Marines 'Regularly Killing Civilians' In Sangin - AP Report

SANGIN, Afghanistan (AP) — Locals in this southern Afghan valley have accused U.S. Marines of regularly killing civilians since they launched an aggressive campaign against the Taliban here over a month ago. 

Dozens, if not hundreds, of civilians have been killed in Sangin over the years in fighting between the Taliban and coalition forces, leaving the Marines needing to show their operations are not doing the same. But carrying out damage assessments in such a dangerous environment can be very difficult, meaning the truth is hard to come by.

While villagers frequently claim innocent civilians have been killed, the U.S. considered just one of the allegations credible enough to warrant an official investigation, said Lt. Col. Jason Morris, the commander of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment that arrived in Sangin in October.

The inquiry was conducted with government representatives and determined the Marines were 'not at fault', he said.

"Since we have been here, there have been civilians wounded in the crossfire, but as far as I know, every single instance has been caused by Taliban firing," said Morris. "The number one tool the Taliban have to politically and strategically hamper our operations is to accuse us of civilian casualties."

Airstrikes were the single largest cause of civilian deaths by foreign and Afghan government forces during the first half of 2010, accounting for 31 percent, said the U.N.

The Marines in Sangin have tried to counter civilian casualty allegations by broadcasting over local radio details of who they and the Taliban have killed or wounded, said Morris. But the Marines ability to influence public opinion pales in comparison to the Taliban.

"They will send people down to the bazaar to say, 'Have you heard what's going on in X,Y,Z places? It's terrible,'" said Phil Weatherill, a British government adviser who has worked in Sangin since 2009. "It just needs one flicker and it will spread like wildfire."

Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has also urged his fighters to try to avoid killing innocent civilians. Many of the crude roadside bombs the insurgents rely on to target NATO or Afghan forces kill ordinary citizens instead.

"Pay attention to the life and property of civilians so that ... your jihad activities will not become a cause for destruction of property and loss of life of people," Omar said in a message e-mailed to the media last week.

The Marines have tried to sway public opinion by increasing the number of development projects in Sangin. But they have discovered that better roads and new flood walls may do little good if locals believe the Marines are killing civilians.

"The people say we don't need any help, just stop injuring and killing our civilians," Mira Jan Aka, a village elder from central Sangin, said during a recent meeting with the Marines.

Aka was one of several elders who spent most of the weekly session complaining about Marines killing civilians.

"It's clear the Marines can kill Taliban, so why are they making mistakes and killing civilians by dropping bombs on their compounds?" said Haji Gul Mohammad, an elder from northern Sangin. 

Tuma Khan, a landowner from central Sangin, complained to Marines during a recent patrol that they shot and killed one of his farmers who was working in the field. The Marines said the man was planting a homemade bomb in the ground.

Mullah Abdul Wali, another landowner from Sangin who recently fled with his family to Helmand's provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, complained that aggressive attacks by the Marines have killed dozens of civilians.

"The foreign troops should leave Sangin," said Wali. "They are bringing disaster to the area."

Around 40 people burned tires in Sangin's main bazaar to protest civilian casualties several weeks ago, but the Marines and the district governor, Mohammad Sharif, said they suspect the Taliban had engineered the demonstration.