US Gen. apologizes for deadly drone strike in Afghanistan
Iran Press TV
Fri Nov 29, 2013 4:22PM GMT
The American and NATO commander in Afghanistan has apologized for a drone strike in southern Helmand province, which killed and wounded Afghan civilians.
Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. called Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday expressing "deep regrets for the incident and any civilian casualties," according to a coalition spokesman who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The US general "promised to convene an immediate joint investigation to determine all the facts of what happened," the spokesman said, as reported by the New York Times.
President Karzai had lashed out at the US military after the deadly attack which came amid sensitive talks between Kabul and Washington over a long-term security agreement. The loya jirga, or grand council of Afghanistan, approved the security agreement last week and called on Karzai to sign it. But the president refused to sign the controversial pact and promised that he would cancel it completely if there was even one more raid on Afghan homes that killed civilians.
On Thursday, the president said that moment has come. "For as long as such arbitrary acts and oppression of foreign forces continue, the security agreement with the United States will not be signed," he said.
The US military has admitted that the latest drone strike had killed one Afghan child and injured two women.
"This attack shows that American forces do not respect the lives and security of the people of Afghanistan and the loya jirga decision," said Karzai in a statement posted on the president's website on Thursday night. "For years, our people are being killed and their houses are being destroyed under the pretext of the war on terror."
Washington said earlier this week that it would begin planning for a total withdrawal by next year if the security deal is not signed by Karzai.
The Afghan public is also against the deal. On Friday, thousands of demonstrators held a massive rally in Kabul protesting against the pact.
ARA/ARA
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