[Peace-discuss] Afghan Civilians Imperiled by US/NATO Assault in Marjah

[C. G. Estabrook]

	'Civilians die' in Afghan offensive

At least 12 Afghan civilians have been killed during a major military offensive 
in the south of the country, the Nato-led military force said.

The victims died after a rocket hit their house on Sunday, the second day of 
Operation Moshtarak, which aims to wrest control of the town of Marjah and 
neighbouring areas in Helmand province from the Taliban.

"Two rockets from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System [HIMARS] launched at 
insurgents firing upon Afghan and Isaf forces impacted approximately 300 metres 
off their intended target, killing 12 civilians in Nad Ali district," the 
International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said in a statement.

The statement said that the intended target of the rocket had been a Taliban 
compound from which fighters had shot and injured one Nato and one Afghan soldier.

The Nato-led force said that General Stanley McChrystal, the US and Nato 
commander in Afghanistan, had apologised to Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, 
over the deaths.

'Regrettable' deaths

Earlier, Karzai ordered an investigation into the incident near Marjah, which 
came after he had warned foreign forces to take all measures to protect civilians.

The Isaf statement quoted McChrystal as saying: "The current operation in 
central Helmand is aimed at restoring security and stability to this vital area 
of Afghanistan.

"It's regrettable that in the course of our joint efforts, innocent lives were 
lost.

"We extend our heartfelt sympathies and will ensure we do all we can to avoid 
future incidents," he said.

Nato and US officials had earlier hailed the success, so far, of Operation 
Moshtarak, meaning "together" in the local Dari language.

At least 27 fighters were reported to have been killed during the first day of 
fighting, while Nato said it had uncovered bomb-making materials and a weapons 
cache.

However, there will be concerns about the effect that civilian casualties will 
have on the long-term aim of keeping Marjah, a town of about 80,000 people in 
the central Helmand River valley, out of the hands of the Taliban and drug 
traffickers.

Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from the capital Kabul, said that a high 
death toll could cause the whole operation to "backfire".

"To win this war you are going to need the support of the people," she said.

"The Afghan government is facing a real test. It has to make good on promises of 
security and services in central Helmand."

'Winning trust'

Ali Ahmed Jalali, the former interior minister of Afghanistan, told Al Jazeera: 
"Marjah is a microcosm of the approach adopted by the international forces to 
clear an area and rebuild it and win the trust of the population.


"If the Marjah operations does lead to better stability in the area and if that 
is done properly, that will send a message to other parts of the country – but 
Marjah is only one of 385 districts in the country," he said.

At least 15,000 US, British and Afghan soldiers have been involved in operations 
around Marjah.

James Jones, the US president's senior security adviser, said in Washington that 
the offensive was "going very well".

"It's an important moment in time because this is the first time we put together 
all of the elements of the president's new strategy."

But US military officials acknowledged that it could take weeks to secure Marjah 
and the surrounding areas.

"That doesn't necessarily mean an intense gun battle, but it probably will be 30 
days of clearing," Brigadier General Larry Nicholson said.

The Afghan and foreign troops have met only sporadic resistance from Taliban 
fighters, but have been targeted with improvised explosive devices and booby-traps.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/02/2010214143350325845.html

Robert Naiman wrote:
>>From Rethink Afghanistan:
> 
> 'Civilian Casualties "Inevitable" in Largest Military Operation of the
> Afghanistan War'
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QUhpHYyTBQ
> 
> On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 12:52 PM, C. G. Estabrook <galliher at illinois.edu> wrote:
>> Sure they will, just as they always have.
>>
>> As the leading Western correspondent in the region, Patrick Cockburn, puts
>> it, "The Script Calls for Victory, No Matter What."
>>
>> "...The US strategy is to expel, kill or capture the Taliban, prevent their
>> return, and then provide aid and services to a grateful populace. Described
>> as a sophisticated attempt 'to win the hearts and minds of Afghans', its
>> covert and more realistic aim is to win the hearts and minds of the American
>> press, particularly those back in the US who direct the efforts of reporters
>> on the ground. The message the US military wants to send is that in
>> Afghanistan it is fighting a winnable war and not blundering deeper into a
>> quagmire..."
>>
>> http://www.counterpunch.org/
>>
>> Robert Naiman wrote:
>>> The United States and NATO are poised to launch a major assault in the
>>> Marjah district in southern Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of Afghan
>>> civilians are in imminent peril. Will President Obama and Congress act
>>> to protect civilians in Marjah, in compliance with the obligations of
>>> the United States under the laws of war?
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/2/11/836156/-Afghan-Civilians-Imperiled-by-US-NATO-Assault-in-Marjah
>>>
>>> --
>>> Robert Naiman
>>> Just Foreign Policy
>>> www.justforeignpolicy.org
>>> naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
>>>
>>> Change.org: End the war in Afghanistan
>>> Timeline for Withdrawal and Political Negotiations
>>>
>>> http://www.change.org/ideas/view/end_the_war_in_afghanistan_establish_a_timeline_for_withdrawal_and_begin_political_negotiations
>>>
> 
> 
> 

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