'Butcher of Kabul' pardoned in Afghan peace deal

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

The Afghan government has pardoned one of the country’s most notorious warlords for past offences including terrorist attacks and alleged war crimes as part of a peace deal with his militant group, Hezb-i-Islami.

The agreement, signed on Thursday after months of negotiations, paves the way for a return to public and possibly political life for Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who holds an almost unparalleled record of human rights abuses.

These include indiscriminate shelling of civilians, targeted assassinations of intellectuals and disappearances of political opponents. Hekmatyar’s followers are accused of throwing acid at women and of running an underground torture prison in Pakistan.

In a central, upper-class Kabul neighbourhood, a group of young activists organised a protest against the pardoning of the man known as the Butcher of Kabul, coinciding with the signing ceremony less than a mile away. Placards picturing Hekmatyar with blood spilling from his mouth and a rocket through his nose read: “We will never forgive the executioner of Kabul.”

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/22/butcher-of-kabul-pardoned-in-afghan-peace-deal

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Sune Engel Rasmussen in Kabul
Thursday 22 September 2016 09.25 BST

[byronius]

1. I just read 'Ghost Wars' by Steve Coll. This guy is a major embarrassment for the CIA.

He was one of the first militia leaders they supported after the Soviets pulled out. Got out of hand.

'Got out of hand.'

[friendly_iconoclast]

3. If he gets to be too much of an embarrassment, they'll give him the 'Trujillo treatment'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Trujillo#Assassination

Another internal CIA memorandum states that an Office of Inspector General investigation into Trujillo's murder disclosed "quite extensive Agency involvement with the plotters." The weapons of the assassins included three M1 carbines that had been supplied with the approval of the CIA.

[cstanleytech]

2. I hope that they included a clause that will revoke the pardon if he

commits any more such crimes.