Tens of thousands of secret American military documents have been leaked disclosing how Nato forces have killed scores of civilians in unreported incidents in Afghanistan. The classified memos also reveal the secret efforts of coalition forces to hunt down and “kill or capture” senior Taliban and al-Qaeda figures.
And they document growing evidence that Iran and Pakistan is supporting the insurgency. Although many of the claims in the documents, of which there are more than 90,000, have been aired previously, the leak to the website Wikileaks is highly embarrassing. It was condemned by the White House last night, which said the information could threaten the safety of coalition operations.
The Ministry of Defence said it was still studying the leaked documents.
The most damaging allegations surround the killing of civilians by coalition troops. The documents claim that 195 civilians have been improperly killed and 174 wounded. Many were innocent motorcyclists or drivers shot after being suspected of being suicide bombers.
In one incident, a US patrol machine-gunned a bus, wounding or killing 15 passengers. Incidents involving British troops killing civilians in Kabul are also detailed.
One of the reports identified an ISI colonel plotting with a Taliban official to assassinate President Hamid Karzai in 2008, although there is no information about how or when this would be carried out.
Further reports detail how ISI officers developed a network of suicide bombers in 2006 and discloses the process of using the bombers, who are recruited and trained in Pakistan.