Danger Room: Civilian Casualties Hit New Highs in Afghanistan
The fighting has grown more and more intense this year. So it’s no surprise that the civilian casualties in Afghanistan have spiked, as well. 2,118 innocents died in 2008 — an increase of 40 percent, according to the U.N. Mission in Afghanistan. “This makes the 2008 civilian death toll the highest of any year since… the fall of the Taliban regime at the end of 2001,” adds an annual report for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
NATO Forces Now Targeting Poppy Production
In NATO and Poppy: The War Over Revenue, we discussed the U.S. and NATO program (then in the planning stages) to eradicate poppy since it provides a revenue stream to the Taliban. The Taliban also create income from marble quarries in Pakistan, extortion of cell phone providers in Afghanistan, ransom from kidnapping, and “protection” of small businesses.
Is There An Emerging Norm Against Depleted Uranium Munitions?
Arab states’ accusation that Israel used depleted uranium weapons in its recent attacks against Gaza, and Israel’s denial of this, raise an interesting question: is a customary norm against the use of depleted munitions* emerging? As scholars studying norm emergence, how would we know?
Christopher Albon is a Ph.D. candidate specializing in armed conflict, public health, human security, and health diplomacy.
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