Nearly 10 people were killed, most of them Afghan police officers, when they came under accidental fire from the American forces in search of Taliban on the outskirts of Ghazni town on January 24. The American forces were criticised for having not coordinated the raid with the local authorities1.

Meanwhile, an American aid worker was kidnapped in Kandahar province on January 26 by the Taliban. Also, an Afghan journalist was sentenced to death by a local court for blasphemy for allegedly insulting prophet Muhammad, in a decision that elicited concern from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)2.

Among other developments, a Canadian government panel advised the government to quit its military operations in the country by next year unless NATO countries contributed sufficient troops. The panel noted that the US, UK, and Canada were taking a disproportionately large share in the security operations in the country. Canada had over 2,400 soldiers in the country3.

• 1. “10 Die in Mistaken Afghan Firefight,” The New York Times¸ January 25, 2008, at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/world/asia/25afghan.html?ref=todayspaper
• 2. “UN body concerned about death penalty for Afghan journalist,” IANS, January 24, 2008, at http://in.news.yahoo.com/indiaabroad/20080124/r_t_ians_wl_asia/twl-un-bo...
• 3. “Panel Questions Canadian Role in Afghanistan,” The New York Times January 23, 2008, at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/world/americas/23canada.html?ref=today...