<

Lethal U.S. Attack Targeted Omar

Soldiers were searching for top Taliban figure when Afghan wedding party mistakenly hit, defense officials say

Tuesday, July 23, 2002
The Associated Press

As many as 400 U.S. and Afghan ground forces were conducting a reconnaissance and search operation in the Uruzgan province as the tragedy unfolded, officials previously said. There also were U.S. special operations troops acting as air controllers on the ground at two locations in the area.

WASHINGTON -- AP
Soldiers were pressing the search for top Taliban fugitive Mullah Mohammed Omar earlier this month when the mission tragically went awry, killing dozens of Afghans celebrating a wedding, defense officials said today.

The Pentagon has previously declined to say what troops were doing in the area of Uruzgan province on the night when Afghans reported several villages attacked and 40 civilians killed by a U.S. warplane.

But two Pentagon officials, speaking on condition of anonymity today, said U.S. special forces teamed with Afghan allies were pursuing intelligence tips suggesting that Omar, one or more of his top commanders, or some other level of Taliban or al-Qaida figures might be in the area. American commanders had enough credible information to believe it was worth sending in troops, one defense official said.

The mission had been under way for days before U.S. forces struck back at what they believed was enemy anti-aircraft fire.

The incident has strained relations between the U.S. military and Afghan leaders and is still under investigation.

Uruzgan, in central Afghanistan, is Omar's home province and one of the places where coalition forces for months have had search missions to root out remnants of Taliban and al-Qaida figures. Much attention also has been directed on the southeastern provinces of Paktia and Paktika along the Pakistan border.
(More: The Baltimore Sun News Source)
2002 © The Associated Press.

Dan