http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...sa_abuses_dc_5
Human Rights Group Claims U.S. Abuses in Afghanistan
By Mike Collett-White

KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. forces in Afghanistan (news - web sites) used excessive force during arrests of suspected Islamic militants, resulting in avoidable civilian deaths and possibly violating international law, Human Rights Watch said Monday.


A report by the U.S.-based group said that at least 1,000 Afghans and foreigners had been detained from 2002 by U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, some of them subjected to torture and denied the right to challenge their detention.


While many have been released, some remain in detention in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. naval base in Cuba.


A U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan said the report indicated a "lack of understanding" of armed conflict laws.


"We are very careful on how we use force," said Lieutenant-Colonel Bryan Hilferty. "We follow very strict rules of engagement and we follow the law of war.


"Afghanistan is currently a combat zone, and forces here are engaged in combat operations against determined enemy forces. We apply appropriate rules of engagement for combat operations and are in full compliance with the law of armed conflict."


In criticisms echoing international condemnation of Guantanamo Bay, the report said detainees in U.S. detention centers at Bagram air base and elsewhere in Afghanistan were denied access to families, lawyers and journalists.


It also said three people had died while in U.S. custody in Afghanistan, and criticized the U.S. military for failing to investigate the deaths properly and make public its findings.


"We are currently investigating the deaths of persons under custody," said the military's Hilferty.


Around 13,000 U.S.-led troops are hunting remnants of the ousted Taliban and al Qaeda network.


Afghans accuse them of heavy-handedness. The U.S. military admits causing civilian deaths in botched operations but rejects some of the local allegations.


"ALMOST TOTAL IMPUNITY"


Little is known about U.S. detention centers in the country, which the report said the Americans operated "in a climate of almost total impunity."


Hilferty said several temporary detention centers existed around the country, but the main center was at Bagram, just north of Kabul, where around 150 people are being held.


Human Rights Watch quoted a U.N. official who collected complaints about U.S. operations in 2002 as saying U.S. forces used "cowboy-like excessive force" against Afghans, most of whom turned out to be law-abiding citizens.


It detailed the case of Ahmed Khan, a resident of Zormat district in the eastern province of Paktia, whose house was rocketed and hit by helicopter machine guns in July 2002 before Khan was arrested with two teenage sons.


Hoods were put over their heads and they were flown to Bagram from where they were later released. During the raid a farmer was killed by gunfire and a woman hurt.





The report criticized "suppressing," or indiscriminate fire used during arrest operations to immobilize possible enemy forces. It also said U.S. troops sometimes detained all men of a military age found in the vicinity of an operation.

Former detainees complained of being photographed naked, deprived of sleep for several weeks, beaten unconscious, held in solitary confinement and shackled.

Five men held for 16 days in 2002 and later released were given the equivalent of 70 U.S. cents each by a local interpreter after an American apologized to them and promised compensation.

Human Rights Watch called on the United States to declare where the military and the CIA (news - web sites) were holding suspects, to ensure detainees were treated according to international law and to allow families and lawyers to see them.

Hilferty said that while militants in Afghanistan did not come under the Geneva Convention, since they were not in uniform and did not represent a state, they were treated with respect.

"We do have them see the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross), they get three meals a day, they do get prayer opportunity, they do get medical attention."

Another marxist group that feigns "human rights" to manufacture anti-American propaganda and disinformation.

When that group aplies the exact same standards to Cuba and North Korea, I might take notice.

I honestly don't care if we use a little "encouragement" to get these guys to talk.

war is hell
shit gets broke
people get killed
that's why sane societies avoid starting them against bigger and stronger adversaries

if the same rules of engagement that were used in ww2 were used now then we'd see some real civilian casualties, not this piddly shit. the current war goes to excessive lengths to limit collateral damage, to the point of putting our soldiers at increased risk from illegal combatants, but no matter what, partisan groups will bitch

Hey John, when posting articles please also post a bit of commentary..... a sentence or two will do.... elsewise it will be considered SPAM.....

Everyone knows how I feel about these things.
My reposting my feelings would be redundant.

Yes.... but if not done people can post tons of articles with no feedback ..... just a sentence or two relating your stance on the article is all that is asked for..... it helps generate discussion.... as well as helping us to differentiate users that are interested in discussion and those who just wish to SPAM the Forums with articles for no other reason than to.... well SPAM us...

not every one has been here since 2000, some of us may be ignorant of your views

That as well is an excellent point.....

Ignorance is not allowed!
I will smite thee!!

I'm against any form of abuse of humans, wherein the basic fundamental rights are violeted, or they are treated as if they are nothing more than mere animals.

vBulletin Message
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to errhead again.

enough said