Suffering for Afghan Civilians Continues

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/29/content_12127446.htm

A roadside bomb blasted a passenger bus in southern Afghanistan today, killing 30 civilians, including women and children, and wounding at least 39 others.  Afghan officials said the attack occurred on a highway west of Kandahar where a similar blast killed three civilians on Monday.

Just a few days ago, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a quarterly report on the situation in Afghanistan.  The report declared August was the deadliest month this year for civilians in the country.  And after these last two days of violence, the outlook for September looks grim.

Click here for the story.

My hat goes off to the Reuters photographer who captured today’s picture.  You don’t need to be a parent to feel the man’s worry.  No one should have to experience a moment like that.

But unfortunately, this has been the reality for Afghan civilians since the U.S.-led invasion to topple the Taliban occurred in 2001.

The U.N. report estimates that some 1,500 civilians died from January to August this year.  More than two-thirds of those deaths are due to “anti-government elements.”  At the same time, coalition air strikes in Afghanistan that result in civilian casualties have been a major source of tension between the Afghan and U.S. governments.

But in the end, it doesn’t matter who pulls the trigger; today’s picture would still look the same.