Envoy: Afghan Law Doesn't Apply to Troops

By EDWARD HARRIS

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A top judge said Thursday that foreigners could be tried for crimes committed in Afghanistan, after parliament called for the prosecution of Americans involved in a road accident that sparked a deadly riot in Kabul.

But U.S. Ambassador Ronald Neumann said that American troops in Afghanistan can't be punished under local law - exposing a difference of opinion that could cause friction with Afghans disenchanted over the heavy U.S. presence in the country.

Afghan authorities and the U.S. military are investigating Monday's crash in which a U.S. truck that the military says suffered brake failure rammed into cars at an intersection, killing up to five people.

Investigators are also looking at whether U.S. troops fired on Afghans angered by the accident, which sparked citywide rioting, with hundreds rampaging through Kabul, shouting "Death to America!" In all, about 20 people died, mostly from gunshot wounds, Afghan authorities said.