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''Gore and Death'' In Afghanistan

September, 2010

F.Garcia Lorca, explains Granadans' worthlessness that murdered wildly on the streets against fascists' brutality in his lament, called ''Llanto por Ignacio Sanchez Mejias'',written for bullfighter and author Ignacio Sanchez Mejias. Just as hundreds of Pashtu, Tajik, Beluc or Uzbek, who lost their lives in attacks of NATO And Coalition forces in Afghanistan. Some of the deaths in air strikes are due to most of the soldiers opening fire on unarmed civilians with the suspicion of ''a live bomb''. 

According to this,at least 195 civilians were killed and 174 civilians were injured but these figures are supposed to be deficient because the daily events not reported exactly. All of these became clear at the end of the July, with being leaked out more than 90 thousand documents that belong to U.S Army in Afghanistan. The documents that NATO and coalition forces' hiding their civilian deaths comprise the years between 2003- 2009.

 

Rachel Raid from Human Rights Watch:’ Although NATO and coalition forces' have explicit orders to carry out investigations, these documents propose the habit of hiding their civilian deaths.''says. According to the United Nations' datums,in the first half of this year,civilian deaths in the country increased 31 percent.  Amnesty International, Asia Pacific Manager Sam Zarifi ''To aim civilians is a war crime.'' and together with this ''In Afghanistan there is no legal system to handle this problem. That is why the government should apply to the International Criminal Court.'' expresses these suggestions.(1) In addition, Afghanistan is side with Rome Statue that forms law court. Amnesty International emphasizes that tribal leaders and other provinces in Kandahar had fled from rural areas for fear of being targeted by Taliban and expects the international forces to protect civilians. But since the invasion of Afghanistan, the number of civilians killed by NATO forces are increasing exponentially each year. According to Amnesty International datums; in the first six months of 2010,pro-government forces are also responsible for at least 223 deaths and NATO still doesn't have a comprehensive accountability mechanism for deaths.

 

Some NATO operations has so consequences that, each Taliban fighters that were killed are accompanied by a civilian death. For example, in February 14th 2010,the NATO operation that was supported by the Afghan soldiers, in ''Joint'' along with 12 Taliban members and also 12 civilians were killed. According to NATO,12 civilians died as a result of a rocket hitting the house.

 

Moreover, the operation led by the U.S Navy with 15-thousand Afghan and foreign soldiers, were held in rural areas close to Margin. According to NATO, the purpose of this operation was providing security and stability in this hazardous area of Taliban. But the results proved that the operation's preparation were extremely badly done and mismanaged. Stanley McChrystal that is NATO commander in Afghanishtan just made something for this failure, apologized from Hamid Karzai for civilians who lost their lives. Karzai,after the event, launched an investigation relating to the dying of civilians but; everyone knows that this type of investigations remain in many processes as inconclusive files.

 

INTERNATIONAL COURT CHOICE

 

Other hand, in The International Criminal Court (ICC),intensive working being done for the lawsuit that concerning the death of civils. This working is being conducted with the major human rights, organizations that have an activists also in Afghanistan. It is clarified that more than a thousand files accumulated by now. When considering ICC's open issue for the commanders and senior managers that held responsible for cases in lawsuits(p.28),many of senior NATO officials and members of the U.S and British military commanders' imprisonment is discussed. But here are some pressure elements and a liar investigations are activated.

 

ICC's functioning that regulates provisions, include appropriate conditions for this situation.

The attempt of o case may come from three sources:

1.One of the side of states

2.UN Security Council

3.ICC Prosecutor Office

 

After preliminary investigation and evaluation that comes from three sources of information and formal requests, prosecution formally decides to execution of the investigation.(p.15/1)However, that decision is not enough. Prosecution gets permission for a prompt investigation's continuing by applying Pre-Trial Division that consists of three judges. If Pre-Trial Division sees reasonable grounds within the framework of the existing evidences,’ Permit the Initiation of the Investigation'' will be decided.

 

In the case of Office of the Pre-Trial Investigation and Initiation denied the motion, the prosecution may apply again if new evidence are found. Prosecution Office examines the applications, especially from the NGOs. However, especially in the case of Iraq, about the large number of complaints that side status of British authority (Such as Tony Blair),still hasn't been opened an investigation. Here is a cause of the complementarily principle that Britain's and the occupying forces of other parties that side to the agreement referred to’ Effective Investigation'' has played a role in the complaint.  ICC's annual report of 2005-2006 that contains in ''effective investigation'' means the public affairs. But the real that secret documents reveal is; hundreds of events are hidden by NATO. Taken from this perspective, there will be new investigations that includes the general level of U.S or coalition forces commanders.

 

RETURNING 90'S: THE VILLAGE GUARD

 

Director of Conflict and Peace Studies Center in Kabul, Hekmat Karzai's explanation, that is between Afghan government and American Administration talkings outcome might not release about establishing the village guard system against Taliban, increases anxiety of mass slaughter taking place of civilian death.

 

Aiming to establish such a system that ensuring peace and stability at the local level, forms one of the key points defeating strategy of U.S' al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The system generates the local war barons which is claimed to succeed in Iraq, are ignored.

Yet in Iraq, strong families and local politicians used the guard system for their personal interests.

Legitimate armed force was used for sometimes to intimidate of the opponent family, sometimes to prevent rival politicians.

 

A similar situation occurred in Afghanistan with more severe consequences are inevitable. Since, the early 1990s was one of the darkest periods of Afghan history. After the Soviets' withdrawal and international forces nearly do not have any intervention, many opposition groups became enemies. As a result of this, Afghanistan was divided between rival militia groups and few of pride. Jihad had been forgotten, began a destructive power struggle. Anarchy prevailed everywhere, the largest cities that were safe by withdrawal of Soviets, turned into ruins. By different powers of different currencies were put into circulation. When people go from one place to another place, began to use different currencies. Kabul was one of South Asia's most beautiful city but in the struggle for power, it turned into like ghost towns.

 

More than 400 rockets were launched to Kabul, within an hour hundreds of innocent civilians died. Chaos and Lawlessness helped Taliban to raise its strength. A very short time, they took an important part of the country under their control.  One of the most important reason of their success was establishing an absolute rule oppsed to the current government. In addition, it shouldn't be forgotten that the Afghan Auxiliary Police Force was created in 2006 but that power was disbanded two years later quietly. In the middle of 2009,the American army launched a program that called ''Local Defence Initiative''. Now it is begun to called ''Village Stability Program''. Within this framework, it is aimed to develop the local population and provide to prevent the insurgents supporting.

 

It is claimed that although based on not to cooperate with the individuals but with local people, this will harm to military efforts in Afghanistan and a culture of lawlessness will lead to further settlement more. Instead of U.S and NATO forces, civilians will be killed by village guards this time. As Lorca's lament, every death makes a new body pregnant itself in Afghanistan everyday. Against civilian deaths, with a sad but also so strong melody to NATO:A cas cinco de la tarde!

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