They took the barefoot Rahman and a cousin to a helicopter some distance away and transported them to a small American base in a neighboring province for interrogation. After two days, US forces released Rahman's cousin. But Rahman has not been seen or heard from since.
"We've called his phone, but it doesn't answer," said his cousin Qarar, the agriculture minister's spokesman. Using his powerful connections, Qarar enlisted local police, parliamentarians, the governor and even the agriculture minister himself in the search for his cousin, but they turned up nothing. Government officials who independently investigated the scene in the aftermath of the raid and corroborated the claims of the family also pressed for an answer as to why two of Qarar's family members were killed. American forces issued a statement saying that the dead were "enemy militants [who] demonstrated hostile intent." LINK HERE
This is what we are finding out now. Little bits and pieces. While Afghanistan is under occupation. Imagine what we will find out after we leave.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of people covering up a lot of horror.
ReplyDeleteThe people in Kandahar are saying they will resist any NATO surge - or whatever they're calling it these days - because they're not convinced that civilians will be protected. Considering there is a new report of civilians being shot, raided or bombed just about every day, I'm not surprised.
Here's something about yet another smart, principled Canadian Stephen Harper doesn't like very much - Louise Arbour. She's now the president of the International Crisis Group and can express her opinions. Her previous positions limited what she was able to say.
Louise Arbour can finally talk about world's worst regimes
"Montreal-born Arbour served on the Superior Court of Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada and as chief prosecutor of The Hague tribunals on Rwanda and former Yugoslavia. She was also the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights."
"...[T]he Afghan detainee issue — in which Canadian forces are accused of turning over detainees who were tortured by Afghan authorities — also shows lack of foresight and coherent policy, Arbour says.
“When you embark on these operations you have to realize what you will face, and have a strategy that is legally compliant (with international conventions) and that makes sense. It’s part of the complexity of engaging in warfare in these kinds of theatres.”
But what would she know? :)
Britain, Germany (they both have form - remember Northern Ireland, for example) and now,astonishingly, Canada all embroiled in the web. If Clegg wins here next week there will be no tolerance of it from day one.
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