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An Unlikely Consensus on Civilian Casualties

Posted By Erica Gaston On August 18, 2010 @ 6:52 pm In Asia,Governance & Accountability | No Comments

The following article originally appeared on the Guardian [1].

In my last two years as a human rights lawyer in Afghanistan, I've been privy to many debates about civilian casualty numbers. By my last count, there are at least eight entities working in Afghanistan that track civilian casualties. None of them ever seem to agree on an annual number, or even the numbers harmed in any given incident. Civilian casualties have become such a crucial political concern that questions over whose numbers are the right ones are almost always contentious. I was once subjected to a 45-minute lecture about the meaning of "truth," when I asked an Isaf [2] officer for their estimated civilian death toll of one large airstrike.

Now the Taliban wants in. This week, the Taliban reacted to the UN's new statistics on civilian harm with a proposal for a joint committee [3] to investigate civilian casualty allegations. The UN report [4], which covered the first six months of 2010, attributed 76% of civilian harm to the Taliban and other insurgent groups and only 12% to pro-government forces, which includes international and Afghan forces.

A Taliban spokesman rejected these statistics as Western media propaganda, arguing that the UN had ignored many civilian casualties caused by airstrikes and other tactics used by international forces (despite the many UN reports and releases on just these topics). Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesman, proposed a joint committee comprising of representatives from the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, UN human rights investigators, NATO and the Taliban to investigate civilian harm.

It's hard to take such a proposal seriously, given the Taliban's past record on civilian harm. Though the Taliban dismissed the UN report as a product of western media bias, many other Afghan writers and monitors have flagged the rise in insurgent attacks with concern, including the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission [5] (PDF) and the Afghan Rights Monitor [6]. Suicide attacks and roadside mines [7], which disproportionately harm civilians even where there is a legitimate military target, have increased dramatically. Even more chilling has been the spike in targeted killings – averaging 18 per week in the last two months, compared to just over three per week at this time last year.

While the Taliban happily claims ownership for many deadly and disproportionate attacks, they are not responsible for all of these incidents. Other insurgent groups, warlords and criminal networks are responsible for their share of suicide attacks and civilian killings.

The other concern, if one were to take such a proposal seriously, would be the standards used to investigate civilian casualty incidents. Though differences exist, the UN and Nato at least have a basic common understanding of what constitutes civilian harm and what is called for under international law to protect civilians. Despite this, they strongly disagree on numbers of civilian casualties and the UN has never agreed to Isaf proposals for joint investigations and findings.

In contrast, the Taliban has a fundamentally different view of who is a civilian to the UN, other international human rights monitors and many Islamic scholars, for that matter. The Taliban regularly kills or threatens local officials [8], parliamentary candidates [9], those working with the UN and international agencies [10], teachers or pro-government mullahs [11] and others who would be considered civilians under international law. The tragi-comic suggestion by one Afghan monitoring group, the Afghan Rights Monitor – that the Taliban would have to agree not to kill the investigating committee – highlights the absurdity of negotiating common definitions given such fundamental differences.

Yet the opportunity for dialogue is the one redeeming nugget in this proposal. While leading officials at the recent international donors' conference [12] in Kabul or the Afghan government-led Peace Jirga [13] paid lip service to human rights and civilian protection, it is unclear if these issues will be redlines in dialogue with the Taliban [14] or other insurgent groups in proposed reconciliation discussions. This is all the more surprising given that civilian protection has been the one issue the Afghan public has made clear is a deal-breaker for them – as demonstrated by both the Taliban's and Isaf's sensitivity to this issue. It's an issue that neither side can ignore, and if that generates a franker dialogue about how to address civilian concerns, then that's not such a bad idea, after all.

Despite all the public relations bickering over numbers and statistics, it appears that the political priority of civilian casualties is the one thing that all sides agree on.

REVISITING THAT RESOLUTION

The Boston Globe (Boston, MA) February 15, 2009 | Shawn Peters Admit it: You could use some help trimming down or tightening up. But the decision to work with a personal trainer can paralyze anyone. Should you team up with a man or a woman? Someone younger or older? A drill-instructor type or a nurturer? I embarked on a two- week tour to test-drive five different trainers and walked away with two things: sore glutes and a feeling that the archetypes I encountered probably exist at a gym near you. So who's right for you?

1. Darin St. George, 40 The Shaman Height/weight/body fat percentage 5-10/183 pounds/"Too busy exercising to test it" Trivia Never missed a day of school from fifth grade on, so don't try excuses if you cancel.

How he'll work you out A high-intensity, 30-minute strength program. "You couldn't do an hour the way I'm going to work you out," he told me. We're talking rapid circuits of two or three exercises that work complementary muscle groups. Cardio is your homework, and, yes, it is required.

You'll like him when he morphs into whatever kind of motivator you need, from sharing inspirational stories to telling dirty jokes.

You'll dislike him when you realize you're working out with the Energizer bunny. in our site body fat percentage calculator [15]

You'll do a double take when he throws out one of his catch phrases: "I teach people to do push-ups at the table - push the food away." Perfect fit St. George straddles the line between Tony Robbins and Charles Atlas, and, as such, he's willing to be involved in his clients' lives. Want to call him with a nutrition question? Need a text message to remind you to do your cardio? No sweat.

