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Afghan Civilian Deaths Are Rising, Government Says
KABUL - Civilian casualties are rising in Afghanistan as U.S. and NATO reinforcements stream into the country as part of a military buildup to combat the resurgent Taliban, the Interior Ministry said Sunday.
Relatives push a hospital bed with an Afghan boy wounded when international troops opened fire on a civilian bus for treatment at a local hospital in Kandahar, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Allauddin Khan) There have been 173 civilian deaths in violence in Afghanistan from March 21 to April 21, marking a 33 percent increase over the same time period last year, the ministry said. A recent quarterly report by the U.S. office overseeing Afghanistan's rebuilding confirmed an increase in civilian deaths.
The ministry did not provide a breakdown of who was responsible for the fatalities.
Civilian deaths at the hands of U.S. and other international forces are highly sensitive in Afghanistan, although the U.N. says the Taliban are responsible for most civilian casualties. Still, the backlash could undermine U.S. strategy ahead of a summer military operation in Kandahar, a key southern city that is the spiritual home of the Taliban.
The goal of the U.S.-led operation is to flood in troops, rout the militants and rush in new governance and development projects to win the loyalty of Kandahar's half-million residents.
Public outrage over civilian deaths prompted the top commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal last year to tighten the rules on the use of airstrikes and other weaponry if civilians are at risk.
There are fears the problem could get worse with 30,000 U.S. and NATO reinforcements heading to Afghanistan as part of a military buildup to take on the Taliban in the south.
Several recent operations have sparked protests in Afghanistan.
On Thursday, the French military said its troops mistakenly killed four Afghan civilians and seriously injured one during a clash with insurgents east of Kabul on April 6. On April 20, NATO troops fired on a vehicle that approached their convoy in eastern Afghanistan, killing four unarmed Afghan civilians.
"Preventing Afghan casualties remains our goal despite recent setbacks," said Lt. Col. Todd Vician, a NATO spokesman in Kabul. He added that military operations have increased this year, with many taking place in population centers.
Also Sunday, a British service member died after an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defense announced.
On Saturday, NATO said another service member was killed after an "indirect-fire attack" in eastern Afghanistan. The victim's nationality was not immediately released.
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29 Comments so far
Show AllWelcome to the graveyard of empires.
The Associated Press in the "vanguard' of the US mainstream media does another story that's comes up with a conclusion that all people with common sense and a slight knowledge of these things would find all too predictable-- as US foreign policy in a given country becomes more militaristic, civiilian deaths rise. Yeah, and what the hell is new about that?
AD
Stanley McChrystal at work!
General Stanley McDeathsquad and his bloodthirsty henchmen.
This scam is the biggest war crime of the century.
It's President Obama's fault for appointing Stanley McChrystal to head up this whole bloody Afghanistan "mission'.
I don't think our president had a choice. He is not in charge of the military. He just pretends to be the "Chief".
Masters of War - all of them. And Obama is simply the new "Murderer-in-Chief"
He opted for the Big Cabin, er Big House.
Oh, come on, Curtis. Presidents DO appoint military generals, and Obama is no exception. Obama appointed Stanley McChrystal, and therefore Obama bears responsibility for the consequences of having appointed a known war criminal to head up our "mission" in Afghanistan.
Death for dollars.
Did you pay taxes?
the rope that did not hang himmler should hang patraeus.
the rope that did not hang goering should hang mcchrystal.
so whom should be hanged by the rope meant for hitler's neck?
You ain't seen nuthin yet. Despite the addition of more than 50,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan over the past year, there still aren’t enough forces to conduct operations in the majority of key areas, according to a congressionally mandated, recently released report on progress in Afghanistan. To make matters worse, several NATO forces, including Canada, are scheduled to pull out during 2011.
But never mind. The "war" -- er, excuse me, International Assistance -- is unfolding as it should. Victory is at hand!
Read the congressional report (PDF format, 4MB) at:
http://www.stripes.com/10/apr10/afghan_report.pdf
of course, my comments assume that any such justice would be meted out only after due process rights for international criminals are followed at the hague or nuremberg. no condonation, please, of the street justice they have been dishing out to the arabs over the last decade.
At least two children have been killed in a US missile attack in eastern Afghanistan, amid rising public opposition to the presence of foreign troops in the country.
Afghan authorities say the incident took place after rockets hit a residential area in Kunar Province. At least six people, including one woman, were severely injured in the attack. [PressTV]
Stanley McCrystal must be running out of Taliban,,,he's switching to women and children.
Not switching. Women and children have been a significant part of the "collateral damage" from the beginning.
And it's not specific to any particular U.S. administration or generalship either. In fact, the U.S. can slaughter hundreds of thousands of children without even expending a single round of ammunition. It's estimated that about half a million kids died under Clinton's pre-war sanctions on Iraq.
