The British aid worker killed by a grenade… US. Petraeus' confession to Cameron

(BRUSSELS2) Linda Nordgrove, the British humanitarian hostage of the Afghan rebels, was killed by American forces during a release attempt on Friday night, and not by her captors as had been very surely and strongly claimed quickly the ISAF-NATO communication service (read here). The news was announced by David Cameron, himself, this Monday, during a declaration, reported in particular by the BBC (see here). "Early this morning, General Petreaus, the commander of the ISAF forces in Afghanistan contacted me to inform me that a review of the facts (...) indicated that Linda Nordgrove had not been killed by her captors, as said previously. (...) It would rather be a grenade dropped by the American forces during the assault." "It is not yet certain -he added. And an investigation is underway, conducted jointly by American and British forces. Linda Nordgrove's family have been notified" he concluded.

This affair casts a doubt, which could not be clearer, on the communication policy of the ISAF which does not hesitate - to cover up an error - to accuse the adversary of it. It could also cast a new shadow over Anglo-American relations, which have been quite complicated lately.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)