Afghanistan: Violence Surges

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/7c0146cf8972bdfa0855036f1313505b.htm

(New York, May 24, 2005) -- Afghanistan's security situation has deteriorated significantly in recent weeks, with a spate of political killings, violent protests, and attacks on humanitarian workers, Human Rights Watch said today. The instability comes as President Hamid Karzai visits the United States this week. The recent violence includes the assassination of a parliamentary candidate in Ghazni two weeks ago, the murder of three female aid workers, the kidnapping of an aid worker in Kabul, and clashes between armed factions in the northern province of Maimana.

"May was a terrible month for Afghanistan," said John Sifton, Afghanistan researcher for Human Rights Watch. "President Karzai needs more than a handshake from Washington. He needs concrete assistance from the United States and its allies to improve security."

Over three years have passed since NATO member states undertook to provide international security forces in Afghanistan and expand the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), yet to date NATO forces have only deployed to a handful of regional centers outside of Kabul.

Human Rights Watch called on the United States to lead efforts to accelerate the deployment of additional international security forces to remote provinces, and increase the number of international human rights monitors and election monitors for parliamentary elections scheduled to take place in September.

[jobycom]

1. Somehow I picture our forces in Afghanistan as in about the same situation

as Sean and Ed in the pub as the zombies are attacking.

Sorry if that's too obscure.