Sources: US says civilian deaths overstated

Sources: US says civilian deaths overstated
By Robert Burns - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Aug 29, 2008 7:01:12 EDT

WASHINGTON — After reviewing a disputed airstrike on a village in Afghanistan, U.S. officials have concluded that the civilian death toll was far lower than claimed by the Afghan government and the U.N., three U.S. defense officials said Thursday.

Two of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the results of the review have not been announced publicly, said Afghan officials have been given the findings, which say 25 militants were killed, plus five civilians. Afghan officials have said that between 76 and 90 civilians were killed.

Also, the U.S. government is pressing for a joint U.S.-Afghan probe in hopes of reaching a common conclusion about an incident that stirred outrage in Afghanistan and frustration among U.S. officials, one official said.

It was not clear Thursday whether the Afghan government accepted the findings of the U.S. review or whether a joint probe would go forward. Details of how the U.S. review was conducted were not immediately available.

In the days following the clash in western Afghanistan on Friday, the government of President Hamid Karzai issued a sharp rebuke of the United States, saying the incident showed the need for tighter regulation of U.S. military operations.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/08/ap_us_afghanistan_082808/%2e