NATO apologizes to thousands of Afghans forced to flee their homes

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=c8bd98a5-3693-41b9-b806-338e1816eded&k=8867

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A senior NATO official apologized on Wednesday to thousands of Afghans forced to flee their homes west of here because of fighting involving Canadian soldiers, but he blamed the Taliban for the civilian woes and predicted violence in the troubled region would continue.

As many as 6,000 civilians from 800 families have fled the Zhari and Panjwaii districts due to fierce fighting in recent months, according to an estimate from an official with the Afghanistan independent human rights commission.

"Inevitably the side effect of military operations are that civilians, innocent civilians, get affected and you're absolutely right, in Zhari and Panjwaii at the moment, there are very few civilians - they have been displaced," Col. Chris Vernon, chief of staff for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)regional command south said Wednesday. "To those who are affected, I apologize from our half. But I would say that I don't think that we're initiating a lot of it. It's not us going in and fighting in these villages and taking them over."

Vernon stressed insurgents were fueling the humanitarian problem because "they've gone in there and they've chosen to fight in there and the local people have left on that basis" but he acknowledged the coalition shared in the blame. "I'm not saying that what we do doesn't have an effect that has an equal effect. We do our best. We're taking them on."

[Rex]

1. Fierce fighting?

In Afghanistan? I thought we beat the Taliban. Ohhh, insurgents. Does that mean Mission Not Accomplished?' :eyes:

[acmavm]

2. Afganistan? Fighting in Afganistan? Gee, sounds familiar.

Wonder where I heard that before?

Oh yeah, the first war we lost. In more ways than one.

[NNN0LHI]

3. It doesn't sound like we are liberating the Afghan people very well n/t