Afghanistan Conflict Monitor

Afghan Blast Kills 25, Half Of Them Children

'Afghan Blast Kills 25, Half Of Them Children', The Associated Press, 9 July 2009

EXCERPT: "A truck filled with explosives that police believe may have been destined for Kabul blew up on a highway Thursday, killing 25 people — more than half of them children walking to school. Two American soldiers died in combat as the U.S. military reported the number of roadside bombs in Afghanistan last month was nearly three times the figure for Iraq. The attacks served as a grim reminder that the bloody conflict is widening, even as thousands of U.S. troops are being sent to Afghanistan to try to turn the tide against the Taliban-led insurgency, which has made a comeback after the Islamic extremist movement was ousted from power in 2001. The blast occurred about 7 a.m. as police were trying to clear a traffic jam on a highway in Logar province after the truck, which was loaded with timber, had overturned the night before. Suddenly, explosives hidden beneath the timber detonated, killing 21 civilians and four policemen, Interior Ministry spokesman Zemerai Bashary said."

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See also:
'Factbox: Security developments in Afghanistan, July 9', Reuters, 9 July 2009
'Taliban attack leaves 2 police dead, 2 wounded in north Afghanistan', China View, 9 July 2009
'Afghanistan: Up to 27 killed in fighting', The New York Times, 8 July 2009

Related posts:
'The Taliban's winning strategy in Afghanistan', 7 July 2009
'Afghan insurgent violence accelerates in 2009', 12 June 2009
'US surge "will lead to spike in conflict"', 29 May 2009
'Taliban threatens spring offensive', 29 April 2009
'NATO figures show surge in violence', 31 January 2009

US Guidelines Aim For Fewer Civilian Deaths

'US Guidelines Aim For Fewer Civilian Deaths', The Associated Press, 6 July 2009

EXCERPT: "The U.S. military made public new guidelines Monday for its troops in Afghanistan, battlefield rules that seek to reduce the number of civilian casualties in an increasingly deadly war. Civilian deaths caused by U.S. and NATO military operations have long been a source of friction between President Hamid Karzai and the international force. Such deaths alienate Afghan villagers, causing a loss of support for the international mission and the U.S.-backed Afghan government. U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who took over last month as the commander of U.S. and NATO forces, has said he wants his troops' first priority to be protecting Afghan civilians, not using massive fire power. McChrystal's new guidelines went into effect last week, and officials released a declassified version Monday. The three directives for U.S. and NATO forces, posted on the military's Facebook page as part of a longer statement, are: 1) Airstrikes must be very limited and authorized but can be used in self-defense if troops' lives are at risk; 2) Troops must be accompanied by Afghan forces before they enter residences; and 3) Troops cannot go into or fire upon mosques or other religious sites. This is already U.S. policy."

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See also:
'Why Obama's Afghan war is different', TIME, 5 July 2009
'Australian troops in firing line over Afghan casualties', Brisbane Times, 5 July 2009
'Afghan officials inform public to limit civilian casualties', Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 4 July 2009
'Back away if civilians put at risk, forces told', The Sydney Morning Herald, 3 July 2009
'US faces resentment in Afghan region', The New York Times, 2 July 20093

Related posts:
'US "to limit Afghan air strikes"', 22 June 2009
'Military: US airstrikes likely killed 26 civilians', 19 June 2009
'Afghan civilian casualties must be cut: US, NATO', 12 June 2009
'Civilian deaths jeopardize war effort: US general', 2 June 2009
'US must act to protect civilians: HRW', 14 May 2009

Insurgents Make Afghans Focus Of Attacks

'Insurgents Make Afghans Focus Of Attacks', DVIDS, 26 June 2009

EXCERPT: "Insurgents operating in eastern Afghanistan increasingly are focusing their attacks away from coalition forces and on local residents, military officials here said. The rate of civilians killed by improvised explosive devices in eastern Afghanistan has risen 117 percent in the last year, while coalition forces deaths from IEDs have decreased by 70 percent, they said. Army Col. Michael Howard, commander of the 25th Infantry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), which controls the battle space of Paktika, Paktia and Khost provinces, explained that anyone who possesses the courage to speak out against the Taliban becomes a target. According to Howard, the insurgents emplace command wire IEDs to attempt to maim or kill selected residents, but through the use of pressure-plate IEDs, they devastate the first innocent person to drive down the road. 'They are targeting civilians,' he said. 'IEDs that go off with a command wire are not an accident. Someone pulled a trigger.'"

