Mass Murder Can Be a Real Public Relations Debacle
The Taliban are apparently increasingly sensitive to public relations, as shown by their recent irate response to a UN report showing that the psychopathic Islamo-fascist militia of demons is responsible for three quarters of civilian deaths in the Afghan conflict. In a statement released to the media, the Talibs professed that,
The Islamic Emirate considers the latest United Nations report as a self-fabricated figure and believes that this is also a propagandist effort for covering the American brutalities like the past nine years in Afghanistan.
After terrorizing the civilian population for five years in power followed by eight years as insurgents, the Taliban should hardly be surprised by these numbers. No one else is it seems.
In August 2010, Amnesty International called for the Taliban and other insurgent groups in Afghanistan to be prosecuted for war crimes on account of their systemic and deliberate targeting of civilians. At that time, Amnesty noted that,
Attacks by the Taleban and other anti-government forces accounted for more than 76% of civilian casualties and 72% of deaths.
In the first half of 2010, the executions and assassinations of civilians by the Taleban and other insurgent groups increased by over 95% to 183 recorded deaths compared to the same time last year. The victims were usually accused of supporting the government.
This is not a new trend. Joanne Mariner of Human Rights Watch said three years ago that,
Suicide bombings and other insurgent attacks have risen dramatically since 2005, with almost 700 civilians dying last year at the hands of the Taliban and other such groups ... The insurgents are increasingly committing war crimes, often by directly targeting civilians. Even when they’re aiming at military targets, insurgent attacks are often so indiscriminate that Afghan civilians end up as the main victims.
As for the latest UN report, in 2010 there were 6,215 civilian casualties from conflict-related incidents (including 2,412 deaths and 3,803 injuries), of which insurgents are responsible for 76%, and Afghan and NATO forces responsible for 12%. Over half of the deaths caused by Taliban and other militants (55%) were caused by suicide bombings and home-made bombs.
While the Taliban appear to be in public denial over the carnage they've caused, perhaps their fussing signals an awakening to the reality that slaughtering innocents, using children as suicide bombers and spotters, enslaving women, raping boys, blowing up buildings and generally being brutes has done little to endear them to the locals, not generally being the traits people look for in a governing power. At least they know now that someone is counting.
Lauryn Oates is a Contributing Writer for The Propagandist
