They're teaching the Afghans the fine art of exaggeration - for money. A specialty of charities and NGOs.
But the BBC reports that the Afghan government rejects Filkins's account: "A spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai told the BBC that fewer than 500 civilians were believed to have been killed in US air strikes--a low figure considering the size of the military campaign."Hey, the BBC's on our side. Truth may triumph, yet. (^:
I think its called scam.