Afghans Angered By U.S. Condolence Payments: "Afghans Must Seem Like Animals to the Americans"

An ad hoc system of payments by the United States military primarily to victims of its Helmand operations has enraged Afghans who feel a price has been put on their lives.

Existence of payment guidelines for commanders in the field regarding civilian casualties was first reported by western media in February and quickly picked up by their Afghan counterparts.

According to the original Associated Press report, the death of a child or adult is worth 1,500 to 2,500 U.S. dollars, loss of limb and other injuries $600 to $1,500, a damaged or destroyed vehicle $500 to $2,500, and damage to a farmer's fields $50 to $250.

While sizable amounts in a country where the average daily wage is under five dollars, the reported measure has stirred outrage among politicians, rights groups and ordinary citizens, who view it as simple blood money.

"Afghans must seem like animals to the Americans if they can put prices on them," said Ismail, a 55-year-old Afghan businessman in Kabul, shaking with anger as he spoke.

"If someone killed an American and offered to pay 10,000 dollars, would they accept it? They destroy a complete village if one of their soldiers is killed, but set a price of 2,500 dollars for an Afghan's life," he added.

"They do not respect the traditions, customs and laws of the Afghan people," a member of the Afghan parliament, Haidar Jan Nayimzoi, told IWPR. "An Afghan never sells his blood for money … By paying money the Americans will not receive support but rather turn people against them."

The payment guidelines are said to have been used during recent operations in Helmand against the Taliban by the International Security Assistance Force, ISAF, which incorporates most U.S. units deployed in southern Afghanistan.

Insisting that such "solatia" or "ex-gratia payments" are made from a unit's own funds on a purely discretionary basis, ISAF says the spirit of the measure has been misinterpreted. It did not confirm the figures in the Associated Press report.

These are "payments of money or donations in kind made to a victim or victim's family as an expression of sympathy", ISAF joint command spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Todd Vician said in written comments to IWPR.

"There is no official 'price list' to cover payments to people or families who have suffered loss or injury as a result of action by ISAF forces."

Commanders are not legally obliged to make the payments, receipt of which does not prevent victims from making additional formal claims for compensation, Vician added.

The issue has intensified the debate around the rise in numbers of civilian casualties as foreign troop levels climb in Afghanistan. This year, 30,000 more U.S. troops and several thousand from other NATO countries will bring the total to more than 150,000.

Last year, the United Nations estimated that 2,412 civilians died in the conflict, the highest number since the Taliban were driven from power in 2001. It attributed two-thirds of these deaths to insurgent actions and around a quarter to international forces.

Incidents that year prompted Afghan president Hamed Karzai to demand an end to aerial bombardments, the main cause of most of the casualties blamed on foreign forces. ISAF rejected the demand.

Caught between the wrath of the Afghan people and the need to support its overseas partners, the Kabul government played down the controversy over the cash payments.

Presidential spokesman Siamak Herawi told IWPR that the money paid out was a form of humanitarian aid, and that the U.S. and Afghan presidents recently discussed the need to better support victims of the conflict.

"President Barack Obama and President Karzai have accepted this issue in principle and hope action will be taken soon and that the assistance will be increased," Herawi said.