Afghanistan Mission: Taliban Response to UN Special Rapporteur Press Statement

In response to the 15 May 2008 Press Statement of the UN Special Rapporteur on his mission to Afghanistan, the Taliban issued the following statement on 18 May 2008:

“Statement by the Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in response to a report issued by the special rapporteur of the United Nations regarding the persecution and killings of civilians:

As His Excellency Amir Al-Momenin Mullah Mohammad Omar Mojahed in 2007 demanded an impartial investigation into the killing and persecution of civilians, the Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate once again emphasizes that a joint delegation, comprising representatives of Afghan clergy and elders, independent journalists, human rights organizations and the international Red Cross, is appointed in order to investigate this issue, reveal the facts and identify the guilty party. In order to strengthen and ensure the security of the delegation, representatives from both the Islamic Emirate and NATO should also be present so that this issue is investigated in a transparent and independent manner, and to uncover as to who is really responsible for the killing of civilians, imprisoning them arbitrarily and destroying their villages, homes and crops. During the last six years we witnessed many times that the coalition air force had dropped heavy bombs on civilian gatherings, whether these were for sad or happy occasions, martyring hundreds of poor Afghans. The examples of these are the blind bombing of a wedding ceremony in Urozgan Province, of a convoy of tribal elders in Khost who were on their way to Kabul, the bombing of nomads’ village in Kandahar, and… [ellipses as published]

It also happens on many occasions when the foreign forces and the Afghan government officials are attacked, they then turn their guns on the civilians and cause indiscriminate death and injury to ordinary people. The clear examples of this are the repeated shooting of civilians after the explosions in the city of Kandahar, the shooting of school children in Baghlan Province, and firing at civilians on the road between Torkham and Jalalabad after fighting and explosions and… [ellipses as published]

Similarly, when the Afghan and foreign forces are defeated, they then indiscriminately start attacking villages, orchards, and bazaars by dropping bombs from aircraft or using artillery. A good example of this was in Panjwai and Musa Qala districts last year, and in residential area of Garmser District this year, the destruction of which is still continuing. This destruction is happening in all regions of Afghanistan. What is most shameful is that the BBC Radio in an investigative report revealed that the Americans had used chemical weapons in their bombardments, the negative effects of which can be seen on the newly born babies in the Tora Bora area of Nangarhar Province and in some other parts of the country. According to scientists, these negative effects will pass on from one generation to another.

Another example is that when the Afghan and foreign forces are attacked and harmed in an area, they detain hundreds of civilians in the name of being Taleban and mojahedin from the surrounding homes and villages. These civilians are kept in the enemy prisons for many years without being charged. There are too many such examples.

As the fighting becomes more intense with every passing day, and as the mojahedin make advances, the international collation is then forced to increase their forces in Afghanistan.

Therefore, in order to prevent such deplorable incidents from happening again, an independent, impartial and fair investigation should be carried out.

The Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.”