KABUL (Reuters) - The United States will order all its troops in Afghanistan to undergo new training after concluding that pilots violated orders in air strikes last month that it accepts may have killed as many as 86 civilians. In a long-awaited report, released six weeks after U.S. B1 bombers killed large numbers of civilians unleashing fury among Afghans, the Pentagon acknowledged that rules had not been followed, although it said the mistakes fell short of breaking the law. The bombings took place on May 4 in western Afghanistan after a day-long battle that saw Afghan security forces ambushed by Taliban fighters and U.S. Marines come to their aid.
KABUL (Reuters) - The United States will order all its troops in Afghanistan to undergo new training after concluding that pilots violated orders in air strikes last month that it accepts may have killed as many as 86 civilians.
In a long-awaited report, released six weeks after U.S. B1 bombers killed large numbers of civilians unleashing fury among Afghans, the Pentagon acknowledged that rules had not been followed, although it said the mistakes fell short of breaking the law.
The bombings took place on May 4 in western Afghanistan after a day-long battle that saw Afghan security forces ambushed by Taliban fighters and U.S. Marines come to their aid.
Failure by US forces to follow their own rules was the "likely" cause of civilian deaths in Afghan airstrikes last month, a US military report says.US officials looked at seven strikes on Taliban targets in Farah province on 4 May, and concluded that three had not complied with military guidelines. The report accepts that at least 26 civilians died, but acknowledges that the real figure could be much higher. The Afghan government has said 140 civilians were killed in the strikes. Washington and Kabul have been at loggerheads for weeks over the number of civilians killed in the incident.
Failure by US forces to follow their own rules was the "likely" cause of civilian deaths in Afghan airstrikes last month, a US military report says.
US officials looked at seven strikes on Taliban targets in Farah province on 4 May, and concluded that three had not complied with military guidelines.
The report accepts that at least 26 civilians died, but acknowledges that the real figure could be much higher.
The Afghan government has said 140 civilians were killed in the strikes.
Washington and Kabul have been at loggerheads for weeks over the number of civilians killed in the incident.
Oh .. you mean .. keep to the Fen Causeway
