Mr Khan, now Afghanistan's power-and-water minister, was deposed in 2004, partly due to an offensive by militants in Shindand district, around Azizabad.

ECONOMIST: Another blow to the war to win hearts and minds

Usually, as in Azizabad, the strikes are called in by American special forces, who are part of a counter-insurgency force that operates independently from Afghanistan's NATO-led peacekeepers.

ECONOMIST: Another blow to the war to win hearts and minds

In Azizabad, where grief hangs like a thick curtain, many survivors say they no longer support their government or the Americans, but tribal elder Rashid says the only retribution they seek is against the tipster.

NPR: Civilian Casualties Stir Angst In Afghanistan