NATO kills 5 Afghan soldiers in mistaken airstrike

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus on Wednesday marked an early and unwelcome milestone in his tenure as commander of Western forces here: apologizing for his troops having accidentally killed five Afghan soldiers.

"Friendly fire" incidents are relatively rare, but they stir animosity among many in the Afghan military, whose partnership with the NATO force is central to President Obama's hopes that American troops can begin drawing down a year from now.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/08/world/la-fg-afghan-airstrike-20100708

In any war, friendly fire incidents are unavoidable.

But, in a war such as the war in Afghanistan, they negate all efforts to win over hearts and minds.

It's another reason why our efforts in Afghanistan are futile.