US 'to improve' Afghan training

The civilian toll has caused public outrage in Afghanistan

A US military report on airstrikes in Afghanistan calls for better training for air and ground forces to reduce civilian casualties, officials say.

The Afghan government has said that an airstrike last month killed 140 civilians in the province of Farah.

The US report, due to be released on Thursday, disputes that figure. It says that only about 30 civilians died.

Washington and Kabul have been at loggerheads for weeks over the number of civilians killed in the incident.

Despite that, Nato officials concede that civilian casualty levels in Afghanistan are unacceptably high.

The deaths have intensified resentment in Afghanistan toward the US-led war effort.

Internal inquiry

Details of the report have been given by US defence officials to the Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press. They say that it makes six recommendations - including better use of air support during military offensives in Afghanistan.

THE CIVILIAN TOLL May 2009: Afghan officials say 140 civilians killed in airstrikes in Farah province November 2008: Government says 40 people die in a US air strike in Kandahar province August 2008: Ninety civilians killed in airstrikes in Herat province, government says July 2008: US airstrike in in Nangarhar province kills 47 civilians, officials say June 2007: 'Large number' of civilians killed in Helmand airstrikes, officials say October 2006: Government says that 21 civilians die in Nato attacks in Kandahar and Helmand

The aim is to prevent similar incidents from occurring in future.

The report's release follows an internal Pentagon inquiry into the US assault on the remote village of Granai in Bala Boluk district in early May.

Correspondents say that tensions between Washington and Kabul could be exacerbated by the report's conclusion that only about 30 civilians died in the incident along with 65 Taliban militants.

It concedes that the precise number of civilians killed in the attack may never be known because many victims were buried before the investigation started.

Officials say the report calls for US forces due to be deployed in Afghanistan to receive more detailed training before they call in airstrikes. It says guidelines should be produced giving officers on the ground advice on when to withdraw from a given area to avoid civilian casualties.

Gen Stanley McChrystal, the US commander in Afghanistan, is currently reviewing US rules in relation to airstrikes.

He said last month that US forces should use them only if the lives of Nato personnel or US troops were clearly at risk.

The report also suggests periodic refresher training for troops throughout their tours of duty in Afghanistan, suggesting that training should be given "early and often", officials say.

Among the measures it recommends are:

• Better training for air and ground troops being deployed to Afghanistan

• Refresher training for troops on the ground

• A review of the procedures used by troops before air support is called.

Seeking support

The Obama administration is sending 21,000 extra troops to Afghanistan throughout 2009 to reinforce the total foreign force there to some 68,000 Americans and 33,000 Nato-led forces.

US defence officials have already acknowledged mistakes in some airstrikes, saying tactics and procedures were not followed strictly.

The report found the bombings were carried out against legitimate Taliban targets but that, at least in one case, it was unclear whether civilians were in the vicinity.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other top military officials have repeatedly said that reducing civilian deaths is crucial to winning Afghan support for American and coalition operations against the Taliban and boosting the support for the central government.

Nato spokesman in Afghanistan, Brig Gen Richard Blanchette, told AP that the review would help international forces improve their operations.

"This will close the loop of what needs to be done to have the right kind of learning process," he said.

He said that some of the deaths in Afghanistan are the direct result of the insurgents' intentional tactic of hiding among civilians.