for each death.
Speaking to Pentagon reporters by videoconference, Nicholson read the apology he made:
"I stand before you today, deeply, deeply ashamed and terribly sorry…. The death and wounding of innocent Afghans at the hand of Americans is a stain on our honor and on the memory of the many Americans who have died defending Afghanistan and the Afghan people."
In the March 4 incident in Nangarhar province, an explosives-rigged minivan crashed into a convoy of Marines that U.S. officials said also came under fire from gunmen. Injured Afghans said the Americans fired on civilian cars and pedestrians.
Violence against U.S. forces also continued. The U.S.-led coalition said a soldier was killed Tuesday during a battle in southern Afghanistan. It gave no nationality for the soldier, but most troops are American.