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Many Afghans, irked by civilian casualties, accuse the Western states of supporting the insurgents to justify their continued presence in war-devastated Afghanistan, an international group said on Thursday. The Open Society Foundations, active in more than 70 countries to help build vibrant and tolerant democracies, warned global efforts at bringing stability to Afghanistan would fail if Afghan perceptions were ignored.
In a report titled The Trust Deficit: The Impact of Local Perceptions on Policy in Afghanistan, the organisation highlighted the erosion of Afghan confidence in international forces due to civilian casualties, abusive detention operations and a lack of accountability.
"While insurgents may be statistically responsible for a greater share of civilian casualties, many Afghans place equal or greater blame on international forces, in particular the US military," it added.
Erica Gaston, a human rights lawyer for Open Society Foundations and co-author of the report, said: "Though stories about international forces supporting insurgents or planting IEDs are often dismissed as conspiracy theories, they offer a reality check on just how strained the international community's position is in Afghanistan."
The world would find it difficult to implement some of its most ambitious strategies, such as reconciliation and reintegration, due to the trust gap, the report said, adding suspicions about the international community were further exacerbated by its support for local armed groups.
"Support for these groups often empowers warlords and criminal groups; leads to corruption and serious human rights abuses; and, in some cases, diverts international community resources to insurgents,"
The global fraternity was urged to address the policies that were feeding negative Afghan perceptions. The group wanted reconciliation talks to include a transitional justice mechanism that documented the suffering of victims.
Source.
In a report titled The Trust Deficit: The Impact of Local Perceptions on Policy in Afghanistan, the organisation highlighted the erosion of Afghan confidence in international forces due to civilian casualties, abusive detention operations and a lack of accountability.
"While insurgents may be statistically responsible for a greater share of civilian casualties, many Afghans place equal or greater blame on international forces, in particular the US military," it added.
Erica Gaston, a human rights lawyer for Open Society Foundations and co-author of the report, said: "Though stories about international forces supporting insurgents or planting IEDs are often dismissed as conspiracy theories, they offer a reality check on just how strained the international community's position is in Afghanistan."
The world would find it difficult to implement some of its most ambitious strategies, such as reconciliation and reintegration, due to the trust gap, the report said, adding suspicions about the international community were further exacerbated by its support for local armed groups.
"Support for these groups often empowers warlords and criminal groups; leads to corruption and serious human rights abuses; and, in some cases, diverts international community resources to insurgents,"
The global fraternity was urged to address the policies that were feeding negative Afghan perceptions. The group wanted reconciliation talks to include a transitional justice mechanism that documented the suffering of victims.
Source.