Defense has to reconstruct the battle of Chora, the Afghan valley where Dutch soldiers fought against the Taliban in 2007. This has been determined by the court of The Hague in the case brought by Afghan victims and relatives of the Dutch bombings.
The shelling on the night of 16-17 June in the Afghan province of Uruzgan is said to have killed fifty to eighty civilians. Defense has consistently maintained that the law of war has been complied with. The ministry sees support in numerous reports from NATO, the Afghan government and a local humanitarian organization.
Lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld, who represents the victims and their relatives, the court submitted documents which, according to her, shows that the Dutch Defense has bombed arbitrarily in violation of the law of war.
Disproportionate
The judges now want to know on the basis of what information Afghan houses have been designated as military targets. The president of the court said he understands that a reconstruction is difficult, also because some information may have to be kept secret.
Victims and relatives demand compensation from Defense. They were asleep when the Dutch bombs fell. According to lawyer Zegveld, the bombings were disproportionate, also because the civilians had not been warned in advance.
Defense contradicts this and says that the civilian population has been informed via the local authorities. Most residents had also left the area, the state attorney said.
The bombing was part of the Battle of the Chora Valley. That strategically located area was in danger of falling into the hands of the Taliban. The commander of the Dutch unit then decided to target the area where the Taliban fighters were believed to be staying at night.
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