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Afghanistan
NATO, Afghan forces kill more civilians than Taliban
2019-04-26
What the hell are we even doing there any more?
[DW] Afghan civilians were killed in greater numbers by NATO and pro-government security forces in the first three months of 2019 than by armed militants, according to UN figures.

It's the first time that fatalities caused by security forces in Afghanistan have exceeded those caused by the Taliban.

What you need to know:
  • In the first quarter of 2019, pro-government forces were responsible for the deaths of 305 civilians, while insurgents killed 227.
  • The leading causes of civilian deaths were air strikes (145 fatalities) and ground search operations primarily carried out by US-backed Afghan forces (72).
  • Women and children comprised half of civilian casualties from aerial operations, with international forces responsible for the vast majority of these.
  • Overall, 581 civilians were killed and 1,192 wounded, representing a 23 percent decrease in overall casualties on the same quarter last year.
Recall yesterday’s headline from the domestic Khaama Press: UN reports reduction in civilian casualties in Afghanistan in first quarter of 2019. Also, remember that according to the Geneva Conventions — to which the Taliban, et al are not signatories, but nonetheless — those who surround themselves with human shields are responsible for what happens to them. Not those who have to go through the shields to get to their military targets. Finally, it’s cute that the statistics are limited to the Taliban, when there are so many other bad guys killing people in Afghanistan, some of them directly employed (deployed?) by Pakistan’s ISI: the TTP, Haqqani Group, ISIS-Afghanistan, various local warlords, various Al Qaeda-linked jihadi groups, various drug lords... Here at Rantburg we’ve had reports of at least some of all that, most recently the feud between ISIS and the Taliban in Nangarhar.
Posted by: Herb McCoy

#8  That's pretty heartening. A good chunk of the difficulty under Obama was his insistence that human shield activity be rewarded, by not targeting known Taliban when there were civilians nearby. In many cases, these civilians are probably part of the Taliban support network. One aspect of defeating guerrilla movements involves disabusing their civilian supporters of the notion that they can protect these guerrillas by acting as human shields.

Civilians like to scream defiance when there are cameras nearby, but only against the power they are sure is unwilling or unable to target them specifically and have them turned into dog food. But what history shows us is that they have always caved in response to the most pitiless power in their midst.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2019-04-26 18:56  

#7  How the US military's opium war in Afghanistan was lost - BBC News
Posted by: Varmint Glusorong2792   2019-04-26 17:23  

#6  What the hell are we doing in Afghanistan?

Balance of trade, Dude.
We're protecting the segment of the world opium market not controlled by China.
Posted by: Skidmark   2019-04-26 11:49  

#5   "They do it too" isn't an argument.

I can just hear Mom saying "If all the other kids carpet bombed Afghanistan, would you do it, too?"

Long wars may be good for the contracting business, but I prefer short and savage - the kind where you nuke 'em a couple times and then go home to have a beer and watch sportsball.
Posted by: SteveS   2019-04-26 10:17  

#4   Deutsche Welle is Germany’s international broadcaster. We convey a comprehensive image of Germany, report events and developments, incorporate German and other perspectives in a journalistically independent manner.

Sounds like someone more than happy to try to explain away the Nazi excesses in WW2 with an ongoing barrage of contrived Tu quo que...
Posted by: magpie   2019-04-26 10:15  

#3  "They do it too" isn't an argument.

What the hell are we doing in Afghanistan? We've been there for 17 years. When are we getting out?
Posted by: Herb McCoy   2019-04-26 10:10  

#2  A funny old yiddishe fella
Liked listening to, well, Deutsche Welle.
"It's too frickin' gloomy...
I love it! So sue me."
He yelled as he slapped his patella.
Posted by: Jiggs These3452   2019-04-26 06:12  

#1  What's [DW], the Daily Whiner?
Posted by: Skidmark   2019-04-26 03:20  

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