Protecting Afghan civilians a priority, Petraeus tells troops

Source: The Guardian

Jon Boone in Kabul -

General David Petraeus has ordered all Nato troops under his command in Afghanistan to pursue the enemy relentlessly, but also stressed the need to "reduce civilian casualties to an absolute minimum".

By prioritising efforts to earn the trust of the Afghan people, the US general countered concerns that he would relax strict rules of engagement that have angered some troops, who say they put them at greater risk when fighting insurgents.

In four pages of fresh guidelines published on Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) website today, Petraeus says protecting Afghan civilians from injury by coalition operations remains a top priority.

Addressing the 150,000 international soldiers, sailors and marines under his command as simply "team", Petraeus warns that the alliance "cannot kill or capture our way to victory".

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/02/david-petraeus-protect-afghan-civilians

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Website the article is referring to: http://www.isaf.nato.int/

insurgency finally comes to the conclusion that killing the folks you're sposed to be helping out may not be the best game plan.

General Betrayus indeed.

Another bullshit pronouncement from Generalissimo Petraeus!

LA Times
Ken Dilanian, Tribune Washington Bureau
August 3, 2010

WASHINGTON — Efforts to reduce civilian casualties by restricting U.S. air strikes and other uses of force in Afghanistan are also sparing American troops from attack, according to a new study to be unveiled today.

Tighter rules of engagement put in place last year by Gen. Stanley McCrystal have provoked complaints among U.S. troops that their lives have been put at risk. McCrystal's replacement, Gen. David Petraeus, promised lawmakers last month he would reexamine how the rules had been implemented, while expressing overall support for them.

A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, being released todayat the non-partisan New America Foundation in Washington, found that civilian casualties in Afghanistan from U.S. and NATO actions "are associated with a substantively and statistically large increase in attacks" by the Taliban and other militants.

The study undercuts the notion that the military faces a zero-sum choice between protecting its troops and protecting civilians, said one of the authors, Jacob Shapiro of Princeton University. "Doing a little bit more to protect civilians looks like it reduces the rate of attacks," he said.

Full article with embedded links: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sc-dc-0803-afghan-civilians-20100803,0,2607445.story