Civilian casualties, on an account of US-led ‘war on terror’, in Afghanistan are one of the major problems for the NATO alliance that has mislaid their credibility among local people. In the recent past hundreds of civilians have been killed in operations by NATO forces against the Taliban.
Acting in response to the concerns shown by the civil-right group or human-right associations and a strong opposition by President Hamid Karzai, NATO forces have juggled around with their tactics, to tackle the Islamist insurgents from the Taliban movement, to reduce civilian casualties.
U.S. Army Gen. John Craddock, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, asserted,
Every time that happens, someone walks away, an Afghan citizen, with a bad feeling towards either NATO or the United States. That’s what we don’t want to happen.
Military operations against Islamic insurgents and Taliban in civilian areas are posing serious challenges to the NATO forces as militants take refuge in homes and public places, leaving troops strangled between either launch air strikes that would also risk civilian casualties or wait for lethal attacks by insurgents.
Therefore, to cut down the civil casualties in Afghanistan a changed strategy with some innovation against insurgents is the need of the hour, as without civil support it is not only difficult but almost impossible to beat the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