Huge civilian deaths equals huge profits in the heroin trade for the CIA and its local cartels.
The killing of civilians is over the long term always approximately equal to the flow of taxpayer dollars to the Pentagon and the corporations feeding off the military budget.
Its the money that comes first, not the killing.
In the government, patriotism is the same as shilling.
Like a tree, the US empire likes to spread its roots.
Sucking up to get energy cash from everything else it loots.
The taxpayer gets to pay for the costs of running a Vampire.
If the economy is anaemic now, do wait till the earth is afire.
Do not worry, the Gross Domestic Product will continue to grow.
As it measures everything destructive, even the final blow.
نسيت يشبه الكفار انهم لا يريدون قتل المدنيين.
LOWEST VALUED TARGETS
The lowest valued targets for our Empire are the Taliban,
for our Empire wants the war to never end.
Whereas, lowest valued targets for the terrorists are the
things our Empire values the least, namely human beings.
Surely a war of the rich against the poor that will never end
so long as there remains one man rich. For there will always
be poor so long as there is one man getting rich off the misery
of the poor.
Solution, let only the rich and poor do the killing in this class
war and may the best class of humans bring an end to all war.
HIGHEST VALUED TARGETS
The highest valued targets for our Empire are Afghan women
and children, for that is what the Taliban value the most.
Whereas, highest valued targets for the terrorists are the
things our Empire value the most, such as the World Trade
Center and all the rich nobility therein on 9/11.
Surely a war of the rich against the poor that will never end
so long as there remains one man rich. For there will always
be poor so long as there is one man getting rich off the misery
of the poor.
Solution, let only the rich and poor do the killing in this class
war and may the best class of humans bring an end to all war.
DIVINE INTERVENTION
Now the next two posts I did not author, as the words came
straight out of the blue.
Do believe there’s some divine intervention here,
could be it’s the only option we have left.
Bottom line:
LET THE RICH GET HONEST
OR
LET TALIBAN HAVE FREE ACCESS TO THE RICH
I'm confused Fouad Pervez in the article at Common Dreams titled "Afghanistan Coverup" says that overall civilian deaths are down in Afghanistan yet this articles says civilian deaths are rising. Is it a difference between a stock and flow. Hmm, let's see national debt - a stock - is down but the annual deficit - a flow - is increasing. Let's try something simpler; the level of water in the bath tub - a stock - is down but the flow of water from the tape - a flow - is increasing. How can the level be down with an increasing flow of water into the tub? I'm just confusing myself or someone is spinning a yarn in one or other of these 2 articles.
The president has updated his books:
From the Audacity of Hope to the Audacity of Unrepentant War Crimes.
Dreams from My Father becomes Dreams from My Cousin Dick Cheney.
And the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to...
There is a video on YouTube that is a must see
It is entitled....
Iraq Green Zone Getting Casinos In Bagdad
you gotta watch this one.....
It is a young man representing a Vegas syndicate
doing an interview with an Iraq talk show in Bagdad.
When the time approaches for pullout of troops from Pipe-O-Stan
the Taliban will come out of its Spiderholes and reassert its control again. Based on Obomber's coddling of PNAC he will escalate involvement again if this happens. The Stupid D-Crapper™ party foolishly enabled the ShrubCo™ Administration's Lebensraum long ago and 'own' Pipe-O-Stan as well as Iraq.
Discontent in Iraq by the Sunnis being chased out of elected office will get Iraq brewing into another blood bath and, again,
the D-Crapper™ party foolishly financed the ShrubCo™ Administraitions war and they 'own' Iraq.
The 'We Can' Democrappers™ foolishly lap up anything Obomber tells them to do.
D-Crappers™ are just as willing to be led around by the nose as
Rush Limbaugh PNAC Lemmings™.
Please Lexus Liberal Democrapper™ Obomber Lemmings™, pull your heads out of your keesters and vote Independent.
Please Stop enabling the likes of PNAC Stooges like Nancy 'No More Blank Checks For Bush' Fancy Pants Pelosi who fully enabled the Chimp's invasion of Iraq as well as Hairy Reed.
Obomber is the LBJ of our Century
When Bush and his coterie and Obama and his coterie are indicted, convicted, and hanged at Nuremberg for war crimes and crimes against humanity, I'll again believe i should obey laws I find inconvenient. Until then...
Just give us a freaking number of how many innocent afghans you have murdered thus far.
I have asked this question so long now, and yet it's like in Iraq--no one fucking knows--talk about absolute lack of accountability and raw-ass racism.Keep that curse coming--'cause you bastards deserve as much punishment as can be dealt to such a level of scumbags as you murderers.
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