State Department says in its annual rights report that civilians suffer most in Afghan war

State Department: civilians suffer in Afghan war

WASHINGTON — The State Department says that Afghan civilians continued to bear the brunt of a spike in violence in their country last year.

In its annual human rights report released Thursday, the department also said the Iraqi government or its agents were reported to have committed arbitrary killings in 2009.

The report said almost one-third of Afghanistan was plunged into armed conflict and said the growing violence hurt the government’s ability to protect people in rural areas.

The United States wants to reduce civilian deaths in Afghanistan, which spark anger at the American-led forces’ inability to provide security after more than eight years of war.

The report said Pakistan saw extrajudicial killings, torture and disappearances.