von KABUL, Afghanistan – Despite Mullah Omar’s latest attempts to shape perceptions by releasing a revised code of conduct, insurgent violence continues to harm innocent civilians.
Released late July, this newest directive from Mullah Omar calls for insurgent fighters to avoid harming civilians. However, in just the few days since its release, insurgents have killed 43 Afghan civilians and wounded 65.
Many of these casualties, including five children killed in Kandahar Monday morning, were victims of suicide bombs. Others, including four killed and three wounded in Zabul province July 28, are victims of IEDs, an indiscriminate killer commonly used by insurgents.
During this same timeframe, Taliban insurgents threatened villagers in Farah Province for reporting locations of improvised explosive devices to security forces. In Balkh Province, insurgents murdered a female teacher and forced the closing of schools. And in Nangahar Province, seven tribal leaders were injured when their vehicles were struck by an insurgent bomb as they travelled to a community event in the area.
“Mullah Omar’s new directive has done nothing to protect the Afghan people from further harm,” said Brigadier General Josef Blotz, ISAF spokesman. “This is either a smokescreen to repair the Taliban’s well-earned reputation for brutality, or insurgent groups are simply ignoring their leader. In either event, the Afghan people will continue to suffer from oppression and indiscriminate violence until the insurgents are defeated.”
The insurgents have relentlessly and aggressively harmed the Afghan people. In the month of July alone, nearly 300 instances of insurgent acts of violence and oppression against innocent civilians were documented, killing 220 and injuring more than 360. This included more than 160 events of murder and injury, and over 100 instances of oppression, anti-development and imposition of extremist ideology – illicit taxation including usurping the role of religious leaders in collecting “Zigat” or religious tax, extortion, prohibiting girls from attending school, and destruction of construction projects designed to bring basic services to Afghan villages.
“Against the backdrop of the so-called Omar “code of conduct,” these continuing malign actions reveal the hypocrisy of the Taliban,” General Blotz said. “They also demonstrate the Taliban’s malicious, non-representative approach to governing.
“In stark contrast, President Karzai’s government is working to build the Afghan National Security Forces to protect the Afghan people, while expanding government services and individual rights.”
Press release
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases