Barack Obama and Joe Biden: The Change We Need

DEBATE REALITY CHECK: CIVILIAN DEATHS

October 02, 2008

Tonight, Sarah Palin said: “Now, Barack Obama had said that all we're doing in Afghanistan is air raiding villages and killing civilians, and such a reckless, reckless comment and untrue comment again hurts our cause. That's not what we are doing there. We are fighting terrorists and we are securing democracy.” [Vice Presidential Debate, 10/2/08]

· AP Factcheck: Western Forces Have Been Killing Civilians At A Faster Rate Than Insurgents Have Been Killing Civilians In Afghanistan; Bush Said He Understands The Agony Over The Loss Of Innocent Lives And Is Doing Everything He Can To Protect Them. “A check of the facts shows that Western forces have been killing civilians at a faster rate than the insurgents have been killing civilians. The U.S. and NATO say they don't have civilian casualty figures, but The Associated Press has been keeping count based on figures from Afghan and international officials. Tracking civilian deaths is a difficult task because they often occur in remote and dangerous areas that are difficult to reach and verify. As of Aug. 1, the AP count shows that while militants killed 231 civilians in attacks in 2007, Western forces killed 286. Another 20 were killed in crossfire that can't be attributed to one party. Afghan President Hamid Karzai expressed his concern about the civilian deaths during a meeting last week with President Bush. Bush said he understands the agony that Afghans feel over the loss of innocent lives and that he is doing everything he can to protect them. He said the Taliban are using civilians as human shields and have no regard for their lives. ‘The president rightly expressed his concerns about civilian casualty,’ Bush said of Karzai. ‘And I assured him that we share those concerns.’” [AP, 8/14/07 ]