ABSTRACT
This chapter explores some of the threats that war has posed for these people, and to look at how they have contrived to survive in the midst of these threats. It notes some of the legal and political ways of addressing civilian casualties in armed conflict. The chapter outlines the experiences of war and violence that afflicted Afghanistan in the period before 2001. It seeks to paint a picture of the scale and character of civilian casualties and suffering in the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, and notes some of their complexities. The chapter identifies some of the political consequences that civilian casualties have created. It offers some thoughts on how the problem of civilian casualties might be addressed. Civilian casualties in war are nothing new to Afghanistan. The potential political consequences of civilian casualties are complex, but one obvious one is tension between international forces and their formal local partner, the Afghan government.
