Wednesday, May 28, 2008

What the U.S. wants in Afghanistan

The U.S. has held up a country's terrible history of poverty, repression and inequality as the pretext for a war that only aggravates poverty, repression and inequality.

An Afghan girl looks on as U.S. troops carry out a mission

A U.S. Marine Corps general has decided not to bring criminal charges against two officers who led their unit on a March 2007 killing spree that left 19 Afghan civilians dead and 50 more wounded.

The decision infuriated Afghanis. "This is too much," said Kubra Aman, an Afghan senator from Nangarhar. "First, they say it's a mistake, and after that, they let them go without charges."

A United Nations spokesperson, Aleem Siddique, made the same point in more diplomatic language. "It is disappointing that no one has been held accountable for these deaths," said Siddique. The UN "has always made clear that there must be increased transparency and accountability of all parties to this conflict if we are to retain the trust and confidence of the Afghan people."

Continued . . .

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