Last week a series of airstrikes were carried out in Farah, Afghanistan. The number of civilian deaths is uncertain, estimates range from 100-147. American officials believe that 100 is an exaggeration but have not yet issued their own count. Two young girls, who were badly burned in the strike, recounted the event. They said "We were very nervous and afraid and my mother said, 'Come quickly, we will go somewhere and we will be safe'". Women an children ran to take refuge in a large compound, which was then hit. The effects of the bombings were so destructive that villagers couldn't identify their own relatives, leading to the skewed casualty count. Airstrikes like these have caused Afghans to turn against the American backed government. The article says "The events in Granai have raised sharp questions once again about the appropriateness and effectiveness of aerial bombardment in a guerrilla war in which the insurgents deliberately blend into the civilian population to fight and flee". The Taliban are using this weakness to their advantage. The Taliban's goal was to exploit the thinly spread American forces and provoke an aerial battle over the civilian villages. The air strike came only after hours of heavy combat. After all the destruction and civilian death, it is unsure whether the Taliban were still in Granai when the bombing occurred. The official report by the Afghan report said that 140 civilians were killed, 25 injured, and 12 homes ruined. The US military believes these numbers are too high. One villager was interviewed saying, "Why do they target the Taliban inside the village? Why don't they bomb them when they are outside the village? he went on to say, "The foreigners are guilty, Why don't they bomb their targets, but instead they come and bomb our houses?"
Although we have moved onto a new unit, this article reminded me so much of the "Total War" video that I had to blog. Despite great advancements in military technology, airstrikes are still killing more civilians than enemies. The targets were in fact civilian homes and compounds that the civilians sought refuge in. Although the Americans did in fact do the bombing, they are not entirely at fault. If the Taliban would stop using civilians as cover or deliberately provoking air-strikes, many of the civilian deaths could be avoided. The mans belief that "The foreigners are at fault" may not be entirely true, but after going through such a traumatic event I am sure that it is very difficult to see the whole story. Regardless of whether it is 147 dead or less, are aerial bombings really necessary in Afghanistan? The Taliban may not have even been in the village when they occurred and they are raising animosity in the civilians against the American backed government. I hope that the Obama Administration can find a more effective way to combat the Taliban, without causing the loss of so much innocent life.
