US air strike killed 76 civilians, says Afghan president

By Jonathon Burch in Kabul
Sunday, 24 August 2008

The Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, yesterday condemned a US-led coalition air strike which his government says killed 76 civilians, most of them women and children.

 

Coalition forces bombarded the Azizabad area of Shindand district on Friday. The US military said it was aware of allegations of civilian casualties, but said those killed were militants. “Our reports from our own forces on the ground are only, so far, that those killed in the strikes were 30 and they were all militants,” said a US military spokesman. “All allegations of civilian casualties

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This mission remains far from accomplished

This mission remains far from accomplished

 

The West has a duty to complete what it began in Afghanistan

Friday, 22 August 2008

It was a neat parallel to draw, but not one that bore close examination. On an unexpected stopover in Afghanistan yesterday, the Prime Minister told British troops at Camp Bastion in Helmand province that they were showing exactly the same courage, professionalism and dedication as the country’s winning athletes in Beijing, and that everyone would remember them for it.

 

There can be no doubt about the courage, professionalism and dedication of the troops serving in Afghanistan.

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Western forces poised to halt Taliban tide

By Kim Sengupta and Andrew Buncombe
Monday, 25 August 2008

The cross-border flow of militants has resulted in a blurring of the distinction between Pakistan Taliban and the Taliban The cross-border flow of militants has resulted in a blurring of the distinction between Pakistan Taliban and the Taliban “proper”.

Western special forces are poised to increase their clandestine military operations in Pakistan to stop the flood of Taliban fighters pouring into Afghanistan, amid concerns that the militants are “winning the war”.

 

As fears grow that the Taliban’s strength has been underestimated and not enough is being done to stop militants crossing Afghanistan’s porous border, Western forces are considering taking the controversial step of carrying out more missions in

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