Afghan president 'shocked' by U.S. abuse - report

[Judi Lynn]

Afghan president 'shocked' by U.S. abuse - report
Sat May 21, 2005 4:30 AM ET

By Robert Birsel
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Saturday he was shocked by a U.S. army report on abuse of detainees in Afghanistan, saying his government wanted custody of all Afghan prisoners and control over U.S. military operations.

The abuse described in the report, including details of the deaths of two inmates at an Afghan detention center, happened in 2002 and emerged from a nearly 2,000-page file of U.S. army investigators, the New York Times reported on Friday.

"It has shocked me thoroughly and we condemn it," Karzai told a news conference. "We want the U.S. government to take very, very strong action, to take away people like that."

Karzai, a staunch ally in the U.S.-led war against terrorism, is due to leave on a U.S trip later on Saturday. He will meet President Bush for talks next week.
(snip/...)

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-05-21T082927Z_01_N21148760_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-AFGHAN-USA-ABUSE-DC.XML

[neweurope]

1. Ah yes... The whole world has been knowing for quite a while

now that most of Afghanistan is one big US prison. Been knowing about torture and frequent deaths. Only sycophant Karzai is now "surprised" and "shocked".

--------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[Purveyor]

2. Just about only thing Karzai can do at this point other than...

packup the family and run (which may not be a bad idea for his interests)...

[GoBlue]

3. Donny boy,

about this Shock and Awe thingy. Hows come it takes so long to shock these people? And when does the Awe begin? You promised they would be worshipping me by now.

Your pal,
W

[maddezmom]

4. AP- Karzai Urges Action for Abusive Soldiers

By DANIEL COONEY, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 49 minutes ago



KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghanistan's president on Saturday demanded "very, very strong" action by the United States against any military personnel found to be abusing prisoners, after a newspaper report alleged maltreatment of detainees at the main U.S. base here.

President Hamid Karzai said he will bring up the issue when he meets American leaders during a four-day visit to the United States starting Saturday.

The abuse allegations were in a New York Times report Friday that cited a 2,000-page confidential file on the Army's criminal investigation into the deaths of two Afghans at the Bagram base north of the capital, Kabul, in December 2002.

"It has shocked me totally. We condemn it. We want the U.S. government to take very, very strong action to take away people like that working with their forces in Afghanistan," he told reporters before leaving Kabul. "Definitely ... I will see about that when I am in the United States."

~snip~
more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050521/ap_on_re_mi_ea/afghan_prisoner_abuse/nc:736

[cal04]

5. Karzai leaves for US visit

AFGHAN President Hamid Karzai left Kabul today for an official four day visit to the United States to discuss the US military's role amid fresh allegations of prisoner abuse, as well as reconstruction in the war-torn country.

Mr Karzai would meet with President George W. Bush on Tuesday and also hold talks with US vice president Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and World Bank chief Paul Wolfowitz, officials said.

Mr Karzai will hold meetings with the leadership of the Senate of the US and the House of Representative of the US Congress.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15364611%255E1702,00.html

[Disturbed]

6. The Mayor of Kabul doesn't know what's going on in

his own Country? Yeah....right.

[shadowknows69]

7. come on Karzai. you didn't think you were really president did you?

n/t

[zanne]

8. What's even more shocking is that we don't seem to care....

I assume that most of us have read the US Army Report in the NYT. The painfully vivid descriptions of torture used by our soldiers has not merited much discussion at all--not only in the corporate media, but also here on DU. Sure, it's been mentioned in short threads. But the lack of outrage here has made me wonder; have we become numb to even the most horrific forms of human cruelty? We donj't have much of a say in what's going on in Darfur, though we could certainly be alot more vocal about it. But the reports about the US giving a wink and a nod to torture should have us all on the phone to our congressmen, local newspapers and anybody else who will listen. So I repeat my question; have we become numb to it all?

[Catt03]

9. I think about this also

I cannot even fathom that people would sit and do nothing.

I'm a '70's political activist and we would be marching in the street, having sit ins, anything....demanding to be heard. I was delighted to see the www.fristFilibuster.com and someone doing something (I will be at my local courthouse Tuesday).

I think we have become fearful of our government although we won't admit it. Since they can tap into our messaging, phone calls and copy our images off TV screens, we cower on message boards, blogs.

Where are the damn civil rights leaders who used to organize? HELLO

[Inland]

10. Of course. This is business as usual, now.

There are plenty of Americans that are glad to hear that muslim middle eastern people are getting tortured, all the Americans in power are only interested to the extent they have to cover it up and minimize it, and everyone else realizes that thanks to the first two, it is going to continue.

[Straight Shooter]

11. I'll give Karzai credit for knowing how to follow his script to the letter

Hey, bush, throw your dog a bone.

[siliconefreak]

12. it's starting to get more attention

I'm so glad this is starting to get the attention it deserves. It's currently on the front page of MSNBC's website.

http://www.msnbc.com

Their headline says "AFGHAN OUTRAGE". I hope this turns into an "AMERICAN OUTRAGE" but I won't hold my breath waiting for it to happen.

[siliconefreak]

13. lol

And I just noticed they're using a photo of an American soldier who appears to have a slight grin on his face. Makes it look like he's happy about the story.

[daleo]

14. Karzai could have played the French police role in Casablanca

"I am shocked, shocked that there is torture going on in these premises".

[rodeodance]

15. Afghanistan’s Karzai ‘shocked’ by abuse report (16, 700 US

troops in Afgan. I never did know how many there were in Afgan.




http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7923756/

Afghanistan’s Karzai ‘shocked’ by abuse report
Ties tested ahead of Afghan leader’s visit to Washington

Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks in Kabul on Saturday. “No operations inside Afghanistan should take place without the consultation of the Afghan government," Karzai said following the release of a report detailing new abuse allegations against U.S. soldiers.


Updated: 9:09 p.m. ET May 21, 2005

KABUL, Afghanistan - Hours before flying to Washington for talks with President Bush, Afghan leader Hamid Karzai demanded greater control Saturday over American military operations in his country and called for vigorous punishment of any U.S. troops who mistreat prisoners.

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He also said he wants the United States to hand over all Afghan prisoners still in U.S. custody.

In a volatile southern province, meanwhile, a U.S. soldier was killed and three were wounded in the latest in a string of attacks launched by loyalists of the ousted Taliban regime.

Speaking to reporters before his first visit to the United States since he was installed in December as Afghanistan’s first democratically elected president, Karzai demanded more say over operations by the 16,700 U.S. troops still in the country, including an end to raids on the homes of Afghans unless his government was notified beforehand.

[rodeodance]

16. but US memo says Karzai is faulted for not doing the poppy

squah! So, now it is tit for tat.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1489983

[zanne]

17. I predict that Karzai and Bush will be making nice for photo ops...

by the time he finishes his US "visit". I don't know what Bush does to them when they come here, but they usually leave only after having slapped each other on the back in public.

[TheGunslinger]

18. Rove, Racicot, and Mehlman must have a HUGE bag blackmail at the wayside

[leesa]

19. Somebody's afraid of a war crimes trial?

You helped in ALL of this Karzai...don't play your little right wing 'blame someone else for your actions' game.

[Solly Mack]

20. Like he didn't already know... my ass he didn't know

Lying sack of shit...he's just worried he'll be retired if he doesn't speak against it....but he knew. He knew well before he became "elected" (it's in quotes for a reason)