March 11, 2012

MPAC today condemned the intentional killing of Afghan civilians by a US soldier. The soldier reportedly left the US base in the middle of the night and entered a village, opening fire on civilians who were sleeping. The atrocity ended in the murder of several people, including nine children.

SEE: "Sixteen Afghan Civilians Killed in Rogue U.S. Attack" (Reuters)

This incident comes on the heels of the Quran-burning controversy which brought widespread anger and protests in Afghanistan. This latest abuse of human rights further erodes the trust between the Afghan people and Western countries involved in the NATO mission in Afghanistan.

MPAC is asking the Pentagon to swiftly bring to justice all individuals who were involved in this senseless tragedy. Additionally, the Pentagon and the White House need to conduct a review to determine if there are segments within the military that are dehumanizing the Afghan people. Qurans cannot be burned and children cannot be killed with callousness unless U.S. soldiers know that such acts will not be met with punitive measures. Consequently, Afghans are not seen as human beings, but rather as objects that, at times, impede military and geopolitical interests.

The U.S. also needs to speed up the training of Afghan security forces and take out all U.S. military personnel, including contractors, from Afghanistan.

The Afghan people have suffered for decades at the hands of regional and international powers. It is time for the international community to exert all efforts to end war in Afghanistan and cease the dehumanization of the Afghan people.