KABUL, Afghanistan — The top United States commander in Afghanistan confirmed that a rocket went astray during operations in the Marja area of Helmand province, killing 12 civilians, according to a statement issued by the International Security Assistance Force and the Afghan Ministry of Defense.
Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the ISAF commander, ordered the withdrawal of the type of rocket launcher used in the incident, a high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS), from operations “until a thorough review of this incident has been conducted,” the statement said.
The American commander, who has made reducing civilian casualties a cornerstone of his policy in Afghanistan, apologized to President Hamid Karzai for the incident. “We deeply regret this tragic loss of life,” General McChrystal said. “The current operation in central Helmand is aimed at restoring security and stability to this vital area of Afghanistan. It’s regrettable that, in the course of our joint efforts, innocent lives were lost.”
The operation currently underway is remarkable in that US commanders informed all residents of Marja — Taliban and civilian alike — of the impending strike. It is reported that a small percentage of residents left the city as a result of these warnings. But most people stayed. And most of the roads have now been land-mined.
How well the joint NATO-Afghan force will fare in this mission will become clear in the coming days, when they will attempt, after the fighting ends, to install a ready-made government including both bureaucrats and a dedicated police force.
“We don’t want Fallujah,” General McChrystal said in an interview earlier this week. “Fallujah is not the model.” To be fair, anything short of absolute destruction of a city can be described as “not another Fullujah.” Let’s see how it goes. Wish em luck.