Trainer X Fitness, 508-494-5336, trainerx.com; $30 per half-hour 2. Terry Walsh, 44 The Mother Height/weight/body fat percentage 5-3/126 pounds/16 percent Fastest Ironman Triathlon 13 hours, 9 minutes How she'll work you out Group training classes for cardio, and a mix of resistance bands, free weights, and machines, all under her watchful eye, for strength You'll like her when she turns into a cheerleader, sans pompoms, every time you reach a fitness goal.

You'll dislike her when she asks you what exercises and classes are toughest for you and then prescribes a weekly regimen of them. "The things that you find difficult and hard are the things you need to do," she says. So sweet yet so sadistic.

You'll do a double take when she starts selling you on triathlons. She had me thinking that an Olympic-length tri (.93- mile swim, 24.8-mile bike, 6.2-mile run) sounded possible. Luckily, like the soreness, that notion faded.

Perfect fit Walsh pushes you hard but then celebrates with you, too. If it sounds a bit "maternal," she's OK with that.

Boston Athletic Club, 653 Summer Street, Boston, 617-269-4300, bostonathleticclub.com; $725 for 10 sessions 3. Roberta Norton, 58 The Inspiration Height/weight/body fat percentage 5-7/"no comment"/see previous Weight lost in the last decade 60 pounds Motto "Get up and get moving. It's never too late!" How she'll work you out An evenly paced hour that starts with low- impact cardio and then segues into weight machines, abs, and stretching You'll like her when she compliments you on everything you do, from bumping up the treadmill incline to eking out an extra rep of chest presses.

You'll dislike her when Er . . . actually, you won't dislike her at any point unless you're one of those people who can't stand optimism and needs to be abused to feel as if you're making progress.

You'll do a double take when you see pictures of her before she found fitness at the age of 49.

Perfect fit She's a solid match for anyone who finds the gym intimidating and has no idea of where to start.

South Shore YMCA, 79 Coddington Street, Quincy, 617-479-8500, ssymca.org; $295 for six sessions 4. Gregg D'Andrea, 48 The Rock Star Height/weight/body fat percentage 5-6/160 pounds/7 percent Longest spinning class ever taught Eight hours, for charity How he'll work you out Strengthening your core, lifting weights, and definitely one of his signature spinning classes You'll like him when he contorts your frame into perfect posture mid-exercise, giving you a glimpse of what your body would look like if you didn't treat it like a garbage scow.

You'll dislike him when he insists on having you do every exercise on a stability ball, serving to remind you that you're both out of shape and uncoordinated.

You'll do a double take when he tells you how much water you should be drinking a day to look lean and fit. I started drinking more than a gallon a day on his recommendation, and my kidneys have never had more definition. this web site body fat percentage calculator [16]

Perfect fit Between his up-to-the-minute jeans and cut physique, D'Andrea is just right for those folks who want some style with their sweat.

gstarfit, 55 Charles Street, 2d floor, Needham, 781-444-7827, gstarfit.com; $1,000 for 10 sessions 5. Heidi Brown, 26 The Up-and-Comer Height/weight/body fat percentage 5-9/149 pounds/17 percent Fitness background Three-sport athlete in high school (track, volleyball, and basketball) Motto "Know your body, know your goals." How she'll work you out She looks for muscular imbalances and weak spots by moving you through a series of planks, squats, lunges, and lifts that will have you bouncing up onto platforms, down on the ground, and up against walls like a sweaty superball.

You'll like her when she tailors a workout to whatever kinds of exercises you're curious to try. Regardless of whether you're looking for weights, machines, or flexibility, she knows she can make it hurt, um, work.

You'll dislike her when she makes you focus on your weaknesses before you get to work on your strengths. Didn't I come in here to feel better about myself?

Perfect fit She's right for those who appreciate balance. But be prepared to swallow more pride than supplements.

Boston Sports Club, 1 Davis Square, Somerville, 617-776-0086, mysportsclubs.com/regions/bsc.htm; $480 for five sessions Shawn Peters is a writer and creative director in the Boston area. Send comments to magazine@globe.com.

Shawn Peters

Article printed from Open Society Foundations: http://blog.soros.org

URL to article: http://blog.soros.org/2010/08/an-unlikely-consensus-on-civilian-casualties/

URLs in this post:

[1] Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/

[2] Isaf: http://www.isaf.nato.int/

[3] proposal for a joint committee: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/16/taliban-afghan-civilian-deaths-nato-un

[4] UN report: http://unama.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4529

[5] Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission: http://www.aihrc.org.af/2010_eng/Eng_pages/Reports/Thematic/Civilian_Casualities_Jan_Jul31_2010.pdf

[6] Afghan Rights Monitor: http://arm.org.af/file.php?id=2

[7] Suicide attacks and roadside mines: http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/08/11/the_problem_of_population_protection

[8] Taliban regularly kills or threatens local officials: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/aug/13/afghanistan-civilian-casualties-taliban

[9] parliamentary candidates: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jW81ETwFOTrjj2LkCPZUmv2z205w

[10] UN and international agencies: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63Q12020100427

[11] pro-government mullahs: http://www.surgar.net/english/?mod=news&pg=Hot-News&id=1023

[12] recent international donors' conference: http://unama.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4482

[13] Peace Jirga: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/0603/Afghanistan-peace-jirga-s-unlikely-critics-victims-of-war-crimes

[14] redlines in dialogue with the Taliban: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=18898

[15] in our site body fat percentage calculator: http://bodyfatpercentagecalculatornow.net

[16] this web site body fat percentage calculator: http://bodyfatpercentagecalculatornow.net/calculate-body-fat-percentage

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