Ugly Americans in Afghanistan

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

from the Charleston Gazette, one of the last truly independent daily newspapers left in the U.S.A

Betrayal
* Ugly Americans in Afghanistan



AS THE Bush administration pursues its policy of asserting American might in various corners of the world, it contends that U.S. military actions pave the way for democracy and rid the world of regimes that don’t respect human rights.

We have been skeptical of this rationale. Taken at face value, it is not applied consistently. It is the last plausible motivation for U.S. actions in Iraq, since no threatening weapons have been found there — yet dictators as rapacious as Saddam Hussein still reign in many corners of the world, unmolested by American might.

Still, Americans largely seem to buy the story of a benevolent U.S. presence made up of good kids like Jessica Lynch doing their best in chaotic spots to produce a semblance of order and usher in democracy.

It’s extremely upsetting, then, when a universally respected group like Human Rights Watch produces a damning report on U.S. military activities, alleging practices that are antithetical to American values. A recent report by Human Rights Watch on U.S. activities in Afghanistan does just that. The allegations in the report include:
* Use of unnecessary force against civilians in conducting law-enforcement operations, resulting in avoidable civilian deaths.
* Afghan forces under U.S. control beating and otherwise mistreating prisoners.
* Prisoners arrested by the U.S. military being held for indefinite periods with no access to legal representation, no charges being filed against them, no opportunity to challenge the basis for their detention, and in some cases being subjected to mistreatment and torture.
* The deaths of three detainees in U.S. custody, two of which were ruled as homicides by American military doctors. The Defense Department has not explained how these deaths occurred.

more at:
http://wvgazette.com/section/Editorials/2004031128

[DuctapeFatwa]

1. I don't think most voters have a problem with this, on the contrary

it seems pretty popular.