US general ‘confident’ over Afghan joint force

By MARGARET NEIGHBOUR
Published 18th Feb 2013, 00:00 BST
The top American commander in Afghanistan believes the US-led Nato coalition can operate effectively despite the Afghan president’s decision to ban Afghan security forces from requesting airstrikes in residential areas.

President Hamid Karzai said he decided on the ban after Afghan security services asked the US military for an airstrike during a joint Afghan-Nato operation last week. Afghan officials said the airstrike killed ten civilians, including women and children, in north-east Kunar province, along with four insurgents.

The death of civilians during military operations, particularly in airstrikes, has been among the most divisive issues of the 11-year-old war, but the Afghan military relies heavily on air support to gain an upper hand in the fight against T