AFGHANISTAN: MoD hit by claims rush from Afghanistan civilians
Posted by warvictims on July 2, 2009
The Times
By MICHAEL EVANS
The Ministry of Defence is dealing with compensation claims arising from the deaths of 104 Afghan civilians killed in incidents in Helmand province in the past 18 months, it was disclosed last night.
The details of the claims against British forces serving in Helmand were revealed by Channel 4 News after a Freedom of Information Act request was put to the MoD. The ministry has already paid some compensation, including $210 for the death of a woman.
Twenty-seven claims were made in April and May of this year. The MoD rejected a claim for more than $100,000 arising from an incident in Musa Qala in the north of Helmand in 2007, allegedly involving the deaths of five adults and 15 children.
Last year, in the same town, the deaths of two children – referred to as “2 children killed?” in the documents – merited a payout of $10,000, Channel 4 News said.
In a statement, the MoD said: “Compensation claims brought against British forces working as part of the International Security Assistance Force are considered on the basis of whether the MoD has a legal liability to pay compensation. Where there is a proven legal liability, compensation is paid.”
The MoD added: “Despite every effort to target only insurgents, there are times when the ordinary people of Afghanistan are inadvertently harmed. We are deeply saddened by any civilian deaths and we particularly regret incidents where civilians are harmed as a result of actions by international forces.”
