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Relations between US and UN strained over Afghanistan war reports
Source: The Guardian
Relations between US and UN strained over Afghanistan war reports
Sune Engel Rasmussen in Kabul
Sunday 4 December 2016 16.42 GMT
The US military in Afghanistan is increasingly trying to control public information about the war, resulting in strained relations with western organisations offering different versions of events to official military accounts, the Guardian has learned.
In a recent incident, the most senior US commander in Afghanistan, Gen John W Nicholson, considered banning or restricting the UN’s access to a military base in Kabul, according to informed sources in both organisations.
The dispute followed a UN report in late September claiming that a US drone had killed 15 civilians. Washington insists it only killed members of Islamic State.
UN and US military officials declined to speak to the Guardian, but various sources confirmed that working relations were “a nightmare”, as a UN staff member put it.
The dispute is a sign that the US military wants to remain in charge of details about its operations and the overall situation in Afghanistan, a coalition staff member said, adding that it will try to “maintain (the official) narrative over anything”.
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Sune Engel Rasmussen in Kabul
Sunday 4 December 2016 16.42 GMT
The US military in Afghanistan is increasingly trying to control public information about the war, resulting in strained relations with western organisations offering different versions of events to official military accounts, the Guardian has learned.
In a recent incident, the most senior US commander in Afghanistan, Gen John W Nicholson, considered banning or restricting the UN’s access to a military base in Kabul, according to informed sources in both organisations.
The dispute followed a UN report in late September claiming that a US drone had killed 15 civilians. Washington insists it only killed members of Islamic State.
UN and US military officials declined to speak to the Guardian, but various sources confirmed that working relations were “a nightmare”, as a UN staff member put it.
The dispute is a sign that the US military wants to remain in charge of details about its operations and the overall situation in Afghanistan, a coalition staff member said, adding that it will try to “maintain (the official) narrative over anything”.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/04/us-military-un-relations-strained-afghanistan-war-reports-disagreements
