US/Afghanistan

Civilian casualties unacceptable, rights groups say

Article published on the 2009-05-15 Latest update 2009-05-15 15:53 TU

British soldiers in Afghanistan
(Photo: Reuters)

Rights campaigners in the US are calling on President Barack Obama's administration to take action to avoid further civilian casualties in fighting in Afghanistan, after a leaked report shows that 140 civilians, including 93 children, died in an air strike laast week.

A review of the use of air strikes "needs to produce fundamental changes to reduce civilian casualties", the US-based group Human Rights Watch says.

An investigation ordered by Afghan President Hamid Karzai into the recent bombing in the western province of Farah, found 140 civilians were killed, and that 95 of them were aged under 18.

The list of victims, obtained by the Reuters news agency, also features 25 women. It names the youngest person killed as eight-day-old Sayed Musa and says that 53 of the victims under 18 were girls. Only 22 were men of 18 or older, it says.

The report is endorsed by seven senior provincial and central government officials, including an Afghan two-star general who headed the task force sent by the govenrment to investigate the incident.

Human Rights Watch, which has also talked to villagers, says their accounts contradict US statements that the Taliban were responsible for many of the deaths, because they had used civilians as human shields.

But the organisation acknowledges that some villagers might feel unable to speak freely, for fear of reprisals from the Taliban.

This week, US president Barack Obama appointed a new general to take charge of strategy in Afghanistan and US military chief General David Petraeus has ordered an enquiry into the use of airstrikes by US forces in Afghanistan

"I'm not suggesting that it's deliberate," Rachel Reed of Human Rights Watch told RFI. "But it does seem that there is enough of a pattern to suggest that, particularly in unplanned operations like this where troops are ambushed or there is a targeting opportunity that arises quite quickly, not enough caution, not enough care is taken to ensure civilian deaths don't occur."

It is unclear whether there will be fewer civilian casualties under the new military chief, says Reed.

On France 24 TV  Afghanistan's bartered women

Production  http://www.france24.com/fr/20090514-troquees-honneur-femmes-afghanes-tentent-faire-front-afghanistan-kaboul