MID: Karzai angry over US killings
11 Nov 2008 1:15 AMBy Fisnik Abrashi
KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov 10 AP - President Hamid Karzai blasted US troops today for killing 14 private security guards in eastern Afghanistan, an incident that he said will only expand the gap between Afghanistan and its Western backers.
The US coalition said its troops shot at three vehicles carrying armed men in the eastern Khost province Sunday only after its occupants opened fire on their forces.
Karzai, in a statement issued today, said that those killed were private security guards working for a road construction company.
"Carrying out such attacks will only expand the gap between the people and the government of Afghanistan, as well as between Afghanistan and its international allies," Karzai said.
The US military said in a statement that after its troops stopped the threecars, the men inside "got out of their vehicles and fired on the coalitionforces, who returned fire with rifles and helicopter gun fire.
"There were secondary explosions in the vehicles, and 14 armed men were killed. Numerous ammunition belts and small-arms weapons were recovered from the vehicles," the statement from the US military said today.
The military said it has launched a joint investigation with Afghan authorities into the incident.
There has been a spate of incidents involving US coalition troops recently during which civilians were killed. These incidents undermine Karzai's standing among the people and turn ordinary Afghans against US and NATO troops.
Last week, the U.S. said a joint US-Afghan investigation found that 37 civilians and 26 militants were killed during a battle between U.S. troops and Taliban militants in the village of Wech Baghtu in the southern Kandahar province. The US has said the militants forced the Afghan villagers to stay in Wech Baghtu during the battle.
Karzai has long pleaded with the US and NATO to prevent civilian casualties. Last week he appealed to US president-elect Barack Obama to ensure that Afghan civilians are not killed in coalition operations.
According to an AP count of civilian deaths this year, US or NATO forces have killed at least 275 civilians, while 590 have died from militant-caused violence like suicide bombs.