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US Investigating Missile Strike in Eastern Afghanistan VOA News 12 Feb 2002 06:42 UTC 
The U.S. Defense Department says it has launched an investigation to determine who was killed in a missile strike last week in eastern Afghanistan.
Local Afghans say innocent civilians were the victims of a missile fired from an un-manned aircraft operated by the (U.S.) Central Intelligence Agency. U.S. officials say the missile hit what appeared to be a gathering of senior members of the al-Qaida terrorist organization.
Officials also say U.S. Special Forces visited the site of the attack and collected forensic evidence for DNA analysis, and also found weapons, communications gear and airline schedules.
The U.S. military has also expanded its investigation into charges that some of the 27 Afghan prisoners released from a U.S. base in Kandahar last week were beaten and kicked by American troops.
The men had been taken into custody last month in a deadly U.S. raid in the region. U.S. defense officials have acknowledged that the raid was conducted in error - apparently because of flawed intelligence.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has promised visiting Afghan interim defense chief, Mohammad Fahim, that Kabul can count on Russian military and technological assistance.
Mr. Fahim - who arrived in Moscow Sunday for a week-long visit - is also expected to meet with senior officials from Russian Foreign and Emergency Situations ministries to discuss the war against terrorism and the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
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