Germany admits errors in deadly Afghan bombing

By Brian Rohan

BERLIN (Reuters) - German troops made mistakes but acted appropriately when they ordered an air strike on two fuel trucks in Afghanistan that killed dozens of civilians, Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said on Friday.

In his first comments on the Sept. 4 attack, Guttenberg backed up the German army's initial assessment of a confidential NATO investigation into the attack on Taliban fighters.

"Given the overall threat assessment, the air strike was militarily appropriate," Guttenberg said after briefing parliamentary floor leaders on the NATO report.

"There were procedural errors, certain shortcomings in training, and questions were raised about the rules of engagement," the conservative minister added. "But even if there had been none, an air strike would have been necessary."

The Sept. 4 attack was the most deadly operation involving German troops since World War Two, killing 69 Taliban fighters and 30 civilians, according to the Afghan government.

Guttenberg also acknowledged there were civilian victims -- the German government's first official recognition.

Germany has pressure on NATO not to issue an outright condemnation of the officer who ordered the strike, Colonel Georg Klein, because it could lead to legal problems, according to German media reports.

The attack, carried out by a U.S. F-15 fighter jet, was condemned by several European foreign ministers. Germany has said it was necessary to protect its troops from a possible suicide attack by Taliban fighters who had hijacked the trucks.