Despite new Afghan anger:
US sticks with air strikes
USA: The United States vowed Sunday to persist with air strikes in
Afghanistan despite bitter new criticism from the nation's leader Hamid
Karzai about their morality as the civilian death toll mounts.
President Barack Obama's national security advisor, James Jones, said
the United States would "redouble" efforts to limit civilian casualties
but would not hamper its forces in Afghanistan by banning the air
strikes.
"We can't fight with one hand tied behind our back," General Jones
said on ABC television, arguing President Karzai "understands that we
have to have the full complement of our offensive military power when we
need it."
US regional commander General David Petraeus also took on board
Karzai's criticism about the impact on civilians, but said the "Taliban
bears enormous blame" by firing on US troops from inside villagers'
houses.
After a week of talks in Washington that included a White House
summit with Obama, Karzai said US forces risked being seen by Afghans as
little better than the extremists they are fighting.
The war against the resurgent Taliban was not in itself "immoral," he
said on NBC.
"It's the standard of morality that we are seeking, which is also one
that is being desired and spoken about in America," Karzai said, after a
US attack last week that he said had killed up to 130 Afghan villagers.
"In other words, are we the same as the terrorists? Are we the same
as the bad guys? Or are we standing on a much higher moral platform? Are
we better human beings or not?
"The Afghan people say we are fighting together with shoulder to
shoulder against terrorism. That we are part of the struggle. Our homes,
our villages are not places for terrorism."
Jones said that while US forces did not deliberately target
civilians, the Taliban were "not playing by the same rules."
Washington, Monday, AFP |