This won't win hearts and minds....

The Afghan war continues unabated. All too tragically the number of casualties, both military and civilian, grows by the day. The situation isn't helped when Allied forces bomb civilians, killing and maiming many as a consequence. To apologise after the event - as happened the other day following the accidental killing of some 95 people - doesn't do anything to assuage the anger of the Afghanis.

Australia's ABC program PM provides a graphic description of "life" in an Emergency Room of a Afghani combat hospital:

"2009 has already become the deadliest year of the war in Afghanistan.

More than 1,000 civilians were killed in the first six months of this year and the death toll is continuing to climb. Many of the victims are children.

South Asia correspondent Sally Sara spent 24 hours in the Emergency Room of the Role 3 Army Hospital in Kandahar, one of the busiest combat hospitals in Afghanistan."

Read or listen to the report here - and, apart from the sadness of what is described, reflect on how all of this is supposed to win over the hearts and minds of the Afganis.

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