Red Cross condemns Taliban use of booby trap bombs

[Robb]

Source: AFP

KABUL — The Red Cross Saturday condemned the use of booby trap bombs by the Taliban in an area of southern Afghanistan that has been so heavily mined people are afraid to leave their homes.

The bombs -- known as improvised explosive devices (IEDs) -- are also preventing refugees from returning to the area of Helmand province where US Marines have led 15,000 troops in an assault against the Taliban, it said.

In an unusually strong statement the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the use of IEDs -- the main weapon in the Taliban arsenal -- was "completely unacceptable." The Marjah farming area has been so heavily mined with IEDs that civilians were largely confined indoors and the sick and injured could not be evacuated for help, it said.

People who fled the area before and during the assault, launched on February 13, feared returning along heavily mined roads to villages where commanders and residents have said bombs are planted in fields, hanging from trees and even embedded in the walls of houses.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jtquc-ZcuAUpzsIVuD50UkGprUEQ

[tekisui]

1. I hope this helps.

[Robb]

2. Me too.

It's an uncommon move for the Red Cross. If you believe the UN, suicide bombs and IEDs alone represent 68% of civilian deaths in Afghanistan.

[tekisui]

3. The Taliban has responded to anger against

civilian killings in the past. They released a more moderate 'handbook' calling to not directly target civilians. Not that they are good guys by any means. But,they are engaged in a PR war, too. They can't survive if the civilian population doesn't support them.

[Robb]

4. Well, they also became sudden supporters of free speech

...when it looked like the Afghanistan government was going to ban live coverage of their attacks. :D

[dipsydoodle]

5. Did the Red Cross condemn the use of depleted uranium shells too ?

:sarcasm:

They didn't back in 2001 : International Committee of Red Cross does not support call for ban of DU weapons http://www.wise-uranium.org/diss.html

[saigon68]

6. Nope never happen- They never Bite the hand that feeds them

[Pavulon]

7. Are they going to ban lead cadmium too. Dont eat it

that the bottom line. so says the WHO.

[Ozymanithrax]

8. No, but they have taken a firm stand against land mines and cluster

munitions. They do so because those weapons have disproportionate affect on civilians.

So they certainly do bite the hand that feeds them.