Afghan president rejects US apology

Kabul: Afghanistan`s president says US
expression of regret for mistakenly killing nine Afghan boys
is not sufficient and that civilian casualties are no longer
acceptable.

In a statement issued today by his office, Hamid
Karzai said he told Gen David Petraeus, the top commander of
coalition forces in Afghanistan, that expressing regret was
not sufficient in last week`s killing of the boys, ages 12 and
under, by coalition helicopters. NATO later apologised for the
mistaken killing.

The statement added that during a meeting with Karzai,
Petraeus said the killing was a mistake by NATO and extended
his condolences and regret to Karzai and to the Afghan people,
promising that such an incident will not be repeated.

Bureau Report