The deaths continue in Afghanistan

The first reports we had were of an air strike by US fighter jets that appeared to have killed Afghan civilians last Friday. Since then we have learn that there were German troops who had ordered the attack on two tankers. The bombing by the US jet created many dead and injured people. And then the information or misinformation began. Were they civilian casualties or Taliban fighters? The story is yet far from clear and so far the interpretations and accusations are flying depending who does it: the Afghans, the Nato and American forces, the Germans… Most of the criticism is directed towards the Germans who according to Rear Adm. Gregory J. Smith, the top U.S. and NATO spokesman, let too many hours pass before visiting the site of the bombing Friday thus allowing the enemy to come out with its own version of the events, specially as the quick burial of victims added to the confusion. Were they Taliban or civilians?
Now the investigations are beginning and both US officials and Germans are already deflecting blame. Mrs Merkel, Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy have called for an international conference to work on a plan for shifting responsibility for security in Afghanistan to the Afghan government, There seems to be also a little bit of Schadenfreude in the criticism of Germans by the allies as up to now the Germans used to criticize their NATO allies whenever military operations resulted in civilian casualties.
Meanwhile 4 more American soldiers were killed yesterday in Afghanistan.