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CNN Live Today

Afghan Government Urges Greater Care in U.S Military Operations

Aired July 02, 2002 - 13:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Afghanistan's account is different than that of the Pentagon, and despite its backing of the U.S. mission, the Afghan government is demanding answers from Washington. CNN's Nic Robertson has more now from the U.S. air base in Bagram -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN ANCHOR: Indeed, Doctor Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan's foreign minister, has said that the U.S. and coalition forces should take greater care in their operations.

They say that protecting civilian lives inside Afghanistan is a responsibility of the Afghan government, and they're saying that the coalition forces must respect that, although in the past there have been several incidents where, in the hunt for Taliban and al Qaeda elements in Afghanistan, Afghan civilians have been hurt before.

The foreign ministry is now calling on the coalition forces to really toughen up their act and improve their operating procedures.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ABDULLAH ABDULLAH, AFGHAN FOREIGN MINISTER: It will not be accepted for the people of Afghanistan if that becomes a pattern. Civilians are civilians, and we have the responsibility to protect them.

While the coalition forces, which are supportive of our efforts, which are helping us, they should also take strong measures in order to make sure that civilians are not harmed.

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ROBERTSON: Well, in an indication that there is still a lack of clarity on how many deaths there are, and how many injuries, the foreign minister said he believed 40 had died and more than 100 were injured, but in the hospital in Kandahar, where some of the injured had come to from where the incident took place in Uruzgan province.

People there saying perhaps as many as 120 or 130 people killed from the 300 people attending the wedding party. The team of international investigators, people from the U.S. State Department, Afghan ministry officials, and coalition force representatives, are on their way to Uruzgan province. They haven't yet been to the village where the incident took place, and have yet to make a report, and it is expected, we're told here, that it will be some time before they have precise details of what happened -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Nic, do you get the sense that this mistake could cost the U.S. quite a bit with regard to support?

ROBERTS: It's not at this stage. That's not the impression we have. It's definitely the Afghan government who are very strong in what they're saying at this time. This is not the first incident of this type, but they are not withdrawing support.

There are still, of course, elements -- many elements within the new national government inside Afghanistan that would like to see the country without Taliban elements, without al Qaeda elements here. They are very much behind the international effort, the coalition effort, to rid the country of those elements. However, there is a political price to pay for some of those leaders, Hamid Karzai, Dr. Abdullah.

If they promote the international forces here, the international forces make mistakes, then there are political enemies, perhaps harder line Islamic groups, waiting in the wings, who would very much like to see them and their policies fail -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Our Nic Robertson, live from Bagram. Thanks, Nic.

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