Crack US Marine unit recalled after Afghan deaths

Washington, Mar 25: An elite US Marine Corp unit accused of killing 10 Afghan civilians has been called home early after commanders decided they could no longer operate effectively, an spokesman said today.

The order to remove the 120-member unit came from Maj General Francis Kearney, who commands US Special Operations forces in the West Asia and central Asia, after local anger over the March 4 fighting hampered their mission.

''General Kearney assessed that the relationship was damaged to the point that the unit could not as affectively conduct counterinsurgency operations, so he moved them out,'' said spokesman Lt.Col Lou Leto.

Hundreds demonstrated against the US military after the incident in eastern Afghanistan and President Hamid Karzai condemned the Marines' action.

The US military at the time cited a ''complex'' Taliban ambush involving a suicide car bombing and gunfire in a populated area outside Jalalabad city near Pakistan.

The military said the Marines, members of a highly trained special operations force, fired in self-defense and 16 civilians died in the suicide raid and subsequent fighting.

No provincial or central Afghan government official has confirmed the US military's account that the convoy came under rebel attack. Analysts say the killing of civilians by NATO and US troops is sapping public support for the foreign mission in Afghanistan.

Two provincial Afghan government officials said at the time that 10 civilians were killed and more than 25 wounded. Some of the hospitalized injured said US soldiers just opened fire.

Reuters