In Afghanistan, with the Talibans’ springtime offensive, suicidal attacks, kidnappings and decapitations of civilians are increasing. According to statistics from the UN and NATO, civilian victims were at least 756 in 2006. This was reported today by an Amnesty International paper that condemns "an explicit policy of attacks against civilians: the Talibans are killing teachers, kidnapping humanitarian workers and setting fire to school buildings". "Afghan civilians bear the worst consequences of this conflict stated Claudio Cordone, research director at Amnesty International -, since they are caught in the midst of the fights between the Talibans, the government forces, the US servicemen and the troops of other Nato countries". The laheya (the Talibans’ military handbook), writes the UN report, expressly orders the attacking and murdering of civilians. Rule number 25 states that a teacher who keeps working after receiving a warning from the Talibans must be hit; if he keeps teaching ‘against the principles of Islam’, he must be killed. In turn, a fatwa (a religious order) orders the death of anyone who supports US-led military interventions. (continued)
