U.S. Troops Erred in Airstrikes On Civilians

At Least 26 Afghans Died, Report Says

U.S. pilots and ground commanders failed to follow proper procedures during a major battle in early May in western Afghanistan, resulting in airstrikes that killed at least 26 Afghan civilians, according to a new report issued by the American military. The long-awaited document also calls for changes in the instruction and training of pilots and ground commanders.

The military report concedes that it is impossible "conclusively to determine the number of civilian casualties that occurred on May 4, 2009," and says the number could be far higher. A report on the same incident by the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission concluded that there were as many as 86 civilian casualties. Local Afghan officials put the civilian death toll at 140.

Civilian casualties from U.S. airstrikes has provoked widespread anger in Afghanistan in recent years and led to increased tension between the American and Afghan governments.

The airstrikes came during a chaotic battle in Farah province that lasted almost nine hours, with about 300 Taliban fighters facing off against more than 200 Afghan and U.S. troops. The Americans noticed Taliban forces moving into two buildings in preparation for an attack on U.S. soldiers. The ground commander on the scene judged these fighters to be "an imminent threat to his force" and signed off on two airstrikes, the report concludes.

Neither the ground commander nor the crew of the B-1 bomber involved in the battle knew whether civilians were in the two buildings where the Taliban forces were massing. "The mistake was not knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that civilians were not hiding in those buildings," said Capt. Jack Hanzlik, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command.

Although the airstrikes did not violate the laws of war, they were inconsistent with the U.S. military's larger goal of "providing security and safety for the Afghan people," the report concludes. At the time of the first strike, U.S. ground troops were taking fire and trying to evacuate an Afghan soldier who had been shot through the shoulder and a Navy corpsman who was wounded while attempting to treat him.

It will be up to Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the new commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, to determine what new instructions to issue to troops regarding the use of airstrikes when they are under heavy fire. The report also calls for McChrystal to assemble an investigative team that will be able to respond within two hours to any reports of civilian casualties in Afghanistan. McChrystal has said that he is already committed to building such a team.

The report, which was release by U.S. Central Command, also says the American government must develop a more rapid process for disseminating the details of mistakes that result in civilian casualties in conjunction with the Afghan Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior.

The report does not recommend doing away with airstrikes to safeguard U.S. troops under fire in Afghanistan. "However, absent a direct or imminent threat, we must pursue a tactical approach that prioritizes avoidance of civilian casualties as a fundamental aspect of mission success," the report states.

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said this week that there was no reason to pursue disciplinary action against any of the soldiers, Marines or pilots involved in the battle.