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Afghan protest the killing of 10 civilians, most of them teenagers, in a military raid - Source: Reuters -
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Hundreds of Afghans took to the streets to protest against the
killing of 10 civilians, mostly teenagers, in a raid by foreign
forces, which heightened tensions between the Afghan government and
NATO.
President Hamid Karzai rapidly condemned the attack and ordered an
investigation, but his high-profile denunciation comes at a time
when there are signs that foreign forces' efforts to reduce
civilian deaths may finally be having some effect.
Karzai's relationship with the West has already soured following
his fraud-ridden re-election in August and he is under mounting
pressure to stamp out widespread government graft.
However, he is also under domestic pressure to do more to rein in
foreign troops. Civilian casualties in previous attacks by NATO-led
forces have stoked public anger towards both Westerners and the
Afghan government they are backing.
Asadullah Wafa, head of the presidential delegation sent to
investigate the weekend attack in Kunar province, one of the most
remote and unstable corners in the east, said on Wednesday he had
confirmed there were no insurgents among the dead.
"Those people that were killed were innocent civilians," Wafa told
reporters.
The victims were eight boys, aged between 13 and 18, and two men
in their 20s, he added.
Wafa said foreign troops had been airlifted in for the attack,
resolving some confusion about an operation which had previously
been described by senior officials as both an airstrike and a
commando-style raid.
NATO-led forces said the raid was a joint operation and it was
still under investigation, but Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman
Zaher Azimy said Afghan troops had not taken part.
Fewer deaths at foreign hands?
Violence in Afghanistan is at its highest level in the eight years
since the ouster of the Taliban.
More than 2,000 civilians were killed in the first 10 months of
this year, a 10% rise on the same period in 2008, according to UN
figures.
But while total numbers of civilian casualties have risen year on
year, the number of ordinary Afghans killed by Afghan and foreign
forces decreased this year.
Seventy percent of civilians killed in the first 10 months of 2009
died in insurgent attacks, the United Nations said, up from 55%
last year.
Civilian deaths caused by foreign and Afghan troops fell from
38% in 2008 to 22% in 2009.
"We attribute this to concerted efforts on the part of the military
forces to put civilians at the fore of military planning," said UN
spokesman Aleem Siddique.
There are around 110,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan and
Washington is sending in 30,000 more to try and quell the mounting
violence.
Other NATO countries are sending 7,000 more.
Since taking command in June, the commander of foreign troops, US
General Stanley McChrystal, has issued new orders designed to
reduce civilian deaths by placing limits on the use of
firepower.
But for most Afghans, civilian deaths will continue to be an
emotive issue.
In Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province, which borders Kunar,
around 200 university students rallied in the streets to protest,
demanding those responsible for the weekend attack be brought to
justice.
"We have no more patience. It has happened repeatedly. If it occurs
again, we will drop our pens and take arms," one group chanted.
Others blamed Karzai and US President Barack Obama.
"Death to Obama. Down with Karzai," they shouted.
In Kabul, a crowd of around a hundred, mostly young men, gathered
in a western district to vent their frustration at the
killings.
"Obama! Obama! Take your soldiers out of Afghanistan!" the
protesters chanted, wearing blue headbands with the words: "Stop
killing us!"
Others held placards with pictures of young dead children they said were killed by foreign troops.
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