Afghanistan airstrike haunts Germany, 10 years on

Lawyers for the Afghan survivors of a 2009 NATO airstrike say they are still seeking adequate compensation for their clients and a criminal prosecution of the German officer who ordered the bombing.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s 10th anniversary, lawyer Karim Popal accused Germany of shirking its responsibility toward the relatives and victims of the Sept. 4, 2009, airstrike in Kunduz.

Scores of civilians died when U.S. Air Force jets bombed two fuel tankers hijacked by the Taliban. The strike was ordered by the commander of the German base in Kunduz, Georg Klein, who feared insurgents could use the trucks to carry out attacks.

Popal said he hopes the European Court of Human Rights will hear the case against Klein later this year, after German authorities refused to prosecute him.