Are NATO Airstrikes Necessary?

Afghanistan has reported that 14 women and children are dead after an alleged NATO airstrike in the southwest part of the country. The attack was apparently aimed to strike insurgents in retaliation for an attack on a US Marine base, but instead hit houses in the area. NATO has not confirmed the strike, but has said that they are sending delegates to Afghanistan to investigate the damage.

Airstrikes and civilian casualties in Afghanistan has increased tensions between NATO and the Afghanistan government over the past few years. The President of Afghanistan has ordered that nighttime strikes be stopped and that any strikes or attacks should first be cleared with the Afghani government. There has been no indication as to what effect, if any, this will have on NATO's actions in the country.

Even though NATO claims that these strikes are necessary, I see them as being highly ineffective. What's the use in conducting these airstrikes if they don't even hit who they are supposed to? And when they have the lives of innocent civilians in their hands, that's when things really can get out of hand.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110529/nato-airstrike-afghanistan-110529/