In this Department of Defense handout photo released by the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai prepare for a press conference following their meetings in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday. Gates offered a personal apology to Karzai for the deaths of nine Afghan children in a NATO airstrike. “Not only is their loss a tragedy for their families, it is a setback for our relationship with the Afghan people, whose security is our chief concern,” he said. In response, Karzai said he respected the apology but was in a difficult position over civilian casualties and called for them to be halted altogether. (AP) __
