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Saturday, Feb 16, 2013 11:45 AM UTC

Karzai says Afghan forces can’t request airstrikes

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Topics: From the Wires,

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he will issue a decree banning Afghan security forces from asking international troops to carry out airstrikes under “any circumstances.”

Saturday’s announcement comes amid anger over a joint Afghan-NATO operation this week that Afghan officials say killed 10 civilians, including women and children, in northeast Kunar province.

Civilian deaths have been one of the most divisive issues of the 11-year-old war, although the U.S.-led coalition has implemented measures to mitigate them.

Karzai says U.S. commander Gen. Joseph Dunford told him that Afghan forces requested the airstrike.

The Afghan president says he plans to issue a decree on Sunday, saying that Afghan security forces can no longer request plans from the U.S.-led coalition to carry out operations on Afghan homes and villages.

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

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  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

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