Civilian casualties rising in Afghanistan

[cory777]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - The number of civilians killed by U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan has risen this year, despite efforts to limit fallout from the widening war against the Taliban, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.

Citing NATO statistics, the Pentagon said U.S. and NATO forces killed 90 civilians from January to April -- a 76 percent rise from the 51 deaths in the same period of 2009.

The increase demonstrates the difficulty of shielding Afghans from violence as the United States pours thousands more troops into Afghanistan to challenge the Taliban, often in strongholds where insurgents hide among the population.

The U.S. military has made reducing civilian casualties an explicit goal of its revised Afghan strategy, given that popular support for NATO and Afghan forces is ultimately needed to isolate the Taliban and win the war.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64B66T20100512?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FworldNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+International%29

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Inevitable.

That's what war does.

That's why we should've left by now.

So obvious that even a child could figure it out.

Sadly, our CIC can't grasp it, though.

[midnight]

2. K&R

[bemildred]

3. When did civilian casualties ever decline?

There are always more as time goes on.

[bvar22]

4. But we didn't mean to,

so everything is A-OK!

How is that supplemental WAR appropriation coming?
All this killing costs a bunch!

[Robb]

5. Non-civilians, too.

[ConcernedCanuk]

6. I think the USA should just quit Afghanistan and wait until it really attacks the USA

.
.
.

like really

IS THE USA IN DANGER FROM AFGHANISTAN?

but

well

yeah

they were in no danger from Vietnam either . .

but they slaughtered millions there . . .

mantra was "we can NOT leave defeated"

so they stayed,

slaughtered . .

and. . .

lost

:freak: