Back on Sept. 3, I submitted an entry about the struggle for information supremacy that is being waged between the coalition and the Taleban. One of the tactics of the Taleban has been to try to drive a wedge between the people and its legitimate government by setting up incidents where coalition forces cause civilian casualties and then exploit the situation for the sake of a "moral" advantage. They want to paint the coalition and the Afghan government has having no sympathy or concern for the Afghan people.

This is a deliberate, cynical and calculated effort that in reality shows no concern for the safety of the innocent. Their lives are forfeited in a twisted plan. The enemy is trying to leverage the Afghan people's natural and historic resentment for foreigners, even though the record shows that the Taleban is responsible for the overwhelming numbers of civilian casualties here and the coalition is the only force actually trying to rebuild and provide care and a future for ordinary Afghan families.

We have seen this tactic used on several occasions in the past months, but an incident in late August really captured headlines and created tensions between not just the coalition and civilians, but also between the coalition, the Afghan government and elements of the international community.

I include in this week's entry the text of a recent release from U.S. Central Command about the findings of a new investigation into the incident by the U.S. military. It offers more information, admits that indeed more civilian deaths had occurred than initially reported, but also provides more detail and evidence than was previously provided - by any one.

What I believe it also shows is a determination to uncover facts and truth and work in good faith with the Afghan government and its people. This, of course, is something the Taleban has no interest in doing, and is incapable of.

The bottom line is that we care very much about the people, about what happens here and how. All the Taleban care about is getting back into power through violence, terror, intimidation and deception and they prove daily they really don't care who gets hurt in the process.

CENTCOM concludes Shindand investigation

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, Acting Commander U.S. Central Command, received findings today from the investigating officer assigned to review the Aug. 22 operation in the vicinity of Azizabad, Shindand District, Herat Provence, Afghanistan.

The investigation accounted for approximately 22 insurgents and 33 civilian deaths as a result of the operation in Azizabad, which differs from both the initial U.S.-led investigation and those of other organizations in Afghanistan. This investigation was comprehensive and included independent information from witnesses in Azizabad and from previous investigations. Additionally, the investigating officer found that while there were increased numbers of civilian casualties, Coalition Forces acted based on credible intelligence, in self-defense, and in accordance with the Standing Rules of Engagement and the Law of War.

“We are deeply saddened at the loss of innocent life in Azizabad,” said Dempsey. “We go to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties in Afghanistan in all our operations, but as we have seen all too often, this ruthless enemy routinely surround themselves with innocents,” he continued.

Recommendations from the Investigating Officer also included calls for improved cooperation between U.S. Forces and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) in matters of dispute, and that cooperation with International Government Organizations (IGO) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) would benefit future investigations.

Lt. Col. Paul Fanning is submitting photos to accompany this blog in a gallery, "Pictures from the Front." To view the gallery, click here.