President Karzai Demands Better Coordination to Reduce Civilian Casualties
60 Minutes aired a segment on civilian casualties in Afghanistan this month. After international calls for an end to civilian casualties caused by Coalition air strikes, 60 Minutes reported on this troubling trend and spoke with President Hamid Karzai. Correspondent Scott Pelley traveled to Kapisa Province and investigated on an incident where nine people, representing four generations of a family, were killed by a Coalition air strike.
In his interview with Mr. Pelley, President Karzai explained that the Afghan people understand that the international community is in Afghanistan to help and that mistakes are sometimes made, but that, “five years on, six years on, definitely, very clearly, they cannot comprehend as to why there is still a need for air power." President Karzai emphasized that he has demanded that Afghanistan’s international partners roll back the air strikes and seek alternatives to the use of air force.
The President echoed this sentiment during a long-form interview with Al Jazeera International’s Ghida Fakhry, with whom he spoke during his attendance at the United Nation’s General Assembly. Civilian casualties were discussed in addition to regional issues, security concerns, and narcotics.
Video of 60 Minutes Interview
Part 1 of Al Jazeera interview
Part 2 of Al Jazeera interview
