US Pledge To Reduce Afghan Deaths

Civilian casualties in Afghanistan must be reduced, the newly appointed commander of US and Nato-led troops Gen Stanley McChrystal has told the BBC. He said both preventing and investigating incidents where civilians were hit would be a priority.

Earlier, a UN report said the number of civilians killed so far this year had risen 24% on the same period last year. The UN said insurgent bombings and air strikes by international forces were the biggest killers.

There has been widespread concern in Afghanistan about civilian death tolls. In June the US military called for better training in an effort to reduce the numbers of civilian deaths. The Taliban also issued a new code of conduct earlier this week which says fighters should minimise civilian casualties.

Gen McChrystal, the new commander of US and Nato-led troops in Afghanistan, said civilian casualties were "deeply concerning" and something he "would love to say we'd get to zero". He said he was trying to build this into the culture of his forces, but admitted it was very hard to balance this with their own protection. Gen McChrystal, the new commander of US and Nato-led troops in Afghanistan, said civilian casualties were "deeply concerning" and something he "would love to say we'd get to zero".

He said he was trying to build this into the culture of his forces, but admitted it was very hard to balance this with their own protection The report, by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama), says insurgents were responsible for more deaths than government-allied forces. But it also notes that two-thirds of the deaths caused by government-allied forces came in air strikes.

The rising death toll was partly due to the fact that militants were deliberately basing themselves in residential districts, the report's authors concluded.

The increasingly sophisticated tactics used by insurgents were also highlighted. This is the third year the UN has counted civilian deaths and the numbers have risen each year.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8179294.stm