Talking Points - Afghanistan
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Article of Interest - Withdrawing Combat Forces from Afghanistan
- To date, there is only one comprehensive study done in civilian deaths in Afghanistan. Professor Marc Harold, University of New Hampshire, has crosschecked international media sources and estimates that some 7,309 Afghan civilians have been killed by U.S. led forces. This only includes impact deaths, not those that died later from injuries sustained during combat. source
- Several cases of reckless U.S. operations against the Taliban have resulted in numerous Afghan civilian deaths. Over the years, as increased civilian deaths rise, so do suicide attacks in Afghanistan, only proving that U.S. occupation and killing in Afghanistan brings more violence in the region. source
October 21, 2001 – U.S. Aircraft bombs villages, including indiscriminate firing on fleeing villagers resulting in 25-35 civilian deaths source
July 1, 2002 – U.S. aircraft strikes Afghan wedding killing 48 and injuring 117 source
Four other wedding parties have since been targeted or hit due to flawed intelligence
Even as recently as August 2008, the UN reports that U.S. military actions have killed 90 civilians, including 60 children
- The use of air strikes in Afghanistan have increased tenfold from 2004 to 2007. As these air strikes increase, the civilian death toll increases. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, 'We know that when collateral damage occurs, that it really does set us back.' source
- There are over 150,000 displaced Afghanis, most located in Southern Afghanistan. The U.S. aid group established to provide aid to these refugees, USAID, had no 2008 budget, and only a supplemental income of $16 million. Despite the fact we have been in Afghanistan a year and a half longer than we have been in Iraq, we have spent a substantial amount more in aid to Iraq. source
- Between 2001-2008, the U.S. has provided $7 billion to Afghanistan in aid. Comparatively, between 2003-2008, there has been over $26.4 billion spent on Iraq. Ongoing threats of U.S. military attacks in Afghanistan are tumbling into Pakistan, further destabilizing the Middle East/ Central Asia region. source