L'Afghanistan : L'OTAN si `viennent propre' sur le phosphore blanc

Les forces de l'OTAN En Afghanistan devraient immédiatement décharger les résultats de leur recherche sur le 14 mars 2009, l'incident dans lequel une fille de 8 ans dans la province de Kapisa a été brûlée par des munitions de phosphore blanc, montre de droits de l'homme dite aujourd'hui. Un porte-parole de l'OTAN a nié des allégations du père de la fille que les forces de l'OTAN Avaient mis le feu aux ronds qui lui ont causé des dommages.

« Le phosphore blanc cause les brûlures affreuses et ne devrait pas être employé dans des secteurs civils, »   ledit marc Garlasco, analyste militaire aîné à la montre de droits de l'homme. Le « OTAN devrait immédiatement faire à public les résultats de sa recherche sur cet incident. »

The girl’s family brought her to the US military base in Bagram on March 14 for medical treatment for severe burns. US military doctors say they found white phosphorus on her face and neck. The incident took place in Alahsay district in eastern Kapisa Province, where there had been a series of fierce firefights in March involving NATO forces and insurgent groups.

NATO officials have said that according to their records, no rounds were found to have landed near the house, though have not denied using white phosphorus during this engagement. They have suggested that the Taliban may have fired the rounds, but have not provided any evidence for their claim. Today the International Security Assistance Force released information on four isolated incidents dated between December 2007 and May 2009 where they say insurgents used white phosphorus munitions.

Under international humanitarian law, chemicals such as white phosphorus can legitimately be used as “obscurants” to hide military operations and, in certain circumstances, as a weapon. However, white phosphorus munitions have a significant incendiary effect that can severely burn people and set alight fields, buildings, and other civilian objects in the vicinity. Human Rights Watch believes that the use of white phosphorus munitions in densely populated areas violates the requirement under international humanitarian law to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian injury and loss of life.

The spokesman for the commander of NATO and US troops in Afghanistan, Brig. Gen.  Richard Blanchette, confirmed that white phosphorus munitions are used in Afghanistan. He told Human Rights Watch: “We do not target personnel with white phosphorus, which is a conventional weapon in the arsenals of many nations, generally used for screening, marking, and illumination.”

“NATO has not denied using white phosphorus during the Kapisa incident, nor have they provided evidence that the insurgents fired these rounds,” said Garlasco. “NATO and US forces need to reassure the people of Afghanistan, already alarmed by high civilian casualties, that these munitions are not being used unlawfully.”

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