Investigation On Claims 90 Afghan Civilians Killed As Air Strikes Increase

THE STANS

Missile strike kills five near Afghan border
At least five people were killed when a missile fired from Afghanistan hit a suspected hideout Saturday in Pakistan's South Waziristan, a known hub of Al-Qaeda, an official told AFP. "A missile apparently fired from across the border hit a compound near Wana and initial reports say five people died," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

40 militants killed in Pakistan air strike: army
Pakistan's army killed 40 militants in an air strike that targeted a rebel stronghold in the country's troubled northwestern Swat region, a military spokesman said Saturday. Fighter jets bombed hideouts in Peochar valley, a stronghold of top Taliban cleric Mullah Fazlullah, on Friday. Officials earlier said 22 rebels were killed in the operation but army spokesman Major Nasir Ali, quoting local sources, revised the figure upward on Saturday to 40, including two senior Fazlullah commanders. Local officials said Fazlullah, who since 2007 has been leading a violent campaign to enforce hardline Islamic Sharia law in the mountainous Swat region, escaped the attack but his group suffered massive damage. Ali said the group's "core militants" were killed and its communication network destroyed in the operation, one of the bloodiest raids since the army launched the offensive after peace negotiations with local tribes failed. Troops backed by helicopter gunships and heavy artillery have for weeks been pounding militant positions in Swat, a former tourist spot. Fazlullah is also known as Mullah Radio for using an illegal FM channel to disseminate the Taliban's agenda.

by Staff Writers
Kabul (AFP) Aug 30, 2008
The US-led force in Afghanistan, United Nations and government have agreed to jointly investigate disputed charges that troops killed more than 90 civilians last week, a military official told AFP Saturday.

The US-led coalition has dismissed the allegations, admitting though that five civilians died a week ago in the air strikes, which also killed an important Taliban commander and about two dozen other rebels.

"There will be a joint investigation," said Brigadier General Richard Blanchette, spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, which works alongside the coalition.

"The government and the UN have accepted the offer," he told AFP, referring to calls by ISAF commander US General David McKiernan for a combined review.

A UN spokesman confirmed special representative Kai Eide had spoken to McKiernan on Saturday and that "we are open to the idea of a joint investigation."

"It is important that we all get to the bottom of what has happened," spokesman Aleem Siddique told AFP.

The UN has said its team had found "convincing evidence" that more than 90 civilians, including 60 children, were killed in the strikes in Shindand district on August 22.

An Afghan team appointed by President Hamid Karzai says it has no doubt about the figure, based on its interviews with locals. Bodies had all been buried by the time the team arrived.

US officials reportedly say there was a lack of physical evidence to support the team's number.

If confirmed, it would be one of the highest civilian tolls since international forces arrived in Afghanistan in late 2001 to expel the Taliban regime for harbouring Al-Qaeda.

"We do have reservations," said Blanchette, adding the Taliban may have tried to manipulate information after the event to discredit the troops.

The disputed operation had been legitimate with the targeted rebel commander "responsible for many, many deaths," the Canadian general said.

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THE STANS

Russia to boost military ties with Tajikistan

Dushanbe (AFP) Aug 29, 2008
Russia and ex-Soviet Tajikistan are to boost military ties, the two countries said in a statement Friday after talks between President Dmitry Medvedev and Tajik counterpart Emomali Rakhmon.

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