NYT : 7 Afghan Children Killed in U.S.-Led Airstrike

7 Afghan Children Killed in U.S.-Led Airstrike

By BARRY BEARAK and ABDUL WAHEED WAFA | June 18, 2007

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 18 — Seven children were killed during an airstrike by the American-led coalition against a religious compound thought to be an Al Qaeda sanctuary in remote eastern Afghanistan, the coalition reported today.
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The death of the children, tragic enough by itself, may well add to the growing anger many Afghans feel about civilian casualties from American and NATO military operations. More than 130 civilians have been killed in such airstrikes and shootings in just the last six months, according to Afghan officials.

“We are truly sorry for the innocent lives lost in this attack,” Maj. Chris Belcher of the United States Army said of Sunday’s raid against several structures, including a school and mosque, in Paktika Province, near the border with Pakistan. “We had surveillance on the compound all day and saw no indications there were children inside the building.”

There are more than 50,000 foreign troops operating in Afghanistan, the bulk of them American. One NATO soldier and two Afghan policemen died today during heavy fighting that killed “a large number of enemy extremist fighters” in Uruzgan Province in the south of the country, according to a NATO news release.

But while such workmanlike statements about mortal combat and skirmishes are fairly standard in Afghanistan, reports about battlefield regrets are highly unusual. More commonly, the military responds to allegations of civilian casualties rather than announcing them.

Still, the coalition placed the ultimate burden for the children’s deaths on terrorists, saying that “Al Qaeda operatives” had hidden among innocents.

“Witness statements taken early this morning clearly put the blame on the suspected terrorists, saying that if the children attempted to go outside they were beaten and pushed away from the door,” the coalition said in a news release, adding that seven “militants” had also died in the raid.

The religious compound is in a mountainous district named Yahya Khail. Many here in Kabul attempted unsuccessfully to get an independent account of what transpired.

Whatever the facts, Khalid Farouqi, a member of the Afghan Parliament from Paktika, was angry at the coalition. “Mostly, these type of incidents happen because the international forces do not coordinate with the Afghan authorities,” he said. “Then they say they are sorry. That may be acceptable once, but not when it is done repeatedly.”

The coalition contends that such coordination did occur and that Afghan forces took part in the operation.

“The coalition goes to extraordinary lengths to avoid civilian casualties,” said William Wood, the United States ambassador to Afghanistan. “Unfortunately, when the Taliban is using civilians in this tactical way, instances of civilian casualties, just like instances of casualties from friendly fire, cannot be completely avoided.”

Civilian casualties, especially those caused by errant bombings, have been an issue here since the American-led coalition forces came to Afghanistan in 2001. As the Taliban have grown in strength during the past year, the war-weary Afghan populace feels caught in a crossfire, vulnerable to both coalition air raids and insurgent suicide attacks. On Sunday, a suicide bomber set off his explosives on a bus, killing at least 24.

C.J. Chivers and Taimoor Shah contributed reporting.