Newly Released Records Show US Paid $6 Million for Civilian Harm in Afghanistan

The U.S. military has paid nearly $6 million to civilians killed and injured in combat operations over almost 10 years of war in Afghanistan, according to the latest numbers released by the Army.

These sums, known as condolence payments, are among the ways the U.S. military compensates civilians for deaths, injuries or property damages that occur during fighting.

The new numbers come from spreadsheets that the U.S. Army Central—the Army branch of U.S. Central Command—posted recently to its Freedom of Information Act website. The Intercept had requested all of this data but had received it only for fiscal years 2011 through 2013—years we included in our analysis and visualization of compensation for civilian casualties published last week. The military’s figures cover fiscal years 2006 through 2014, and total $5,927,200.

In conflicts since the Korean War, the U.S. has paid out these token amounts in situations where commanders decide it is culturally appropriate. The payments are not intended to admit wrongdoing or actually assess the value of lost life or property. Condolence payments began in Afghanistan in 2005, but as The Intercept has reported, the system is far from perfect, marred by inconsistency and poor record keeping.  Read More at theintercept

Newly Released Records Show US Paid $6 Million for Civilian Harm in Afghanistan