UNITED NATIONS – A United Nations report issued Wednesday deemed U.S.airstrikes, which killed or injured at least 39 Afghan civilians in May, asunlawful.
The airstrikes, which hit dozens of sites in the western provinces ofNimroz and Farah, were targeting what the U.S. called drug labs used tofund the Taliban.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and UN HumanRights Office (OHCHR) said funding activities were considered civilianobjectives under international law, and workers at such facilities weretherefore civilians.
“UNAMA has assessed that the personnel working inside the drug productionfacilities were not performing combat functions. They were thereforeentitled to protection from attack, and could only have lost thisprotection if, and for such time, as they had been directly participatingin hostilities,” the report states.
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In the special report into the impact of damage to more than 60 sites inFarah province’s Bakwa district and in neighbouring Delaram district on 5May, UNAMA investigators said there was no military advantage to be gainedfrom the bombardment, pointing out that some of the buildings targeted –including family residences – had no apparent link to drug-making.Methamphetamine, or meth, is a highly-addictive illegal stimulant that istypically manufactured in makeshift laboratories, using easily-availablechemicals.
