Another war dilemma is taking place in Afghanistan these days as civilians' dreams of building a new future for themselves and their children are melting away in front of their own eyes.
Almost six years after Afghanistan was invaded by the U.S. under the pretext of destroying Al Qaeda and removing the Taliban, the war-ravaged country is left in utter chaos due to increased warlord and Taliban activity, growing illegal drug production, and a fragile government with limited control outside of Kabul.
After all these years, Afghans want one thing; peace; however, the foreign-led military operations are not helping the civilians. According to the Agence France-Presse (AFP), violence has claimed the lives of at least 600 Afghan civilians since the start of this year, about half of them killed in Taliban attacks. Surprisingly, the United Nations reported that the other half has been killed by foreign and Afghan troops who are there to protect civilians in the first place!
"We were initially thinking that maybe we would have schools for our children, for their future. But now we are afraid for our lives,” said Khair Mohammed, a 49 year-old Afghan civilian who lives in a district in the southern province of Helmand that was pounded by deadly air strikes last week.
The British-run Helmand was bombed last week for three hours after what UK officials said was a Taliban ambush on a joint U.S.-Afghan army convoy. According to the Guardian Unlimited, Mohammad Hussein, the provincial police chief, said the rebels fled to a nearby village for cover. Foreign planes then targeted the village of Hyderabad. Mohammad Khan, a resident of the village, said seven members of his family, including his brother and five of his brother's children, were killed in the bloody attacks.
Kandahar; a city located in southern Afghanistan, is not stable either, facing the same destiny as the rest of the war-torn country. Zia-Allah, a 22-year-old taxi driver spoke of the fear that his city is facing as four civilians were shot; one of whom died, last week by Afghan troops. Nato’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) claimed that the men had ignored warnings to keep away from a convoy and only two were wounded.
Concerns have been raised recently that the American General Dan McNeil, who took command of the 32,000 Nato troops in Afghanistan, was 'a fan' of the massive use of air power to defeat insurgents and that his favored tactics could be counter-productive.
Such brutal tactics prompted many Afghans to consider abandoning their own country instead of drawing up new plans for their children, their schools, or healthcare programs.
Although southern Afghanistan suffer as much as the east, most Afghans blame U.S. soldiers for the mounting civilian death toll, especially after they opened fire on locals on the 19th of March after a bomb explosion.
ISAF and U.S. officials admit that civilian killings are always a mistake. But Afghans wonder whether an apology is enough for the grieving families who thought the U.S. was there to help?
According to Nader Nadery, from the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission, civilians are starting to be filled with frustration as they watch the foreign-led army sacrificing civilian lives to catch militants. "Unless there is more coordination, unless this is immediate compensation to families affected and proper investigations, we will not be able to win this war against the Taliban," Nadery said.
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon also said last week that “civilian casualties, no matter how accidental, strengthen our enemies and undermine our efforts."
Waheed Mujdah, a political analyst, agreed, warning against possible mobilizing against U.S. and Nato forces. "Afghanistan is at the edge a severe crisis. We will face an uprising if this continues.”
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