NATO troops are likely to become “occupying force” if they continue to do casualties among Afghan civilians, warned today the leader in Kabul, Hamid Karzai, two days after an air raid resulted in 14 deaths, the BBC transmits.
“NATO must understand that the air strikes on Afghan houses are not allowed and that the Afghan people do not tolerate it”, Karzai stressed in a press conference.
“If they do not cease these raids, their presence should be considered an occupying power, against the Afghan people will”, he added.
Sunday’s raid, which targeted positions controlled by insurgents in Helmand province, hit two civilian homes. All 14 victims were women and children. NATO has apologized for the failed operation, assuring that avoiding civilian victims is a priority for the Alliance.
International Forces Command explained that the raid was conducted after a Marine was killed by five Taliban who then fled to a village in the region. As always, local people reacted with fury.
Next day, a group of villagers went to Helmand provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, carrying the bodies of eight children killed in the raid on Sunday. The youngest was two years old.
According to BBC, quoting sources in NATO headquarters, senior officers were irritated by Karzai’s reaction and warning. They say that NATO consults the Afghan leadership before each military operation, giving them each time an assessment of the civilians loss risk. Some of these raids are vital in tactical terms, the officers have also explained, and at the same time stressed that such operations will continue, in spite of the reaction coming from Kabul.