MOSCOW – According to a fresh United Nations Report, the US and its alliesin Afghanistan have been responsible for more civilian deaths in thecountry than the Taliban* whom they are supposed to be fighting. What adamning indictment of US Foreign policy and engagement.
Although US troops are supposed to be no longer engaged in actual combatthey are on the ground and provide arms, training and logistics to thefledgeling Afghan army. The US air force also provides air support andexecutes deadly airstrikes regularly.
At least 3,812 civilians have been killed or wounded in the first half of2019, the United Nations said, noting a big increase in the number ofcasualties caused by government and NATO-led troops.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)linkcalledthe toll “shocking and unacceptable”, and urged parties to Afghanistan’s18-year war to heed a demand from Afghan delegates at a recent peaceconference in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, to reduce civiliancasualties to zero.
The United Nations report said 83 percent of casualties from airstrikeswere attributed to “international military forces,” essentially pointingthe finger at the United States military, which is the only member of theinternational coalition in Afghanistan that carries out airstrikes. TheAfghan Air Force was responsible for about 10 percent.
In the first six months of the year, the conflict killed nearly 1,400civilians and wounded about 2,400 more. Afghan forces and their alliescaused 52 percent of the civilian deaths compared with 39 percentattributable to militants — mostly the Taliban, but also the Islamic State*[Daesh in Arabic]. The figures do not total 100 percent becauseresponsibility for some deaths could not be definitively established. So717 civilians have been killed by the US and its allies compared to 531civilians killed by the Taliban or others.
Even the mainstream US paper, The New York Times, was compelled to state:
“Afghan security forces and their American-led international allies havekilled more civilians so far this year than the Taliban have, the UnitedNations said in a report on Tuesday, once again raising alarm that ordinaryAfghans are bearing the brunt of an increasingly deadly 18-year war”.
The United States has bombed and/or invaded: Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen,Somalia, Iran, Cuba, Panama, Pakistan, Nicaragua, Grenada, Vietnam, Laos,Guatemala and Cambodia to name just a few of the examples we are aware of.Yet mainstream media discussions about ‘threats to world peace’ nevermention the trigger happy US. Sure North Korea, Iran, Russia and Venezuelaare mentioned and demonised constantly but never the country that isactually the most aggressive and dangerous on the planet. If you arelooking for the single biggest threat to world peace look no further thanthe United States of America. A recent United Nations Report confirms thatfact.