U.S. Led Air Strike Kills 62 Taliban and 45 Civilians

Elizabeth Matthews, Intelligence Analyst, Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

United States (US): Intelligence Report

U.S. Led Air Strike Kills 62 Taliban and 45 Civilians

1July 2007

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) – A battle between Taliban insurgents and a joint Coalition-Afghan patrol began Friday June 30, 2007. The battle on Friday started when Taliban fighters tried to ambush a joint U.S.-Afghan military convoy. The battle on Friday began when Taliban fighters tried to ambush a joint U.S.-Afghan military convoy. Air strikes then targeted the Taliban insurgents seeking shelter in the homes of local Afghanistan citizens. Afghan officials claimed that 62 Taliban insurgents and 45 civilians were killed during the air strike. An investigating team was sent to Helmand province's Gereshk district, where fighting took place between insurgents and Western forces late Friday. NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has acknowledged some civilians were killed in the southern battle but has said the death toll was nowhere near as high as Afghan officials have claimed. NATO's spokesman Maj. John Thomas said the military had no information "to corroborate numbers that large." He said NATO would not fire on positions if it knew civilians were nearby. "It's the enemy fighters who willingly fire when civilians are standing right next to them," he said.

Comment: Afghanistan civilians are infuriated with the loss of innocent civilian life. President Hamid Karzai also expresses his anger with NATO forces; accusing them of being careless with Afghan lives and following appropriate intelligence. President Karzai also blames the Taliban civilian casualties and accusing the Taliban of using civilians as human shields.

Analysis: It is only July and civilian deaths are only beginning to be calculated. With the Taliban continuing to disrupt Afghan and Coalition forces, civilians are suffering the consequences by bodily harm and death. With the recent video release of Ayman al-Zawahiri, it is highly likely that the Taliban will continue to attack Coalition and Afghan forces. It is also likely that civilian casualties will rise due to Taliban forces are continuing to attack Afghan officials and using civilians as human shields and leverage against Coalition and Afghan forces in order to regain control of the government.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19529868/

(Reliability-8)