The Human Cost Of War: Examining American Lives Lost In Afghanistan During The Obama Years

The war in Afghanistan has spanned three US presidential administrations, including that of Barack Obama. Obama ended the combat mission in Afghanistan, known as Operation Enduring Freedom, in 2014, but some American troops remained in the country. During his presidency, Obama oversaw more strikes in his first year than his predecessor, George W. Bush, carried out during his entire presidency. According to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, 1,906 US soldiers have been killed in and around Afghanistan under Obama.

Around 1,906 US soldiers died in and around Afghanistan under Obama

During his presidency, Barack Obama ended the combat mission in Afghanistan, known as "Operation Enduring Freedom", in 2014. However, some US troops remained in the country after the combat mission ended, per an agreement between the US and Afghanistan governments.

According to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, around 1,906 US soldiers have died in and around Afghanistan under Obama. This figure represents the number of US military casualties in the region during Obama's presidency, which lasted from 2009 to 2017.

Obama oversaw a significant increase in the use of drone strikes, with a total of 563 strikes during his two terms, compared to 57 under his predecessor, George W. Bush. These strikes targeted Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen, and resulted in the deaths of between 384 and 807 civilians, according to reports.

The use of drones aligned with Obama's strategy of continuing the war against al Qaeda while reducing the number of US ground troops in the Middle East and Asia. However, his administration faced criticism from human rights groups who contested claims that drone strikes were "surgical and precise" and did not endanger innocent civilians.

The number of US troops in Afghanistan swelled to nearly 100,000 in 2010 and 2011 amid a resurgence in violence. Obama began a draw-down in 2012, and by 2016, the number of troops in the country had decreased to 8,400.

The war in Afghanistan has resulted in thousands of casualties and has lasted for over two decades, making it the longest war in US history. The conflict has also taken a significant toll on Afghan civilians, with tens of thousands of deaths and widespread impoverishment due to the war-induced breakdown of the economy, public health, security, and infrastructure.

2010 was the deadliest year in Afghanistan, with 499 US soldiers killed

The War in Afghanistan, which lasted from October 2001 to August 2021, claimed the lives of 2,459 United States military personnel. Of these, 1,922 deaths were a result of hostile action, and 534 were non-hostile. A further 18 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operatives also died.

In 2010, the number of American fatalities rose to 1,000 when U.S. Marine Cpl. Gregory Stultz was killed by small arms fire in a battle with Taliban fighters. This year also saw the highest number of American fatalities in a single incident, when a transport helicopter was shot down in Wardak province, killing 30 Americans, including 22 Navy SEALs, seven Afghan soldiers, and an interpreter.

With 711 coalition deaths, 2010 was the deadliest year for foreign military troops since the U.S. invasion in 2001. This was due in part to the 128 CIA drone attacks that took place in Pakistan, which resulted in at least 89 civilian deaths. There was also a 62% increase in IEDs planted by insurgents, with 14,661 IEDs planted in 2010.

The surge in violence in 2010 was a result of Obama's announcement in December 2009 that an additional 33,000 troops would be sent to Afghanistan to battle al Qaeda and the Taliban. The number of U.S. troops rose above 100,000 for the first time in August 2010 and remained around that level for the next year.

US drone strikes under Obama killed civilians in Afghanistan

The Obama administration oversaw a tenfold increase in air strikes as part of the war on terror, with a particular focus on drone strikes. While the White House claimed that drone strikes were "exceptionally surgical and precise", human rights groups and independent organisations have disputed this, reporting that US drone strikes have resulted in significant civilian casualties in Afghanistan.

On his third day in office, President Obama authorised his first kinetic military action: two drone strikes in Waziristan, Pakistan, which killed as many as 20 civilians. This set a precedent for the rest of his presidency, during which he vastly expanded the use of armed drones for counterterrorism and close air support operations in non-battlefield settings.

In 2017, the US military relaxed its rules of engagement for airstrikes in Afghanistan, resulting in a dramatic increase in civilian casualties. From the last year of the Obama administration to the last full year of recorded data under Trump, the number of civilians killed by US-led airstrikes in Afghanistan increased by 330%.

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism recorded 65 to 105 civilian deaths in Afghanistan in 2016. The United Nations (UN) reported at least 85 civilian deaths that year, while the UN's biannual report on civilian casualties detailed the deaths of 38 civilians in US strikes. The Bureau has also recorded the deaths of up to 105 civilians in Afghanistan as a result of US strikes in 2016.

In 2011, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism identified at least 385 civilians killed in seven years of CIA drone strikes in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, including "credible reports" of 168 child deaths.

