SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A wounded woman (left) receives treatment at a hospital in Herat, Afghanistan. The number of civilians killed in the country's conflict jumped last year to 2,412, making 2009 the deadliest year for ordinary civilians since the US-led invasion, the United Nations has said. (AFP/File/Reza Shirmohammadi)
Deadliest Year for Afghan Civilians
The
number of civilians killed in war-related violence in
Afghanistan touched 2,412 last year, the highest number since the 2001
US-led invasion, the UN has said.
A report by the UN mission for Afghanistan pointed to the
"intensification and spread of the armed conflict" in what was also the
deadliest year for foreign forces, with 520 troops killed.
Jan 13, 2010
The
number of civilians killed in war-related violence in
Afghanistan touched 2,412 last year, the highest number since the 2001
US-led invasion, the UN has said.
A report by the UN mission for Afghanistan pointed to the
"intensification and spread of the armed conflict" in what was also the
deadliest year for foreign forces, with 520 troops killed.
It
said 70 per cent of civilian deaths were caused by Taliban attacks,
while 25 per cent were killed by pro-government and foreign forces - a
28 per cent reduction in deaths caused by Western forces since 2008.
The remaining 135 civilians were killed in violence not attributable to the conflicting parties, the UN said in its report.
'Excessive use of force'
The UN found most deaths attributed to pro-government forces were killed in air raids as well as search and seizure operations.
"These often involved excessive use of force, destruction to
property and cultural insensitivity, particularly towards women," it
said.
But it said that a change in Nato command structure had helped reduce the number of non-combatant deaths by coalition troops.
US General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of the foreign forces
in Afghanistan, has made minimising civilian deaths and injuries a
central tenet of his counter-insurgency strategy, ordering reduced air
attacks as one way of achieving this objective.
The UN report said the change in Nato forces' command structure,
"specific steps to minimise civilian casualties" and "a new tactical
directive" by the force contributed to the reduction in non-combatant
deaths.
Civilian casualties are a source of tension between the Afghan
government of Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, and the international
forces fighting the insurgency.
Recent incidents, such as the deaths of 10 civilians including eight
teenagers in eastern Kunar province in an authorised but non-military
US operation, have seen Afghans take to the streets to protest
against the presence of foreign troops.
Source:
Agencies
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The
number of civilians killed in war-related violence in
Afghanistan touched 2,412 last year, the highest number since the 2001
US-led invasion, the UN has said.
A report by the UN mission for Afghanistan pointed to the
"intensification and spread of the armed conflict" in what was also the
deadliest year for foreign forces, with 520 troops killed.
It
said 70 per cent of civilian deaths were caused by Taliban attacks,
while 25 per cent were killed by pro-government and foreign forces - a
28 per cent reduction in deaths caused by Western forces since 2008.
The remaining 135 civilians were killed in violence not attributable to the conflicting parties, the UN said in its report.
'Excessive use of force'
The UN found most deaths attributed to pro-government forces were killed in air raids as well as search and seizure operations.
"These often involved excessive use of force, destruction to
property and cultural insensitivity, particularly towards women," it
said.
But it said that a change in Nato command structure had helped reduce the number of non-combatant deaths by coalition troops.
US General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of the foreign forces
in Afghanistan, has made minimising civilian deaths and injuries a
central tenet of his counter-insurgency strategy, ordering reduced air
attacks as one way of achieving this objective.
The UN report said the change in Nato forces' command structure,
"specific steps to minimise civilian casualties" and "a new tactical
directive" by the force contributed to the reduction in non-combatant
deaths.
Civilian casualties are a source of tension between the Afghan
government of Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, and the international
forces fighting the insurgency.
Recent incidents, such as the deaths of 10 civilians including eight
teenagers in eastern Kunar province in an authorised but non-military
US operation, have seen Afghans take to the streets to protest
against the presence of foreign troops.
Source:
Agencies
The
number of civilians killed in war-related violence in
Afghanistan touched 2,412 last year, the highest number since the 2001
US-led invasion, the UN has said.
A report by the UN mission for Afghanistan pointed to the
"intensification and spread of the armed conflict" in what was also the
deadliest year for foreign forces, with 520 troops killed.
It
said 70 per cent of civilian deaths were caused by Taliban attacks,
while 25 per cent were killed by pro-government and foreign forces - a
28 per cent reduction in deaths caused by Western forces since 2008.
The remaining 135 civilians were killed in violence not attributable to the conflicting parties, the UN said in its report.
'Excessive use of force'
The UN found most deaths attributed to pro-government forces were killed in air raids as well as search and seizure operations.
"These often involved excessive use of force, destruction to
property and cultural insensitivity, particularly towards women," it
said.
But it said that a change in Nato command structure had helped reduce the number of non-combatant deaths by coalition troops.
US General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of the foreign forces
in Afghanistan, has made minimising civilian deaths and injuries a
central tenet of his counter-insurgency strategy, ordering reduced air
attacks as one way of achieving this objective.
The UN report said the change in Nato forces' command structure,
"specific steps to minimise civilian casualties" and "a new tactical
directive" by the force contributed to the reduction in non-combatant
deaths.
Civilian casualties are a source of tension between the Afghan
government of Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, and the international
forces fighting the insurgency.
Recent incidents, such as the deaths of 10 civilians including eight
teenagers in eastern Kunar province in an authorised but non-military
US operation, have seen Afghans take to the streets to protest
against the presence of foreign troops.
Source:
Agencies
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.