THE RED Cross in Afghanistan has been teaching the Taliban basic first aid and giving insurgents medical equipment so fighters wounded during battles with Nato and Afghan government forces can be treated in the field, it was revealed yesterday.
More than 70 members of the “armed opposition” received training last month, the Red Cross said, in a move likely to anger the government of Hamid Karzai, which is losing large numbers of police and soldiers in attacks.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had introduced the classes because pitched battles, landmines and roadblocks stopped people in the most volatile areas getting to hospital.
The organisation, which aims to remain neutral in the conflict, has trained more than 100 Afghan soldiers and policemen, as well as a network of taxi drivers who operate an unofficial ambulance service.
Yesterday, a leading figure in Kandahar’s local government, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the Taliban did “not deserve to be treated like humans”.
He said: “They are like animals, and they treat the people they capture worse than animals. They kidnapped and killed an American lady and then wouldn’t even return her body. These people don’t deserve this help.” The Afghan ministries of defence and interior said they were unable to comment on what they described as a highly controversial issue. – (Guardian service)