In 2016, President Obama signed an executive order requiring an annual release of casualty estimates from US drone strikes outside war zones. However, this did not include countries deemed "areas of active hostilities" such as Afghanistan. Human rights groups have long claimed that the Obama administration undercounts civilian casualties.

While the exact number of civilian casualties is difficult to determine, independent estimates suggest that civilians made up between 7.27% to 15.47% of deaths in US drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia from 2009 to 2019.

The Obama administration's approach to drone killings was particularly criticised for allowing the CIA, a secretive entity with a history of unjust killings, to carry out strikes; keeping the very fact of drone killings classified; and permitting killings outside of war zones, in countries with which the US was not at war.

Afghan civilians continue to be killed by unexploded ordnance from the war

The War in Afghanistan has been deadly for both US soldiers and Afghan civilians. Under the Obama administration, around 1,906 US soldiers were killed in and around Afghanistan, with 593 killed in Iraq. This brings the total number of Americans who died in Afghanistan and Iraq under Obama to about 2,500.

The war in Afghanistan has also destroyed the lives of Afghan civilians due to the war-induced breakdown of the economy, public health, security, and infrastructure. The war has left Afghan land contaminated with unexploded ordnance and landmines from previous wars, which continue to kill, injure, and maim civilians. Fields, roads, and school buildings are contaminated by ordnance, which often harms children as they go about their daily chores.

According to the Costs of War Project, the war in Afghanistan killed 176,000 people: 46,319 civilians, 69,095 military and police personnel, and at least 52,893 opposition fighters. However, the death toll is possibly higher due to unaccounted deaths caused by disease, loss of access to food, water, infrastructure, and other indirect consequences of the war. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that the majority of civilian casualties were attributed to the Taliban and other anti-government elements each year, with the figure ranging from 61% to 80% depending on the year.

The US military relaxed its rules of engagement for airstrikes in Afghanistan in 2017, resulting in a dramatic increase in civilian casualties. From the last year of the Obama administration to the last full year of recorded data during the Trump administration, the number of civilians killed by US-led airstrikes in Afghanistan increased by 330%.

Afghan civilians continue to face the threat of death and injury from unexploded ordnance and landmines left behind by the war. Between 2002 and 2006, researchers analysed 5,471 incidents of individuals injured or killed by these devices, finding that 2,749 (50.3%) were caused by unexploded ordnance and 2,314 (42.3%) by landmines. The proportion of deaths and injuries caused by unexploded ordnance rose from 48.4% in 2002 to 58.8% in 2006. Almost half of the deaths and injuries in this study were among children (47.2%), with 65% of those attributed to unexploded ordnance.

The lasting impact of the war in Afghanistan is evident in the continued presence of explosive hazards that endanger the lives of civilians, particularly children. The US government and the United Nations should prioritize the inclusion of civilian deaths and injuries caused directly and indirectly by the war in their public reporting. Additionally, increased investment in clearing Afghan land of explosive hazards is crucial to mitigate the ongoing threat to Afghan civilians.

US airstrikes in Afghanistan increased by 330% from the last year of the Obama administration to the last full year of recorded data under Trump

The War in Afghanistan has been the longest war in US history, spanning three presidential administrations: Bush, Obama, and Trump.

President Barack Obama ended the combat mission in Afghanistan, known as "Operation Enduring Freedom," in 2014. However, some US troops remained in the country even after the combat mission ended. Obama oversaw more strikes in his first year than Bush carried out during his entire presidency. Obama's strikes were largely conducted by drones, targeting Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen.

From the last year of the Obama administration to the last full year of recorded data under Trump, US airstrikes in Afghanistan increased by 330%. This dramatic increase is attributed to the Trump administration's decision to relax the rules of engagement for airstrikes in 2017. The number of civilians killed by US-led airstrikes in Afghanistan rose sharply as a result.

According to Neta C. Crawford, who led a study on the issue from Brown University's Costs of War Project, the restraints on airstrikes are intended to save civilian lives, and when applied, the evidence shows a decrease in civilian casualties. However, under the Trump administration, the number of civilians killed by international airstrikes increased by about 330% from 2016 to 2019, the most recent year with complete data from the United Nations.

The increase in airstrikes under Trump contradicted his pledge to stop "endless wars." The study by Crawford revealed that the escalation in violence took a heavy toll on Afghan civilians, who have been caught in the crossfire between the US and the Taliban. The Afghan Air Force has also killed more civilians than at any other point in its history, as a result of increased airstrikes during intra-Afghan talks.

The war in Afghanistan has had devastating consequences, with thousands of lives lost and billions of dollars spent. The conflict has also severely impacted the mental health and well-being of Afghans, with two-thirds of the population suffering from mental health issues, according to the Afghan Ministry of Public Health in 2009.

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