http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,1284,1226506,00.htmlUS troops 'endanger aid staff'
Ian Black in Brussels
Friday May 28, 2004
The Guardian
US soldiers in Afghanistan are endangering humanitarian aid operations by operating in civilian clothes and vehicles, the EU warned yesterday.
Announcing a €35m (£23m) package for the country, the European commission said coalition forces fighting remnants of the Taliban and al-Qaida were undermining the neutrality of relief workers.
"The main challenge faced by the humanitarian community in Afghanistan is the specific targeting of relief workers by anti-western armed groups," said the development commissioner, Poul Nielson.
Coalition forces in civilian clothes had used vehicles of a similar colour to those used by aid agencies, which had complained about an incident in which soldiers distributed leaflets offering humanitarian aid to villagers in exchange for information.
"This undermines the perception of the humanitarian aid workers being impartial, being neutral, and makes it difficult to carry out what they are meant to do - bringing vital aid to those in need," a commission spokesman said. <snip>