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Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday offered his personal apology to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai for the killings of nine Afghan boys last week in a NATO-led helicopter attack targeting insurgents, saying the incident "breaks our hearts."

Karzai responded at the joint appearance with the visiting Gates by saying he accepted the apology, which appeared to ease for now renewed tension over the issue of civilian casualties caused by the U.S.-led NATO forces fighting Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan.

"While we take the apology with a lot of respect, agree with it and accept it today, I would request Secretary Gates that you take the plea of the Afghan people to Washington that these civilian casualties stop and make the utmost effort so that we don't have them anymore," Karzai said.

The remarks were intended to show that Karzai and his government were moving past the incident despite public anger over the killings and the continuing presence of the U.S.-led military force.

Gates cited that anger in his apology, saying that the deaths of the boys who were cutting wood was "a tragedy for their families" and "a setback for our relationship with the Afghan people whose security is our chief concern (He's kidding, of course)."

"I would also like to offer President Karzai my personal apology because I know these tragedies weigh heavily on his heart and create problems for him as the leader and protector of the Afghan people (reads: puppet-who-hasn't-got-a-snowball's-chance-in-hell-of-ruling-once-we're-gone)," Gates continued.

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Afghanistan's president on Sunday rejected a U.S. apology for the mistaken killing of nine Afghan boys in a NATO air attack and said civilian casualties are no longer acceptable.

According to a statement from his office, Hamid Karzai told Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan, that expressing regret was not sufficient in last week's killing of the boys, ages 12 and under, by coalition helicopters.

"President Karzai said that only regret is not sufficient and also mentioned that civilian casualties during military operations by coalition forces is the main reason for tension in relations between Afghanistan and United States," the statement said. "It is not acceptable for the Afghan people anymore. Regrets and condemnations of the incident cannot heal the wounds of the people."

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Wulfie is just projecting onto Niki the emasculation he feels from his own wife.

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Awad for first guffaw of the morning goes to Mike. Well done!

As to the retort for my remarks about Obama doing it "personally", was merely refuting the idiocy about him being "bloodthirsty"...any more than Bush, these wars aren't about bloodthirstiness, they're just wrong. Obama is as wrong to have us there as Bush was or anyone else, but he didn't kill those kids himself and I don't believe any President gets us into a war 'cuz he's "bloodthirsty".

I see this has degenerated into bullshit flaming...the minute they arrive, it's predictable. Too bad, might have been an interesting discussion.