Clinton: US Doing Everything to Free Soldier in Afghanistan
By VOA News
20 July 2009
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States is doing everything it can to find and free an American soldier captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Clinton made her comments Monday to a U.S. television network ABC while on her trip to India.
U.S. military officials have denounced the Taliban's release of a video showing captured Private Bowe Bergdahl. They said the use of the 23-year-old soldier for propaganda purposes is against international law.
Clinton called the video "outrageous" and said it was, in her words, a "real sign of desperation" on the part of the militants.
Taliban insurgents posted the 28-minute video on a Web site Saturday. Bergdahl went missing from his base on June 30.
Meanwhile, NATO officials said a British fighter jet has crashed at the coalition's largest base in southern Afghanistan, injuring the two pilots.
NATO officials said the crash occurred early Monday at Kandahar air base. Officials said the two pilots ejected from the aircraft and were taken to the base's hospital for treatment. No one else was hurt.
The incident came one day after a civilian helicopter crashed at the same base, killing 16 people. There is no indication that insurgent activity caused either crash.
It also is the fourth aircraft to go down in last few days.
In other developments, Britain's Defense Ministry says a British soldier was killed in an explosion in southern Helmand province Sunday.
In western Farah province, Afghan officials said a roadside bomb killed 11 civilians and injured at least two others.
Also Sunday, German forces killed at least two Afghan civilians in the northern province of Kunduz after they opened fire on a vehicle approaching at high speed.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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