Afghan President Hamid Karzai this week demanded that the U.S. and NATO stop bombing civilian homes, after an aerial attack in southern Helmand province killed nine people, including women and children. “From this moment, airstrikes on the houses of people are not allowed,” Karzai said. If bombings continued, he warned, the coalition would be considered “an occupying force.” And “history shows what Afghans do with trespassers and with occupiers.” NATO apologized for the civilian deaths but refused to rule out future airstrikes.
Karzai’s threats come as officials in Washington continue to argue over the cost of the Afghan war at a time of deep deficits at home. The U.S. military will spend $113 billion on operations in Afghanistan this year, an outlay one White House staffer described as “simply not sustainable.” Civilian advisers are pressuring Obama to draw down troops, while Pentagon officials are warning that such a move would jeopardize gains made against the Taliban.
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