How much is a human life worth?

23 december 2009

Dutch troops killed an estimated hundred Afghan civilians, including children, since the start of their mission in Afghanistan in 2006. Seventy civilians died during the fighting in Chora mid 2007, as a result of Dutch air strikes and heavy artillery fire. Others were killed in small military encounters, air support requested by other nations or when disregarding a warning to stop on the road. Families received 1500 US$ in compensation, roughly the equivalent of a year' s salary. What's a human life worth? The actual number of civilian casualties may be higher. The Ministry of Defence admits that the records released today are neither complete not accurate. When Dutch soldiers get into a fight, their first priority is to get out safely. It is not always possible to return to the site of the incident to investigate what has happened. And when an investigation takes place, it may be difficult to ascertain how many people were killed, who killed them and whether they were civilian or fighters. In Afghanistan, people may take their guns but leave their women and children behind. So it seems mostly civilians were killed. And according to custom, within 24 hours, the dead are buried.

Every war causes civilian casualties. It is the unfortunate by-product of war. Collateral damage, in the jargon of war. It is not a war crime or even a human rights violation, as long as the aim of the military action was justified, and the way it the operation was carried our, proportional.

The incident at Chora was investigated by the United Nations and the Independent Afghan Human Rights Commission. They concluded that given the situation on the ground, the Dutch were justified to call air strikes to come to their aid, that they had not used excessive force and not acted against international law. If the valley had fallen in the hands of the Taliban, very likely more people might have been massacred. Interestingly, during the investigation, the Afghan people expressed support for what the Dutch forces had done. But the investigation did raise questions about the weapons used and recommended to pay compensation for the losses caused. Subsequently, the Dutch are developing more precise weapons for this heavy artillery. Civilian casualties are the biggest bone of contention in the war in Afghanistan. If not handled properly, they cause enormous resentment and feelings of revenge among the local population. President Karzai has repeatedly called for an end to civilian casualties. In February, the Afghan Parliament halted their work to protest the causing of civilian casualties by foreign troops. General McChrystal, who took over command of the western troops in Afghanistan, promised to do everything to prevent civilian casualties. The question is what is a civilian? I remember a discussion with General McNeill, in 2007, when he was commander-in-chief of the ISAF troops in Afghanistan. He had been to a shura, a gathering of tribal elders, in Chora, after the fighting. The tribal leaders complained that ISAF troops had killed their sons. They demanded compensation. The General asked whether the man had had guns, and had been fighting the Dutch troops. The elders said 'yes.' General McNeill concluded they were combatants, his troops had been right to kill them and no compensation was due. Yet, to the elders, these were their sons, some of whom had been forced to fight with the Taliban and were now dead.

It is important to recognize reality as perceived by Afghans. Perception is more powerful than truth. Legally we may be correct to say that we are in Afghanistan at the invitation of the government and therefore it is up to them to compensate the victims. Morally, we may justified to say that a human life cannot be calculated in money. Practically, we may be right to say a dead son was not a civilian but a fighter because he carried arms. Yet, compensation is a honourable recognition of the wrong done and a way to break the cycle of revenge. Presently, it is up to the individual country to pay or not to pay compensation and to determine the amount paid. Consequently, payment for a dead Afghan ranges from nothing to 25.000 US $. Dutch troops have spent 350.000 US $ of the total 1.2 billion dollar that the operation in Afghanistan costs on compensation to victims. It is time that we put our money where our mouth is.