McChrystal rebukes Germans over Afghan strike

Are the fault lines beginning to develop ????

America’s senior commander in Afghanistan rebuked his German subordinate on Monday as the Nato allies exchanged recriminations over an air strike that claimed at least 54 lives.

German troops in Kunduz province summoned a US F-15 jet to destroy two fuel tankers, which had allegedly been hijacked by Taliban insurgents.

When the fighter dropped two 500lb bombs, the explosions ignited the cargo of liquid fuel, causing a fireball that engulfed a crowd of people.

Scores of Afghans had apparently gathered around the tankers to siphon petrol – and between 54 and 70 are thought to have died. At a stroke, German troops were responsible for more deaths than at any other time since the Second World War.

In particular, Gen McChrystal was surprised that German troops from Regional Command North, known as RC-North, waited several hours before going to the location of the bombing. “Why didn’t RC-North come here quicker?” Gen McChrystal asked Col Georg Klein, the German local commander. “I can honestly say it was a mistake,” answered Col Klein. The US military also leaked surveillance footage of the incident to an American newspaper. The grainy pictures showed a crowd around the tankers before the attack. But the quality was so poor that it was impossible to tell whether they were unarmed bystanders – or armed Taliban fighters.

Nonetheless, the German commander ordered the air strike, apparently on the word of an Afghan informer who said the Taliban were present.

But the incident has caused a political storm in Germany, where the military presence in Afghanistan is controversial. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor, will address parliament on the issue today. The German army said it “deeply regrets” any civilian casualties.

Source: Telegraph