In some of those years, the condolence payments total was dwarfed by the amount offered for “battle damage” payments or “hero” payments to the families of Afghan forces. ADThe reverse was true in 2016, when condolence payments totaled $1.4 million and hero payments were only $25,800. Some activists have questioned the Pentagon’s inclusion of battle damage and hero payments in its accounting of payments related to civilian harm. ADAccording to the United Nations, insurgents continue to be responsible for the majority of civilian casualties in Afghanistan. But in its report on civilian casualties in 2019, the U.N. attributed more than 500 civilian deaths to operations by international forces, mostly airstrikes.

Source: Washington Post August 17, 2020 18:36 UTC