UN: Afghan Civilian Deaths Up 15% In First Half Of 2011

Yep, Civilians are targeted more often than any other in Afghanistan, usually to teach someone else a lesson.
It's worse in Mexico, but Mexico is not the home of the Religion of Peace.


RTT news
A report released by the United nations on Thursday indicates that civilihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifan deaths in war-torn Afghanistan have shot up to a record level in the first six months of the current year.

According to the report, at least 1,462 civilians were killed in Afghanistan during January-June, indicating a 15 per cent rise when compared to the same period last year. This implies that 2011 may be on track to become the deadliest year for Afghan civilians since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of the country.

"The rising tide of violence and bloodshed in the first half of 2011 brought injury and death to Afghan civilians at levels without recorded precedent in the current armed conflict," United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in its mid-year report.

"As the conflict intensified in the traditional fighting areas of the south and southeast and moved to districts in the west and north, civilians experienced a downward spiral in protection," it added.

Most of the civilian deaths occurred in insurgent attacks and in military operations conducted by the Afghan and international coalition forces stationed in the country. About 80 per cent of the civilian casualties were blamed on insurgent attacks, mostly those involving roadside bombs, suicide-bombings and improvised explosive devices (IED).

The report also held the international coalition forces under the joint command of the United States and NATO as well as the Afghan security forces for 14 per cent of the civilian deaths, indicating a drop of nine per cent from the previous year. It blamed most of the civilian deaths caused by NATO forces on air strikes.