Amnesty Int.: Nato 'ill-equipped' to probe loss of life or prevent further civilian deaths

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http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/world-news/nato-illequipped-in-afghanistan-2066536.html

Nato 'ill-equipped in Afghanistan'

Wednesday February 17 2010

Nato is ill-equipped to probe accidental loss of life or prevent further civilian deaths during its latest offensive in Afghanistan, Amnesty International has warned.

The organization claimed international forces lacked the "credible mechanism" needed to investigate recent incidents in which locals had been killed or ensure that such occurrences were not repeated.

It also hit out at "inexcusable" tactics employed by the Taliban, stating that knowingly endangering Afghan life could constitute a war crime.

It called on both sides in the conflict to comply with legal obligations to protect thousands of displaced Afghans and those still trapped in areas of intense fighting.

Nato responded to the comments by saying it was doing everything it could to limit civilian casualties and that any credible allegation would be fully investigated.

Amnesty International issued the warning following the deaths of at least 15 civilians so far during Operation Moshtarak. Twelve were killed on Sunday when a house was struck by Nato rockets, and a further three locals have since been killed in separate incidents.

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