Afghanistan Times
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The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) expressed its concerns over a persistent surge in civilian casualties in terror attacks in the country. When it comes to terror attacks and civilian casualties, one cannot relegate the danger posed by landmines. They don’t distinguish among elderly, children, male, female, a civilian and a military man. It means landmines are blind, but those who plant them are extremely blind, as when the planter walks away from the landmine, it cannot differentiate who is the target. But these blinds have been planting them on an industrial scale. They have turned this land into a field of landmines. What is worth lamenting is that what political reason is behind a war, the underlying reason always is economic. The Taliban claim they are fighting to liberate the people. To liberate? Or to explode and mutilate them? Who has asked them to fight for their liberation? Is there anybody in the country among civilians who have called upon the Taliban to liberate them? No. There is nobody. Then why the Taliban say they are fighting for the people of Afghanistan. Another problem with war is that men who have no personal vendetta are trained to kill one another cold-bloodedly. The Taliban say when foreign troops are killing people why civilians and government don’t condemn their aggression. Well, the Taliban should correct their viewpoint. Civilians and the government officials have always slammed their attacks on civilians’ houses. And the foreign forces have always apologized. This paper doesn’t defend their mistakes and aggressions, but let’s call a spade a spade. The Taliban have killed more civilians than the foreign troops and they should apologize too. Moreover, when the foreign forces have announced an end to their combat mission, when will the people of this troubled land can expect the same from the Taliban? Will the Taliban ever announce an end to their combat mission? Civilian casualties are always the result of wars and conflicts where all the parties to the war are blameworthy, but despite that it is the graph that determines who is more responsible. As the interior ministry says that after being defeated by Afghan troops and police, the Taliban have turned to targeting civilian places, therefore, they must renounce violence and opt for peace talks. Now is the time they should talk and express their grievance than later when they are defeated and no room is left for talks. That is eventually happening as they Taliban have already lost support and they are falling short of resources as well, which is why they have started joining Daesh just for economic benefits and influence and not for ideology. The two groups have only one thing in common and that’s the use of force. Other than that nothing is common. Last month, UNAMA, painted a grim picture regarding civilian casualties by releasing its first quarter report for 2015. The report said a persistent rise in civilian casualties, but how the Taliban responded to the report is inhuman, which shows their cold-bloodedness. For the last few years international organizations have been asking both parties involved in the war to not involve civilians, but unfortunately, this country has become one of the world’s most insecure countries for civilians. The government must announce that until the Taliban renounce targeting civilians, it wouldn’t talk to them at all.
