+ The way I understand it is that like soldiers, people will do everything they can to defend themselves in a war zone. A gun shot will put everyone on high alert and the only people you will trust are those you know. Fear will either make you kill or be killed.

Afghan mess-up: Crossed signals lead each side to mistake the other for enemy

DARNAMI, Afghanistan (AP) - When blasts of gunfire woke Mohammad Shafik at 1 a.m., he was sure the attackers were Taliban or al-Qaida, out to punish his family for its close ties with the Afghan government.

Huddled with nine close relatives in their mud-brick compound in eastern Khost province, he heard a man with an accent from the southern city Kandahar - the Taliban’s former stronghold - order them to step into the icy winter night.

“Come out and be safe,” the man said.