The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. March 3, 2009 Red Cross: Afghan Surge Will Cause Spike in Civilian Casualties --------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that Afghan civilians will likely bear the brunt of an escalation in the Afghan war this year. The Red Cross said civilian casualties are significantly higher than a year ago. The United Nations estimates over 2,100 civilians died in 2008, a 40 percent jump over 2007.