Norvergence LLC: In-depth Report on People Killed in post 9/11 Wars
Through this report, the team Norvergence LLC focuses on the ongoing wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan that have taken a countless number of human lives.
“We are free … and want to regain freedom for our nation. As you undermine our security we undermine yours.”
This statement was issued by Osama bin Laden shortly before the 2004 US Presidential Election in which he admitted that AL-Qaeda (headed by him) was behind the 9/11 attacks.
Around 3,000 civilians were killed and approx. $10 billion worth of infrastructure and property had been damaged in those attacks.
Soon after the September 11 attacks, the United States has launched a war on terror by invading Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, etc.
Deaths in Major War Zones (Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan)
Image Source: Costs of War (WATSON Institute)
The data in the table is undercounted as there is great uncertainty in any count of killing in war (whether it is Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Syria {the US joined the civil war in 2014}).
“Thousands of civilians may have died when the government retook Mosul or other cities from ISIS but the dead bodies have likely not been recovered.”
Of course, there is no doubt that most of the direct war deaths are caused by the militants but you can’t deny the fact that the US and its allies (whether it is NATO or other) have also killed several civilians.
See one more related content: Climate change fueled Syria’s civil war
The United States has started considered civilian causality prevention as an important part of its doctrine in 2016. According to a presidential executive order on measures to address civilian causalities ( Norvergence quotes):
“The protection of civilians is fundamentally consistent with the effective, efficient, and decisive use of force in pursuit of U.S. national interests. Minimizing civilian casualties can further mission objectives; help maintain the support of partner governments and vulnerable populations, especially in the conduct of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations; and enhance the legitimacy and sustainability of U.S. operations critical to our national security.”
The United States Defense Department under the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) released its first report in 2018 regarding the number of civilians killed in 2017 due to military operations.
“In 2017, 499 civilians were killed in Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and 167 civilians were injured in the US operations.”
On the other hand, many NGOs have contradicted these numbers by saying that what actual figure is nowhere closer to this digit. According to Air Wars, a UK-based not-for-profit Company that tracks and archives the international air war against terrorism has said that in the last few years the US and its allies have killed more civilians than the terrorists did.
Meanwhile, a Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, issued a statement and Norvergence quotes, “The Taliban has done its best to reduce civilian causality figures to zero.”
No Support to Rebuild Afghanistan and Iraq
Source: South China Morning Post
The United States is showing no interest in rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan. There is no major organization that is helping people of both countries to re-establish themselves. The Iraqi army men who worked with the American military to fight terrorists are not getting any type of political asylum and at home, they face a major risk of retribution.
Displacement, the other side of war is another main issue that is largely left unaddressed. The US is not taking any kind of responsibility of 5 million refugees who displaced because of the war.
Norvergence: Policies that could adopt by the US to Promote Peace
Instead of supporting the unipolar moment, the US could have promoted international peace. In Europe, the US could support unity rather than expanding NATO.
Because of its presence in the continent, Russia has felt threat which led to a direct fight with Georgia and Crimea. Also, the US could leave the Persian Gulf instead of attempting dual containment in the region.
It could support both Israel and Palestine and meanwhile, didn’t arm Osama Bin Laden (Mujahedeen) in Afghanistan.
This could decrease the chances of 9/11 and with no 9/11 there would be no war in Afghanistan and Iraq which directly saved thousands of lives and trillions of dollars. The ISIS would never emerge (as many of its members were from Saddam Hussein’s political party).
Anyhow, we can’t change the past but we can build a better future for our children.
Originally published at https://medium.com on January 16, 2020.
