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Afghanistan Raises Issue Of Raids' Toll

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The Associated Press

Published: September 25, 2008

UNITED NATIONS - Afghanistan's president criticized civilian casualties from foreign bombing raids, telling world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday that innocent deaths can seriously undermine the legitimacy of efforts to fight terrorism.

U.S.-Afghan relations have suffered over the issue, and President Hamid Karzai said continuing casualties hurt "the credibility of the Afghan people's partnership with the international community."

The issue was propelled to the forefront of U.S.-Afghan relations when an Afghan commission found that an Aug. 22 U.S.-led operation in the western village of Azizabad killed 90 civilians, including 60 children. That finding was backed by a preliminary U.N. report, though the United States says it is still investigating.

Karzai also pushed for giving Afghanistan more power of its own. The international community, he said, should redouble its efforts to strengthen the Afghan army and police so they can more strongly fight terrorism and protect Afghanistan's people.

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