Afghans blame civilian deaths on U.S. despite spike from insurgent violence

[G_j]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/13/AR2010081305821.html?nav=rss_email/components


Afghans blame civilian deaths on U.S. despite spike from insurgent violence



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U.S. and NATO officials have used the figures to denounce the Taliban to win popular support for an increased presence that aims to clear out Taliban strongholds this fall. But ordinary Afghans have largely rejected this good guy-bad guy narrative and continue blaming the civilian deaths on the international forces, said experts who have studied the issue.

"What we found was that regardless of the region, province, education level or political views, in many cases Afghans blamed international forces as much as the insurgents for the increase," said Erica Gaston, a human rights lawyer focusing on civilian casualties for the Open Society Institute who recently interviewed 250 Afghans.

Afghans contend that the troops are not doing enough to protect them; that foreigners are ensconced behind fortified walls and bulletproof vehicles while residents are out in the open; and that the presence of foreigners in their neighborhoods brings unwanted attention from insurgents.
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"The government, NATO, the U.N., the American forces -- they make a big, big wall of cement and they are inside," said Zafar Khanbahar, 25, Azizi's cousin. "So the insurgents, to try to kill the troops, whenever they explode , the people in the public are hit. I blame all of them, the government, NATO and the insurgents -- all."

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