"Winning Hearts And Minds"?

AP News - from Tampa Bay Online: Afghanistan Condemns Air Strike Deaths
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- In a rare rebuff, Afghanistan's government sharply criticized the U.S. military Tuesday for killing up to 17 civilians in an air strike and ordered an immediate inquiry. The United States called it a 'very unfortunate situation' and said it also would investigate.

. . . .

U.S. forces described the house as "a known operating base for terrorist attacks ... as well as a base for a medium-level terrorist leader."

But Jawed Ludin, Karzai's chief of staff, said "there is no way ... the killing of civilians can be justified."

"The president is extremely saddened and disturbed," he said. "It's the terrorists we are fighting. It's not our people who should suffer."

  The U.S. military is investigating. Maybe the "investigation" will be as fruitful as that of Nicola Calipari's death in Iraq. (US soldiers cleared in Italian agent's death - Apr 30, 2005)