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See also:
'Bomb attacks kill four Afghan civilians', AFP, 26 June 2009
'"Cultural shift" needed in Afghan combat: Commander', Reuters, 24 June 2009

Related posts:
'Trends in local Afghan conflicts', 11 June 2009
'Taliban relying more on homemade bombs', 10 June 2009
'At least eight dead in Taliban attack', 12 May 2009
'Afghan public opinion and the Afghan war', 14 April 2009
'New suicide attack tactic by militants', 1 April 2009

US "To Limit Afghan Air Strikes"

'US "To Limit Afghan Air Strikes"', BBC News, 22 June 2009

EXCERPT: "The new US commander in Afghanistan is expected to issue new orders limiting the use of air strikes to reduce civilian casualties, officials say. Gen Stanley McChrystal is due to tell troops to break off from fire fights with the Taliban rather than call in air strikes that might kill civilians. The UN says US, Nato and Afghan forces killed 829 civilians while fighting Taliban insurgents last year. Gen McChrystal took control of international forces in Afghanistan this month. US military spokesman Rear Adm Greg Smith said that Gen McChrystal would issue orders 'within days' saying troops may attack insurgents hiding in Afghan houses if US or Nato forces are in imminent danger and must return fire. The outgoing US commander in Afghanistan, Gen David McKiernan, issued orders late last year for commanders to set conditions 'to minimise the need to resort to deadly force'. But Gen McChrystal's orders are more precise and have stronger language ordering forces to break off from fire fights, Rear Adm Smith said."

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See also:
'Civilian deaths lift support for Taliban', The National, 22 June 2009
'U.S. toughens airstrike policy in Afghanistan', The New York Times, 21 June 2009
'Will changed strategy help U.S. deliver durable peace in Afghanistan?', China View, 21 June 2009

Related posts:
'Better training urged in US Afghan probe', 17 June 2009
'Taliban deny hiding among civilians', 16 June 2009
'Alleged US massacre "provoked by false information"', 15 June 2009
'US finds mistakes in deadly Afghan airstrikes', 3 June 2009
'Civilian deaths jeopardize war effort: US general', 2 June 2009

Military: US Airstrikes Likely Killed 26 Civilians

'Military: US Airstrikes Likely Killed 26 Civilians', The Associated Press, 19 June 2009

EXCERPT: "A U.S. warplane failed to follow all operational rules in a complex battle in Afghanistan last month that killed an estimated 26 civilians and 78 Taliban fighters, the U.S. military concluded in a report released Friday. The deaths last month raised the stakes in a growing battle for the good will of Afghan civilians, whose allegiance Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said is crucial if the United States is going to win the faltering war in Afghanistan. 'The inability to discern the presence of civilians and assess the potential collateral damage of those strikes is inconsistent with the U.S. government's objective of providing security and safety for the Afghan people,' the report prepared by U.S. Central Command said. Three U.S. airstrikes conducted after dark near the close of the chaotic fight in the western Farah Province probably accounted for the civilian deaths, the report said. It contained only mild criticism of the B-1 bomber crew involved, however, and the nation's top military official has already said there is no reason to punish any U.S. personnel."

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To continue reading the unclassified executive summary of the "US Central Command Investigation into Civilian Casualties in Farah Province, Afghanistan on 4 May 2009", click here [pdf].

See also:
'In Afghanistan, halting civilian deaths in strikes is a tough mission', Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2009
'Iraq, Afghanistan wars coordinated from afar', AFP, 19 June 2009
'Punishment for Afghan raid unlikely: US military head', The Washington Post, 18 June 2009
'US plans measures to reduce Afghan civilian deaths', VOA News, 18 June 2009

Related posts:
'Better training urged in US Afghan probe', 17 June 2009
'Alleged US massacre "provoked by false information"', 15 June 2009
'US finds mistakes in deadly Afghan airstrikes', 3 June 2009
'Civilians and the international security strategy', 3 April 2009
'How US tries to limit civilian deaths in Afghanistan', 13 January 2009

US Boost Number Of "Civilian Experts", Troops

'US Agencies Eye Coordinated Afghan "Civilian Surge"', Reuters, 18 June 2009

EXCERPT: "The Pentagon and other U.S. government agencies are boosting the number of civilian experts dispatched to Afghanistan in parallel with a large surge of American troops, officials said on Thursday. Pentagon policy chief Michele Flournoy said her agency backed a 'civilian surge' of at least 400 new experts, while the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan will more than double to 68,000 troops by year-end. U.S. military-civilian coordination is part of an 'unprecedented interagency effort' to implement President Barack Obama's counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, which pairs fighting Taliban and al Qaeda with massive development assistance, she told a U.S. Congressional panel."

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See also:
'US Afghan plan has risks for troops, politicians', Reuters, 18 June 2009
'US plans measures to reduce Afghan civilian deaths', VOA News, 18 June 2009

Related posts:
'Afghan civilian casualties must be cut: US, NATO', 12 June 2009
'Pentagon reports mistakes by bomber crew in Afghan incident', 8 June 2009
'"Civilian surge" sparks concern, debate', 25 May 2009
'Enhancing Afghan Reconstruction', 15 May 2009
'Rebuilding Afghanistan will be long, costly effort', 25 March 2009

Better Training Urged In US Afghan Probe

'AP Sources: Better Training Urged In Afghan Probe', The Associated Press, 17 June 2009

EXCERPT: "A report on deadly airstrikes in Afghanistan calls for better training for air and ground forces to reduce civilian casualties that have undermined the counterinsurgency campaign, The Associated Press has learned. The recommendation on training and a second one urging a review of the use of air support are among a half-dozen recommendations in an unreleased report on a May 4 bombing that killed dozens of Afghan civilians, two Defense Department officials said Wednesday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not been made public. A separate recommendation is to review aircraft used for air support that troops call in to back them up, officials said. The report recommends that U.S. air and ground forces headed to Afghanistan should receive advance training in the kinds of scenarios they could face, including situations that have resulted in civilian deaths, one official said."

