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  • SUNDAY MAY 22 2005 11:14 AM

UN Joins Row Over Afghanistan Abuse

Submitted by YUSHi

Edited by MissTyrios

The United Nations has joined the ongoing row over the Bagram air base in Afghanistan, calling for the air base to be opened up to Afghan human rights investigators. The call comes after a leaked U.S. Army report surfaced, detailing abuses that included the torture and killing of two Afghans.

The UN's special representative in Afghanistan said such abuses were "utterly unacceptable".

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he was shocked by the report. The US says those responsible will be dealt with.


Jean Arnault, the UN's special representative in Afghanistan, issued a strongly worded statement in Kabul on Sunday, stating:

"The gravity of these abuses calls for the punishment of all those involved in such inexcusable crimes, as demanded by President Karzai," he said.
"The presence of international forces remains one of the cornerstones of Afghanistan's security and reconstruction...It is of the utmost importance that it should also serve to protect the exercise of the Afghan's fundamental human rights."


The U.S. military has not responded to the UN's statement. President Karzai is scheduled to meet with President Bush on Monday, and has stated that he will request that the U.S. hand over all Afghan detainees currently in custody, as well as ask that the U.S. give up control of all military operations in Afghanistan.

Details of the alleged abuses where printed in the New York Times on Friday, which quoted from a 2,000-page document leaked from a US army investigation.

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Comments
Phoebus

Phoebus

Italy
OLD SKOOL

MAY 22, 2005 11:27 AM

Well, his second request certainly wouldn't even be considered. And this is assuming that it was delivered seriously, and not in a "I have to ask this for the sake of appearances" spirit.

MissTyrios

misstyrios

NEWSWIRE

Allston, MA

MAY 22, 2005 11:37 AM

Phoebus said:
Well, his second request certainly wouldn't even be considered. And this is assuming that it was delivered seriously, and not in a "I have to ask this for the sake of appearances" spirit.



My guess is that it might very well be for the sake of appearances. Karzai is was in Boston yesterday speaking at the Boston University commencement, so he's not coming to the US for the purposes of this recent situation, I know that much.

waldo

waldo

I'm lost
June 2004

MAY 22, 2005 11:58 AM

Phoebus said:
Well, his second request certainly wouldn't even be considered. And this is assuming that it was delivered seriously, and not in a "I have to ask this for the sake of appearances" spirit.



Do you mean the bit about Afghan human rights? I'm confused.

MissTyrios

misstyrios

NEWSWIRE

Allston, MA

MAY 22, 2005 12:20 PM

waldo said:

Phoebus said:
Well, his second request certainly wouldn't even be considered. And this is assuming that it was delivered seriously, and not in a "I have to ask this for the sake of appearances" spirit.



Do you mean the bit about Afghan human rights? I'm confused.



I think he was referring to the part about the US military pulling out of Afghanistan.

skeptik

skeptik

New Orleans, LA
February 2004

MAY 22, 2005 05:38 PM

It's not so much pulling out of the coutry. He would never ask for that, since he just called ther presence a "cornerstone of reconstruction." It's the placing them "under Afghan control" that he is demanding.
That will never happen.

Gaiseric

gaiseric

Eugene, OR
July 2003

MAY 22, 2005 05:45 PM

Chances of US forces being places under Afghan control are nil.

Chances of us handing control of the detainees to the Afghans, probably about even.

Karzai is a pretty shrewd politician.

MansuQuig

MansuQuig

Fishers, IN
July 2004

MAY 23, 2005 08:30 AM

I'm not a fan of the Bush administration but I'm not that much of a fan of the UN either. I mean, "let's investigate charges of human rights absuse"; months ago it was "oh, there was a genocide in the Sudan?" That's an exaggeration but still, the UN doesn't seem to have much room to speak when it comes to "doing the right thing." I'm all for investigation and taking whatever actions the Afghans want us to take on this but it just irks me that the UN thinks it still holds that kind of moral authority.

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