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March 16, 2011

U.S. Airstrike Kills 2 Afghan Children; Petraeus Suggests Long-Term U.S. Military Presence 
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Two children have been killed in a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan. The
victims were watering fields in Afghanistan's Kunar province when they
came under attack. The deaths just two weeks after nine Afghan boys were
mistakenly killed by NATO gunships. Speaking in Washington, the U.S.
commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus touted the progress of
U.S. military goals in Afghanistan, but called them "fragile and
reversible."

Gen. David Petraeus: "It is ISAF's (International Security Assistance
Force) assessment that the momentum achieved by the Taliban in
Afghanistan since 2005 has been arrested in much of the country and
reversed in a number of important areas. However while the security
progress achieved last year is significant, it is also fragile and
reversible."

Petraeus went on to suggest a scenario under which U.S. troops would
remain in Afghanistan beyond a 2014 withdrawal date through the
operation of joint military bases with Afghan forces. Petraeus said:
"It's very important to stay engaged in a region in which we have such
vital interests."



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