UN votes to extend NATO-led force in Afghanistan

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The UN Security Council on Monday voted unanimously to extend the NATO-led force in Afghanistan and urged its troops and US-led forces to take additional "robust efforts" to minimize civilian casualties. Afghan President Hamid Karzai complained that civilian deaths caused by US or NATO military action undermine his government and the international mission. The resolution approved Monday recognizes the increased threats posed by Afghanistan's former Taliban rulers, al-Qaida and other extremist groups, and the challenges in dealing with them. But at the same time, the council expressed "its serious concern with the high number of civilian casualties in this context."