Published: October 31, 2011
With two American officials, Gen. John R. Allen, the NATO commander and Ryan C. Crocker, Ambassador, at a national security meeting on Sunday, (in a statement) the president “expressed his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the family and relatives of those foreign troops and Afghan civilians who were killed.” and added “Afghan people are grieved by the NATO loss of lives and share the pain and sorrow with the families and friends of the troops killed” (New York Times)
However, "In a statement Saturday, Mr. Karzai had expressed condolences only to the families of the four Afghan victims and made no mention of the 13 NATO personnel who were killed, most of them Americans." (New York Times)
"The gaffe came a week after Mr. Karzai, in an interview with Geo Television, a Pakistani network, said his country would fight on the side of Pakistan if Pakistan was attacked by the United States." (New York Times)
But, the statement in the transcript on his website is omitted.
"Mr. Karzai’s spokesman, Aimal Faizi, also said the president had not intended to slight the military victims. (New York Times)
The attack brought the worst outcome for NATO's operation in Kabul during the Afghanistan War. According to early reports from military sources, 13 victims were all American soldiers, but later, officials modified the list:
- 4 American soldiers
- 1 Canadian soldier
- 5 American contractors
- 2 British contractors
- 1 Kosovar contractor
were killed.Links:
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