Amnesty report criticizes US over Afghan civilian deaths
Print Edition
US forces who have tortured or killed civilians in Afghanistan have not been brought to justice because of failures in the US military justice system, human rights group Amnesty International said yesterday.
At least 1,800 Afghan civilians have been killed by coalition troops between 2009 and 2013, Amnesty said in a report released in the Afghan capital Kabul, but only six cases against US military personnel went to trial over the period.
Several families seeking justice from the United States government attended a conference to give dramatic accounts of their experiences of loss and torture, among them burqa-clad women who had survived a deadly air strike.
“The US military justice system almost always fails to hold its soldiers accountable for unlawful killings and other abuses,” Richard Bennett, Asia-Pacific director for Amnesty, said in a statement urging the need for reform.
“Thousands of Afghans have been killed or injured by US forces since the invasion, but the victims and their families have little chance of redress.”
The US Department of Defense said troops go to extraordinary lengths to avoid civilian casualties and it took all credible reports of injuries and deaths seriously.
Victims at the conference told of how they witnessed the killing of family members in night raids and survived torture by US troops.
Mohammad Saber, of Paktia province, recalled the moment when US forces arrested him and three others in a raid on his home after a party. Saber’s wife, sister and niece were shot dead on the spot, while his brother and nephew were left to die of their wounds and he was taken away for questioning with the three men.
“We should not let this go unanswered, those who killed my family must be punished,” he said, choking on his words.
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