Washington, September 08: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged in an interview with an Arabic news network that civilian casualties have become “a real problem” for the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan.
Gates’ remarks, in an interview to be aired on Tuesday by a Qatar-based Arabic satellite news channel, came amid a raging controversy over an air strike that killed scores of people Friday in northern Afghanistan.
“I think it’s a real problem and General McChrystal thinks it’s a real problem, too,” Gates said, referring to Stanley McChrystal, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
According to a transcript of the interview posted on the news website, Gates said the Taliban actively targeted civilians or put them at risk in other ways.
“But we are trying to figure out new tactics that minimise this. But it is a challenge,” he added.
“Central to the success of the 42 nations that are trying to help the Afghan people and government at this point is that the Afghan people continue to believe that we are their friends, their partners and here to help them.”
“So civilian casualties are a problem for us and we are doing everything conceivable to try and avoid that,” he said.
At least 54 people were killed on Friday when a German commander in Kunduz ordered an air strike on two fuel trucks that had been hijacked by Taliban insurgents.
–Agencies