McChrystal Promises Open Investigation

The commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, made an unprecedented television address in Afghanistan promising an open investigation into the recent NATO airstrike that killed dozens, including citizen bystanders. McChrystal has made winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people a centerpiece of his revamped strategy in Afghanistan, and the airstrike threatens to undermine that plan. "I take this possible loss of life or injury to innocent Afghans very seriously," he said in the address, which was aired in Dari and Pashtu, both official languages of the country. McChrystal then toured the site of the attack, and sent NATO officers to meet with the families of the victims on a fact-finding mission. Residents "wept and prayed beside dozens of graves of victims while Taliban fighters with rifles looked on," The Telegraph reports. "We will take revenge. A lot of innocent people were killed here," said one of the Taliban fighters. Afghan officials claim 70 lives were lost, but it's unclear how many were civilians.