Civilian Casualties

A Fast For Human Rights In Gaza

David A. Love | Posted 10.07.2009 | Impact


David A. Love

There are many opinions on the Mideast conflict, but one thing is certain: the situation in Gaza is a humanitarian and human rights disaster, and it cannot continue.

Push Into Helmand Triggered Severe Spike in Civilian Death Rate, Failed its Objectives

Derrick Crowe | Posted 10.06.2009 | World


Derrick Crowe

More troops are not the answer in Afghanistan. We need to lower the overall level of military conflict as quickly as possible, and the only way to do that is to sharply reduce the number of U.S. troops.

Snake Eyes in Afghanistan

Derrick Crowe | Posted 09.24.2009 | World


Derrick Crowe

None of the credible options in Afghanistan offer real chances for rolling back the insurgent reaction to our presence or reducing terrorism against the United States.

ISAF's New Afghanistan Counterinsurgency Strategy: Attacking Medical Clinics??

Erica Gaston | Posted 11.08.2009 | World


Erica Gaston

Last Wednesday evening at 2pm, international forces raided a health clinic in Wardak province run by one of the largest NGOs in Afghanistan. This raises serious concerns under international law.

Has Kandahar Already Fallen?

Erica Gaston | Posted 09.10.2009 | World


Erica Gaston

With Taliban control present in large swaths of Afghanistan, the question is less where is this situation going, but where has it already gone? And the critical follow-up: Is there a way to turn it around?

Security Dilemmas and Roadside Bombs in Afghanistan

Erica Gaston | Posted 09.06.2009 | World


Erica Gaston

Some say that the use of IEDs in populated areas might be reduced if elders respected by the Taliban spoke out against these tactics. However, given the personal risk entailed, it's easy to see why they don't.

Three Dead Afghan Children

Derrick Crowe | Posted 09.06.2009 | World


Derrick Crowe

BBC reports that U.S. forces piloting helicopters killed three children last night in the Arghandab district of Afghanistan.

A Multiple Choice Test for the State Department

Jayne Lyn Stahl | Posted 09.05.2009 | Politics


Jayne Lyn Stahl

In light of the reports that July was the deadliest month for U.S. and allied forces, in Afghanistan, I've come up with a multiple choice exam for the State Department.

Fussing Over Numbers: Body Counts and Accountability

Erica Gaston | Posted 09.03.2009 | Politics


Erica Gaston

Civilian casualty counts boil a thousand stories of loss into impersonal statistics, and obscure the real tragedy of these incidents.

UN Report Confirms Troop Increases Fail to Reduce Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan

Derrick Crowe | Posted 09.01.2009 | World


Derrick Crowe

U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan have increased every year since 2001. In every year since systematic civilian casualty data collection started, civilian casualties caused by pro-government have increased.

New UN Report: More Than 1,000 Civilians Killed in 2009

Erica Gaston | Posted 08.31.2009 | World


Erica Gaston

Numbers of Afghans killed by insurgent attacks are way up (59% of casualties). It's not just the number of those killed; the overall number of IEDs and suicide attacks has jumped.

The New Taliban Code of Conduct: A Kinder, Gentler Taliban?

Erica Gaston | Posted 08.30.2009 | World


Erica Gaston

A new Taliban code of conduct declares: "The utmost effort should be made to avoid civilian casualties." This follows an edict ordering commanders not to carry out any more beheadings.

Israeli Drones Killed Gaza Civilians: HRW

AP | JOSEPH MARKS | Posted 07.31.2009 | World


JERUSALEM — Human Rights Watch charged Tuesday that Israeli pilots failed to verify targets of drone aircraft at least six times during the Gaza...

Pro-War Caucus Running the Democratic Party Ditches the Masks

Derrick Crowe | Posted 07.30.2009 | Politics


Derrick Crowe

Recent actions by the DCCC and House Democratic leadership reveal that electing more Democrats and defeating Republican incumbents has taken a back seat to a radical, pro-war agenda.

Helping Afghan Refugees as US Bombs Continue to Fall

ZP Heller | Posted 07.20.2009 | World


ZP Heller

Instead of thinking of alternatives to a dangerously flawed military strategy, US commanders are trying to control the narrative about civilian casualties.

This Video Will Piss You Off and Break Your Heart

Robert Greenwald | Posted 07.19.2009 | World


Robert Greenwald

Well-reasoned foreign policy results in more housing, jobs and education. When that policy consists of applying a military solution to a political problem it results in death, destruction, and suffering.

McChrystal Really Gets It... Now Has to Deliver

Sarah Holewinski | Posted 07.19.2009 | World


Sarah Holewinski

The incoming US and Allied Forces Commander in Afghanistan has rightly put the "Afghan people" front and center.

Afghan Civilian Casualties Threaten Airstrike Support For Troops: Pentagon

US News | Posted 07.19.2009 | World


Rising anger over Afghan civilians accidentally killed in U.S. military bombing campaigns has prompted some U.S. officers to issue a stark warning to ...

Robert Greenwald Talks Afghan Civilian Casualties on MSNBC's 'The Ed Show'

Rethink Afghanistan | Posted 07.13.2009 | World


Rethink Afghanistan

It's so crucial for more people to see this exclusive footage because it puts a human face on the war, US military airstrikes and indiscriminate bombing.

U.S. Too Quick To Justify Afghan Deaths

Sarah Holewinski | Posted 07.05.2009 | World


Sarah Holewinski

American forces finally have good rules in place to minimize civilian deaths, but didn't stick to them when they counted the most, in the heat of battle. So why are US officials still blaming the Taliban?

Afghanistan Bombing That Killed Civilians Violated US Military Guidelines

AP | PAULINE JELINEK | Posted 07.04.2009 | World


WASHINGTON — American troops made substantial errors and did not strictly follow rules for avoiding casualties during an air assault on Taliban ...

Afghan Suicide Bomber Kills Civilian Family Of At Least 6 Near Bagram

Quqnoos | Posted 07.03.2009 | World


At least six civilians were killed when a suicide bomber attacked a civilian vehicle in Bagram on Tuesday, officials said. The civilians, including t...

US Drone Strikes and Civilian Casualties in Pakistan: "It's Not Moral"

Carne Ross | Posted 06.15.2009 | World


Carne Ross

There are no journalists in Waziristan or the other areas of western Pakistan bordering Afghanistan, so there are therefore no authoritative reports from the ground on the effects of these strikes.

Sri Lankan Civilians Now Able To Flee Safely, Government Says

New York Times | Posted 06.14.2009 | World


At least 1,500 civilians who had been trapped in Sri Lanka's shrinking war zone managed to flee on Thursday, the country's military said, as its force...

Sri Lanka Shelling: Doctors Flee From Last Hospital

AP | KRISHAN FRANCIS | Posted 06.14.2009 | World


COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Thousands of civilians waded across a vast lagoon under a hail of rebel gunfire Thursday, breaking out of Sri Lanka's war z...