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See also:
'US: McChrystal looks to spin Afghan civilian deaths problem', IPS, 17 June 2009
'Civilian casualties could end airstrike support', US News and World Report, 17 June 2009
'New US general looks to shift tack in Afghanistan', Reuters, 12 June 2009

Related posts:
'Alleged US massacre "provoked by false information"', 15 June 2009
'Afghan civilian casualties must be cut: US, NATO', 12 June 2009
'US finds mistakes in deadly Afghan airstrikes', 3 June 2009
'Civilian deaths jeopardize war effort: US general', 2 June 2009
'US must act to protect civilians: HRW', 15 May 2009

Afghan Strategy Was Flawed: NATO Chief

'NATO Boss Says Afghan Strategy Was Flawed: Report', Reuters, 16 June 2009

EXCERPT: "Making individual NATO members responsible for specific provinces in Afghanistan has hindered international cooperation efforts, NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said in a magazine interview. 'All countries like to think they are the champions of reconstruction,' NATO Secretary General De Hoop Scheffer said in an interview with Dutch magazine Vrij Nederland on Tuesday. 'But that has not stimulated real international military and civil cooperation, and from time to time it has even worked against it,' he told the magazine. De Hoop Scheffer, who is stepping down as NATO chief on August 1, said individual members of the 28-nation military alliance had become too focused on their own interests during reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan."

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See also:
'US commander in Afghanistan reviews strategy: report', Reuters, 16 June 2009
'NATO endorses new US-led command structure in Afghanistan', RTT News, 12 June 2009
'NATO to trim Kosovo force freeing troops to fight Taliban', Bloomberg, 11 June 2009
'NATO to send up to 5,000 more troops to Afghanistan', The State, 2 June 2009

Related posts:
'Afghan civilian casualties must be cut: US, NATO', 12 June 2009
'Troop buildup for elections on schedule: NATO general', 10 June 2009
'NATO airstrike kills civilians in south', 20 May 2009
'Afghan, NATO forces build security plan for election', 5 May 2009
'New tactic for US, NATO in Afghanistan: Say sorry', 17 April 2009

Taliban Deny Hiding Among Civilians

'Taliban Say They Do Not Hide Among Civilians', Reuters India, 16 June 2009

EXCERPT: "Afghanistan's Taliban denied on Tuesday that they hide among civilians while they fight foreign troops, and dismissed claims that the majority of their fighters were foreign. On Sunday a district Taliban commander from western Farah province said there was some truth in the allegation that Taliban fighters retreat to homes where their families live in villages where they operate. But a spokesman for the Taliban denied the Taliban hide among civilians during battles with foreign troops. 'We have never put civilian lives in danger, but instead we are fighting for their protection, dignity and independence,' Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Taliban, said by telephone from an undisclosed location."

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See also:
'Pentagon admits "problems" with Afghan air strike', Reuters, 8 June 2009
'Fighting Taliban; if US patrols can find them', The Associates Press, 31 May 2009
'Air strike kills civilians in Afghanistan', AFP, 19 May 2009

Related posts:
'Pentagon reports mistakes by bomber crew in Afghan incident', 8 June 2009
'Civilian deaths jeopardize war effort: US general', 2 June 2009
'Learning a hard history lesson in "Talibanistan"', 14 May 2009
'Afghan people "losing confidence"', 9 February 2009
'Struggle for Kabul: The Taliban advance', 8 December 2008

Alleged US Massacre "Provoked By False Information"

'Alleged US Massacre in Afghanistan "Provoked By False Information"', The Telegraph, 15 June 2009

EXCERPT: "As many as 91 civilians were killed when a neighbouring villager lied to US special forces about Taliban positions it was claimed. The deaths in a night assault by US planes last summer provoked outrage among Afghans and severely strained relations with Hamid Karzai's regime. US commanders initially said no civilians had been killed in the village of Azizabad in Herat province despite United Nations and independent human rights group investigations putting the civilian toll at up to 91. A later US military investigation admitted 30 had died in the assault, but maintained the forces had attacked and killed 22 Taliban fighters. However a film for Channel 4's Dispatches reports there is now doubt any Taliban were present and the strike was instead part of a feud based on competition for lucrative jobs at the nearby Shindand airbase."

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See also:
'Pentagon struggling to explain bombing incident', The Associated Press, 15 June 2009
'US general takes helm in Afghanistan', The New York Times, 15 June 2009
'Karzai warns new US commander over civilian deaths', The Associated Press, 14 June 2009
'UN seeks review of special forces in Afghanistan', AlertNet, 13 June 2009

Related posts:
'Pentagon reports mistakes by bomber crew in Afghan incident', 8 June 2009
'US finds mistakes in deadly Afghan airstrikes', 3 June 2009
'Civilian deaths jeopardize war effort: US general', 2 June 2009
'UN expert: US failing to properly probe war crimes', 28 May 2009