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Merkel demands inquiry into Nato air strike which killed 70
Ed Harris7 Sep 2009
German chancellor Angela Merkel today called for a "thorough, quick" investigation into a Nato air strike which Afghan officials claim killed 70 people.
The demand came as the row over the airstrike by US planes in Kunduz province, in northern Afghanistan, threatened to escalate.
The strike was ordered by Germany, and Ms Merkel said she wanted to know whether civilians were killed in the attack.
The raid has caused uproar in Germany, which will hold parliamentary elections on 27 September.
Speaking in Berlin, Ms Merkel said a quick investigation was essential: "The German government and I personally want to see a Nato investigative team... carry out a thorough and quick explanation of what took place and whether there were civilians killed."
The aim of the German mission was to gain the support and trust of the Afghan people, she added.
Afghan officials say up to 70 people were killed in the air strike on Friday after Taliban militants stole two tanker trucks of fuel, and villagers gathered to siphon off gas.
The attack came as the top US and Nato commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, had sought to limit the number of civilian casualties.
Today's call for an investigation came as a Swedish charity accused American troops of storming through a hospital in central Afghanistan, breaking down doors and tying up staff in a search for militants.
The US military said it was investigating the allegation.
Thousands of civilians have fled Pakistan's Khyber region after the latest military offensive killed 33 more suspected militants.
Pakistan is under US pressure to crack down on insurgents along its border with Afghanistan.
America believes militants use the areas to plan attacks on Western troops in Afghanistan.
