Slaying May Hurt U.S. Image in Afghanistan

[NVMojo]

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan human rights activists warned Saturday that allegations that an American security contractor killed his Afghan interpreter could hurt the image of the United States here — even as the U.S. military suffers its deadliest year yet fighting Taliban rebels.

Underscoring the danger, militants firing rocket-propelled grenades killed a U.S. soldier and wounded another during combat operations Friday near the southern city of Kandahar, the military said. The death brought to 198 the number of U.S. service members killed in or around
Afghanistan since the ouster of the unpopular Taliban regime in late 2001.

Relatives of the slain interpreter, 37-year old Noor Ahmad, threatened to set themselves on fire unless his American supervisor is tried for his death, which occurred at a compound of U.S. Protection and Investigations in western Farah province. U.S. Embassy spokesman Lou Fintor told The Associated Press that it was "our understanding that this American citizen is no longer in Afghanistan."

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051001/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan

[FloridaPat]

1. We have an image that is capable of being hurt in Afghanistan?

I would have thought it was rock bottom. Was Karen Hughes there lately raising our image?

[ShockediSay]

2. If only we finished the job and al Qaeda in Afghanistan when

we could have easily done so. Instead our chicken hawk neo-cons blow open Iraq (say what you will about Saddam, but he had al Qaeda locked out of Iraq) thinning out our presence in Afghanistan and allowing the Taliban and al Qaeda to come back strong.

But no-o-o-o; we don't finish off al Qaeda; we give them motivation for growth as well as the chaotic real estate to grow in, like Iraq.

Now, other Islamic states have a serious problem growing w/ al Qaeda, like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and, most recently Algeria (where al Qaeda linked insurgents have rejected the most recent nation-wide reconciliation).

Theme for the '06 election: honest, competent leadership for all Americans.

[bermudat]

3. could hurt?

[LynnTheDem]

4. "may hurt"??? Wow. Someone's not been paying attention.

They hate our guts in Afghanistan; we don't have an image to be hurt.