Army ordered to report every civilian death to Afghanistan president
Army chiefs are being forced to provide reports to the Afghan government detailing the death of every civilian killed during British troops' clashes with the Taliban.
They were previously required to file papers on such incidents only to the Ministry of Defence.
But now, following a demand by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the documents are sent to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and then used to brief members of the Kabul administration.
The move comes after increasing controversy inside Afghanistan over those being killed during the recent upsurge in violence. However, defence experts fear the reports may disclose operational secrets.
Tory MP Patrick Mercer, a former Army commander, said: "There is a possibility that, through providing casualty details, sensitive material threatening the security of British troops may fall into the wrong hands."
President Karzai accused foreign soldiers of carelessly killing scores of Afghans with "extreme" and "disproportionate" force. He warned that the fight against the Taliban could be lost unless the forces showed more restraint.
His comments came days after the deaths of an estimated 25 civilians in an air strike ordered by British and Coalition forces in Helmand province.
About 90 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan this year but no figures have been made public for Afghan casualties.
Defence sources have suggested inaccurate artillery and off-target air strikes were responsible for the majority of the civilian deaths. More precise weapon systems are now being rushed into service.
Captain Leo Docherty, who fought last year in Helmand before leaving the Scots Guards to write the book Desert Of Death, said: "Civilian deaths catastrophically undermine the entire Nato effort as relatives of the dead, bent on vengeance, flock to the Taliban cause."
An MoD spokeswoman said: "We share information relating to the operations we undertake because UK forces are in Afghanistan at the behest of the Afghan government."
