25 Afghan civilians die in NATO crossfire
25 Afghan civilians die in NATO crossfire
By Barry Bearak and Taimoor Shah
Copyright by The International Herald Tribune
Published: June 22, 2007
KABUL: At least 25 civilians, including nine women, three babies and an elderly village mullah, were killed in an airstrike Friday when they were caught in a battle between Taliban and NATO forces in southern Afghanistan, the police chief of Helmand Province said.
The scenario was a grimly familiar one: The Taliban launched an attack under the cover of darkness and then retreated into the village of Kunjakak in the Grishk district of Helmand. NATO commanders ordered air support. The result was devastating.
A NATO spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Mike Smith, reported in a written statement that perhaps 30 Taliban insurgents had been killed in the airstrike, adding that while an unknown number of innocents may have lost their lives, the fault was entirely the enemy's: "In choosing to conduct such attacks in this location at this time, the risk to civilians was probably deliberate. It is this irresponsible action that may have led to casualties."
The statement itself was a preemptive strike. Afghans are not only angry with the Taliban, whose tactics include suicide attacks and concealed roadside bombs. They are upset by what they see as the sometimes-indiscriminate death toll of allied bombs and rockets.
That concern has been echoed by foreign charities working in the country. Earlier this week, Acbar - a coalition of Afghan and international relief agencies such as CARE, Save the Children and Mercy Corps - criticized the United States and its allies, saying that hasty military action led to a minimum of 230 civilian deaths in 2007.
"Members of Acbar recognize the challenges faced by soldiers in a battlefield environment but military forces must at all times respect international humanitarian and human rights law," the organization said. "Notably, forces must distinguish between civilians and combatants and use force strictly in proportion with legitimate military objectives."
Acbar's critique went beyond airstrikes. It alleged 14 instances where civilians were "killed for simply driving or walking too closely" to foreign soldiers. It mentioned "abusive raids and searches of Afghan homes" that have sapped support for both international aid workers and the multinational military presence.
Little is yet known about the fighting in Kunjakak. The Helmand Province police chief, Muhammad Hussein Andiwal, said the battle started Thursday night.
The Taliban used at least two civilian compounds in their efforts to escape, he added.
These are brutal days in Afghanistan. The militants have launched several suicide attacks, including the bombing Sunday of a police bus in Kabul that killed 24 recruits. On Monday, seven children were killed in a religious compound during an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition in the eastern province of Paktika. There were reports that dozens of civilians have died during days of fighting in the Chora district of Uruzgan in the south.
"This past week has been very tough," said Christopher Alexander, deputy special representative of the UN secretary general in Afghanistan. "I've seen the reports. In the Chora incident, the Taliban literally slit the throats of men, women and children and burned the bodies." He added that there was also close air support by NATO that killed civilians.
Various groups here in Kabul keep a running tally of casualties; there is wide variation in numbers. According to Alexander, during the past two years, the number of wartime dead has risen fourfold. So far this year, the United Nations has counted about 2,800 casualties, which is 20 to 30 percent above the pace of 2006. Roughly one-quarter of the deaths are civilians, with the vast majority killed by the Taliban, he said.
By Barry Bearak and Taimoor Shah
Copyright by The International Herald Tribune
Published: June 22, 2007
KABUL: At least 25 civilians, including nine women, three babies and an elderly village mullah, were killed in an airstrike Friday when they were caught in a battle between Taliban and NATO forces in southern Afghanistan, the police chief of Helmand Province said.
The scenario was a grimly familiar one: The Taliban launched an attack under the cover of darkness and then retreated into the village of Kunjakak in the Grishk district of Helmand. NATO commanders ordered air support. The result was devastating.
A NATO spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Mike Smith, reported in a written statement that perhaps 30 Taliban insurgents had been killed in the airstrike, adding that while an unknown number of innocents may have lost their lives, the fault was entirely the enemy's: "In choosing to conduct such attacks in this location at this time, the risk to civilians was probably deliberate. It is this irresponsible action that may have led to casualties."
The statement itself was a preemptive strike. Afghans are not only angry with the Taliban, whose tactics include suicide attacks and concealed roadside bombs. They are upset by what they see as the sometimes-indiscriminate death toll of allied bombs and rockets.
That concern has been echoed by foreign charities working in the country. Earlier this week, Acbar - a coalition of Afghan and international relief agencies such as CARE, Save the Children and Mercy Corps - criticized the United States and its allies, saying that hasty military action led to a minimum of 230 civilian deaths in 2007.
"Members of Acbar recognize the challenges faced by soldiers in a battlefield environment but military forces must at all times respect international humanitarian and human rights law," the organization said. "Notably, forces must distinguish between civilians and combatants and use force strictly in proportion with legitimate military objectives."
Acbar's critique went beyond airstrikes. It alleged 14 instances where civilians were "killed for simply driving or walking too closely" to foreign soldiers. It mentioned "abusive raids and searches of Afghan homes" that have sapped support for both international aid workers and the multinational military presence.
Little is yet known about the fighting in Kunjakak. The Helmand Province police chief, Muhammad Hussein Andiwal, said the battle started Thursday night.
The Taliban used at least two civilian compounds in their efforts to escape, he added.
These are brutal days in Afghanistan. The militants have launched several suicide attacks, including the bombing Sunday of a police bus in Kabul that killed 24 recruits. On Monday, seven children were killed in a religious compound during an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition in the eastern province of Paktika. There were reports that dozens of civilians have died during days of fighting in the Chora district of Uruzgan in the south.
"This past week has been very tough," said Christopher Alexander, deputy special representative of the UN secretary general in Afghanistan. "I've seen the reports. In the Chora incident, the Taliban literally slit the throats of men, women and children and burned the bodies." He added that there was also close air support by NATO that killed civilians.
Various groups here in Kabul keep a running tally of casualties; there is wide variation in numbers. According to Alexander, during the past two years, the number of wartime dead has risen fourfold. So far this year, the United Nations has counted about 2,800 casualties, which is 20 to 30 percent above the pace of 2006. Roughly one-quarter of the deaths are civilians, with the vast majority killed by the Taliban, he said.
posted by Carlos T Mock @ 11:50 AM
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