NATO targets Afghan casualtiesJune 15, 2007
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO said on Friday a review of its policies in Afghanistan had led to a fall in civilian casualties caused by its troops and blamed Taliban insurgents for using ordinary Afghans as human shields.
NATO defence ministers agreed its 40,000-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) would do everything it could to stem casualties the West fears are sapping public support for the international presence in Afghanistan.
But they signalled no major change in military strategy, which has
made extensive use of air power to get troops out of tight spots, and said the main change had been an effort to tighten coordination with other international and Afghan forces.
"NATO-ISAF doesn't indiscriminately kill people -- the Taliban does," NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said after a meeting of the 37 countries that contribute to the ISAF force.
SwissInfo335 U.S. deaths in Afghanistan, regionBoston GlobeAfghani insurgents are using Afghanis to protect themselves from aerial bombing...yeah right...more failures and lies from governments we no longer control because there is a widespread belief that democratic control is a distant second to 'security'.