UN TALLY
A new report by the UN released yesterday said the number of Afghan civilians killed in armed conflict rose 40 percent last year to a record 2,118 people.
The report said militants were responsible for 55 percent of the deaths, but that US, NATO and Afghan forces killed 829 civilians, or 39 percent.
The UN’s annual report on the protection of civilians noted that despite new battlefield rules meant to reduce civilian casualties, US, NATO and Afghan troops killed 31 percent more civilians last year than in 2007, when the UN said those forces killed 629 civilians.
The UN report said militants were responsible for 55 percent of civilian deaths last year, or 1,160. About 130 deaths couldn’t be accounted for because of issues such as crossfire.
CIVIC REPORT
A US-based group concerned for civilians in conflict said in a new report released yesterday that “the lack of a clear, coordinated strategy to address civilian losses has been a leading source of anger and resentment toward military forces” in Afghanistan.
“The international coalition in Afghanistan is losing public support, one fallen civilian at a time,” said CIVIC, or The Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict.
CIVIC urged the Pentagon to create a position to address civilian casualties, and it said the NATO-led force in Afghanistan should have a coordinated response to provide compensation payments to the families of victims.
In related news, US regional military chief General David Petraeus was discussing strengthening US supply lines for troops in Afghanistan during a trip to Uzbekistan yesterday, the US embassy in Tashkent said. Petraeus will meet Uzbek President Islam Karimov and other top officials to discuss Afghanistan, the embassy said.
The visit follows a decision this month by Kyrgyzstan to close a US air base used as a staging post for operations in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, despite the renewed focus on Afghanistan, much of Obama’s schedule for the week is geared to the economy.
He was scheduled to sign the recently passed stimulus bill yestereday in Denver and then travel today to Phoenix, Arizona, where he was to outline plans for reversing the collapse of the housing market.
Obama also will make his first foreign trip, to Canada, this week.
Also See: Doubts cloud Obama’s stimulus bill as unemployment grows
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