Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Afghanistan

NATO Chief: Killing Of Afghan Civilians Always Mistake

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (left) and Karzai in Kabul in February (epa)

June 22, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer says any civilian casualties in NATO air strikes in Afghanistan are "unfortunate" and a "mistake."

TEXT SIZE - +

June 22, 2007

His comments came after Afghan officials said 25 civilians were killed in an alliance air strike in southern Helmand Province.

De Hoop Scheffer said the June 21 incident showed the alliance needed to continually look at its rules of engagement.

He also blamed the Taliban for using civilians as human shields.

RFE/RL correspondent Salihmohamad Sali reported from Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province that the air strike targeted a group of homes in Helmand's Gereshk district where Taliban fighters were firing on foreign and Afghan forces.

Around 20 suspected Taliban were also killed in the air strike, which came just as President Hamid Karzai urged international forces to do more to prevent civilian casualties.

Also today, Dutch military chief General Dick Berlijn said Taliban fighters executed civilians who refused to fight alongside them during a battle earlier this month.

Berlijn said Dutch and Afghan forces engaged Taliban fighters in the southern town of Chor about a week ago. He said Taliban militants tried to force civilians to fight for them and killed those who refused.

(RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, Reuters, AFP)

RFE/RL Afghanistan Report

SUBSCRIBE For regular news and analysis on Afghanistan by e-mail, subscribe to "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report."

A vendor in the central Bosnian town of Zenica sells heart-shaped cushions with proclamations of love for 1 euro each.

Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More

Gasoline prices have risen dramatically in Pakistan in recent years

In Pakistan, Cleaner Fuel Powers Supply, Safety Issues

Rising fuel prices have pushed Pakistan to become a global leader in using compressed natural gas (CNG) to fuel vehicles. More

Family members of missing Baluchs, mostly political activists, rally in protest on the eve of international Human Rights Day in Quetta, Balochistan, on December 10, 2011.

U.S. Hearing On Balochistan Raises Hackles, Awareness In Pakistan

The U.S. Congressional hearing last week on Balochistan, the largest of Pakistan's four provinces, though it was firmly rejected by Islamabad, is being seen in Pakistan as any eye-opener for the state and its security agencies. More