For those who have questioned why we are still losing lives and spending billions in Afghanistan, the latest report from the Human Rights Watch may add to your confusion. It appears that the Afghan and U.S. governments have decided to defeat infamous Islamic militia forces by handing over power to them. Militias accused of horrific abuses have been quietly moved into the police forces in a desperate attempt by both governments to stem attacks from insurgent forces.
In its 102-page report, “‘Just Don’t Call It a Militia:’ Impunity, Militias and the ‘Afghan Local Police,’” documents how these forces have been guilty of rape and murders but are now being given police powers by U.S. and Afghan officials in Baghlan, Herat, and Uruzgan provinces.
In Baghlan province, former fighters with the Islamist Hezb-i-Islami, including a local strongman, Nur-ul Haq, have been recruited into the ALP. Haq and his men have been implicated in killings, land-grabs, and abductions. But the police have refused to investigate the allegations, telling Human Rights Watch that they are unable to question suspected ALP members due to their connections with powerful government officials and US special forces. In April, four armed ALP members in Baghlan abducted a 13-year-old boy on his way home from the bazaar and took him to the house of an ALP sub-commander, where he was gang raped. He escaped the next day. Although the assailants’ identities were well known, no arrests have taken place.
So, just to keep track, the Afghan government has reintroduced Sharia law, moved against rights for women and religious minorities, engaged in breathtaking corruption (including the disappearance of billions in cash from U.S. programs), and now has turned over police functions to the militias that we supposedly were fighting to bring freedom to the nation. This may ultimately help President Karzai who has repeatedly denounced the U.S. and said he wished he had joined the Taliban against us. Now, it seems he can have the best of both worlds: billions in U.S. money while an allegiance with the infamous militia forces.
Source: HRW
@ekeyra,
I want to cry.
Thanks, ekeyra. What a sad but rich piece…
http://www.theonion.com/articles/us-commemorates-911-by-toasting-stable-afghan-gove,21332/
I’m so sick of hearing about all the irresponsible blah blah blah alcoholics, blah blah ‘freeriders’ on S.S. blah blah welfare mothers blah blah blah…
our courts and politicians are crooked and filled with political sharks who think only of who to screw in the limelight so they can profit in the dark. They have a cozy comfy little luv nest with corporate gangbangers and they are all making out quite nicely waaaaaaaaaay over there in the shade while they feed 9 year old pregnany slave hookers to the mass media to keep hushed.
and that is all well documented.
blah blah blech……………
Ben-
You said,”When Social Security was told by Congress to no longer pay alcoholics, they were all changed to “addictive personalities” and continued their benefits.”
Documentation please. I don’t believe it. How would S.S. know that recipients were alcoholics? What was the number of the bill passed by Congress and when was it passed?
You are correct….Gene….thanks….
Maybe Social Security employees are teaching Afghanis to say they’ve replaced militia thugs with “autonomous police auxiliiarists.”
When Social Security was told by Congress to no longer pay alcoholics, they were all changed to “addictive personalities” and continued their benefits.
When Social Security was told it had too many supervisors, half of its supervisors became management support specialists. (They could only manage work loads – not people – and they could only initial leave slips, rather than sign them.)
When Social Security decided its workloads were too complicated for Claims Specialists with 30 years’ experience, it changed 2 Claims Specialists per office to Technical Experts, so they could mentor their coworkers of the last thirty years.
See how much Afghanistan can learn about Semantics.
Gene H,
There is oil in Afghanistan in addition to the minerals etc. you mentioned:
“Since the first oil field was discovered in Afghanistan in 1959 …
The USGS has previously conducted broad regional oil and gas resource assessments of northwestern Afghanistan as part of the Amu Darya basin, most of which is located in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. These assessments were published by Kingston (1986 and 1990), Masters and others (1995), and Ulmishek (2000).”
In fact, about a year ago they started oil licensing.
Oilah Akbar In Afghanistan
Dr. Scribe,
Love your multimedia presentations. Had some of them replaying for hours 🙂
OS,
Great video clip. I love that song. We need it to happen.
On the primary question of “Is the USA doing a good job in Afghanistan”, one has to ask, from whose perspective? It is an ill wind that blows no man good, as they say.
Are the poor and the weak in Afghanistan better off? One cannot ask such a question with a straight face.
As far as deputizing thugs, it is not unprecedented.
After the Reichstag fire, Hitler (or probably the Nazi interior minister) deputized the SA, “fearing” that there were not enough police to ensure security for the impeding election.
Malalai Joya has continually berated the thugs that are already in the government. Here she is on Demoncracy Now! http://bit.ly/pY7PB7
And just think when we have a Pres Perry and both house and senate are republican controlled these will have been the good ole days..Get ready the ride is gonna get really rough as we head to the bottom…..
Elaine, time for Democracy to come to the USA
“So, just to keep track, the Afghan government has reintroduced Sharia law, moved against rights for women and religious minorities, engaged in breathtaking corruption (including the disappearance of billions in cash from U.S. programs), and now has turned over police functions to the militias that we supposedly were fighting to bring freedom to the nation.”
Democracy–brought to you by the USA!
AY,
Actually it’s not so much the oil in Afghanistan as it is the rare earth and other strategic mineral deposits that make the cash registers ring.
There’s a disconnect here. I suspect that gang raping a child is a violation of Sharia law.
You think we would not have been there…Oh that is right…they have OIL….and our businesses have investments there….so we have to keep the breach somehow….
Oh I meant peace….