File #2591: "2019_Book_TheWarAgainstCivilians.pdf"

1|Acknowledgements|7
1|Contents|9
1|Abbreviations|11
1|1 Introduction: Creating a Reign of Terror|13
2|1 The Durand Frontline|13
2|2 From Fighting a “War on Terror” to Creating a Reign of Terror|15
2|3 The War Against Human Rights|28
2|References|29
1|Part I The U.S. Military, the Afghan Security Forces, and Afghan Paramilitary Groups|33
1|2 Inherently Imprecise Killings: Civilian Victims in U.S. Drone Strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan|34
2|1 Introduction|34
2|2 Too-Broad Criteria for Determining Targets|38
2|3 Technical Factors Causing Civilian Victims|46
2|4 Faulty Intelligence and Tendentious Interpretations of Video Footage|48
2|5 Inherently Indiscriminate Drone Strikes|51
2|References|53
1|3 Death Comes at Night: Civilian Victims in U.S. Kill-or-Capture Missions in Afghanistan|57
2|1 Introduction|57
2|2 Too-Broad Criteria for Determining Targets|61
2|3 Relying on Faulty Intelligence and Locating the Wrong Houses|65
2|4 Interpreting “Hostile Acts” and “Hostile Intent”|66
2|5 Inherently Indiscriminate Night Raids|72
2|References|73
1|4 The War on Due Process: Civilian Victims of the U.S. Arbitrary Detention Program in Afghanistan|78
2|1 Introduction|78
2|2 Too-Broad Detention Criteria|81
3|2.1 Defining Detainable Individuals|81
3|2.2 Relying on Thin “Evidence”|85
3|2.3 Making Mistakes: Mistaken Identities and Faulty Intelligence|88
2|3 Denial of Adequate Procedural Standards|88
3|3.1 Denial of the Right to Challenge the Lawfulness of Detention|88
3|3.2 Denial of Access to Information About the Reasons for Detention|91
3|3.3 Denial of Access to a Defense Lawyer|92
3|3.4 Denial of Right to Confront Witnesses|93
2|4 The Normalization of Arbitrary Detentions|93
2|References|95
1|5 Systemic Torture, the New Normal: Civilian Victims of “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques” in Afghan Detention Facilities|99
2|1 Introduction|99
2|2 Methods of Torture|103
2|3 Confessions Under Torture|108
2|4 Creating a Culture of Impunity|110
2|References|114
1|6 In Militias We Trust: Civilian Victims of Targeted Killings by Pro-government Armed Groups in Afghanistan|117
2|1 Introduction|117
2|2 Too-Broad Criteria for Determining Targets of Killings|123
3|2.1 Targeting Civilians Linked to the Insurgency|123
3|2.2 Targeting Civilians Who Objected the Militias’ Activities|127
2|3 Deliberate Indiscriminate Killings of Civilians|130
2|References|131
1|Part II The Pakistani Security Forces|137
1|7 The “White Detainees”: Civilian Victims of Arbitrary Detentions in Pakistan|138
2|1 Introduction|138
2|2 Broad Grounds for Detention|142
3|2.1 Vague Criteria for Determining Detainable Individuals|142
3|2.2 Detaining Civilians Based on Faulty Intelligence|147
2|3 No Adequate Procedural Safeguards|148
3|3.1 No Right to Challenge the Lawfulness of Detention in a Court of Law|148
3|3.2 No Right to Have Access to Information on the Reasons for Detention|150
3|3.3 No Right to Have Legal Representation|151
3|3.4 No Right to Challenge Evidence and Witnesses|152
2|4 The Institutionalization of Arbitrary Detentions|152
2|References|153
1|8 The “Disappeared”: Civilian Victims of Enforced Disappearances in Pakistan|157
2|1 Introduction|157
2|2 Enforced Disappearances, a Routine Practice|161
3|2.1 Concealing the Fate or Whereabouts of the “Disappeared”|161
3|2.2 Placing the “Disappeared” Outside the Protection of the Law|165
2|3 Deaths in Custody|167
2|4 The Culture of Impunity|170
2|References|172
1|9 Death Sentences on Twitter: Civilian Victims of Secret Military Courts in Pakistan|177
2|1 Introduction|177
2|2 No Access to Independent Courts|181
3|2.1 No Institutional Independence|182
3|2.2 No Individual Independence|183
2|3 No Fair Trial Standards|184
3|3.1 Denying the Right to a Public Hearing|184
3|3.2 Denying the Right to a Defense Lawyer|186
3|3.3 Denying the Right to a Reasoned Judgment|187
3|3.4 Denying the Right to Appeal to Civilian Courts|189
2|4 Violating the Right to Life|190
2|References|191
1|10 The Reverse Exodus: The Forced Repatriation of Afghan Refugees in Pakistan|196
2|1 Introduction|196
2|2 Encouraging Anti-refugee Sentiment in the Post-9/11 Era|201
2|3 The Three Core Elements of (In)Voluntary Returns|203
3|3.1 No Physical Safety|203
3|3.2 No Legal Safety|205
3|3.3 No Material Safety|208
2|4 The Politics of Imposed Returns|211
2|References|214
1|Part III The Afghan Taliban|218
1|11 Eliminating “Pernicious Individuals”: Civilian Victims of the Afghan Taliban’s Targeted Killing Program|219
2|1 Introduction|219
2|2 Defining Civilians as “Legitimate Military Targets”|222
3|2.1 Targeting Civilian Contractors|222
3|2.2 Targeting Pro-government Religious Leaders|224
3|2.3 Targeting Judicial Officials|225
3|2.4 Targeting Teachers|227
3|2.5 Targeting Employees of Aid Organizations|229
3|2.6 Targeting “Pernicious Individuals” and “the Likes”|231
2|3 Deliberate Indiscriminate Attacks Against Civilians|232
2|References|235
1|12 Executions, Amputations, and Lashings: Civilian Victims of the Afghan Taliban’s Parallel Justice System|240
2|1 Introduction|240
2|2 Crimes and Punishments|243
3|2.1 Conflict-Related Crimes|243
3|2.2 Non-conflict-related Crimes|245
2|3 Limited Judicial Guarantees|248
3|3.1 No Institutional Independence for the Judiciary|248
3|3.2 No Individual Independence for Judges|250
3|3.3 Denying the Right to a Defense Lawyer|251
3|3.4 Denying the Right to Have Sufficient Time and Facilities to Prepare a Defense|252
3|3.5 Limited Right to Appeal|252
2|4 Systemic Human Rights Violations|254
2|References|255
1|13 Taking “Civilian Criminals” as Hostages: Civilian Victims of Abductions by the Afghan Taliban|259
2|1 Introduction|259
2|2 Broad Target Selection Criteria|261
2|3 Motives for Abductions|263
2|4 Systemic Violations of Norms of Customary International Law|267
2|References|269
1|Index|274