A.P. U.S.-German rift emerges over Afghan deaths case
When I first heard the news, it was not clear to me why the Germans decided to call in an air strike, instead of engaging the enemy on the ground. The article says that the German commanders thought 120 enemy soldiers were gather together in one place? Would the enemy really do that, knowing that the coalition forces have easy access to airstrikes? Does that really make any sense? Would the pilot have been able to easily identify civilians among the crowd? (Especially if combatants dress like civilians?)

If the German soldiers weren't sure if civilians were in the area, and if the tankers could not move, would it have been that bad to let them go, if they couldn't confront those responsible for stealing the tankers without a risk of civilian casualties?

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