Hillary's warzone Thanksgiving week (fixed)

[ShaneGR]

I've often wondered why the Presidential candidates with security clearance to get government escort don't visit Afghanistan or Iraq (I would suppose this to include Kerry, Edwards, Gephardt, Lieberman, and Kucinich). I'm not saying that as a negative, as it's a dangerous place for a Presidential candidate. But it seems like an opportunity to find out more about the realities of what is happening, and get some press. Hillary is in Afghanistan today, and will be visiting Iraq over the weekend. She's with another another Dem, Harry Reed.

Anyways, so much for Dems not caring about the troops:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/998749.asp?0cv=CA00

(snip)
TURKEY WITH THE TROOPS
Clinton and Reed, who once served as a U.S. Army paratrooper, were having Thanksgiving dinner with U.S. troops at Bagram Air Base, just north of the capital, and then flying to join U.S. forces at another base in the southern city of Kandahar for the traditional turkey meal.
Democratic senators have been critical of the Bush administration’s handling of post-combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Clinton, who represents New York state, was to meet at Bagram with members of the 10th Mountain Division, which is based in Fort Drum, N.Y.

[IndianaGreen]

1. Afghanistan: Warlords Implicated in New Abuses (HRW)

Women and girls in Afghanistan are as oppressed now as they were under the Taliban. Their lot has actually gotten worse. The rise of the warlords eliminated the peace and order that existed under the Taliban rule. Many Pashtuns, who are the majority of the population, are now sympathetic to the resurgent Taliban as a reaction against the current anarchy.

Karzai is a puppet that rules only within his heavely fortified presidential palace.

I believe these are but some of the facts on the ground that have escaped Senators Clinton and Reed's attention during their carefully choreographed visit to the troops.

Afghanistan: Warlords Implicated in New Abuses
Report Details Threats to Women's Rights, Freedom of Expression

(New York, July 29, 2003) - Afghan warlords and political strongmen supported by the United States and other nations are engendering a climate of fear in Afghanistan that is threatening efforts to adopt a new constitution and could derail national elections scheduled for mid-2004, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today.

The report warns that violence, political intimidation, and attacks on women and girls are discouraging political participation and endangering gains made on women's rights in Afghanistan over the last year.

"Human rights abuses in Afghanistan are being committed by gunmen and warlords who were propelled into power by the United States and its coalition partners after the Taliban fell in 2001," said Brad Adams, executive director of the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch. "These men and others have essentially hijacked the country outside of Kabul. With less than a year to go before national elections, Afghanistan's human rights situation appears to be worsening."

http://hrw.org/press/2003/07/afghan072903.htm

[ShaneGR]

2. OK, lets just leave Afghanistan, hand it back to the Taliban

If you say so.

[IndianaGreen]

3. The Taliban flogged women. In "free" Afghanistan women are raped!

There is nothing worse than insular American politicians making ignorant remarks when they go overseas.

"During the Taleban era if a woman went to market and showed an inch of flesh she would have been flogged, now she's raped."

Amnesty International, 6 October 2003

Afghanistan: No justice and security for women

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, 6 October 2003

Abuses perpetrated by armed groups against women and girls since the fall of the Taleban government in November 2001 include rape, abduction, and forced and underage marriage. The exact extent and prevalence of such abuses remains unclear owing to the reluctance of most victims to speak out and the limited capacity for monitoring. However, the opening of regional offices of the AIHRC is beginning to increase the amount of available information about such violence. The initial work by the AIHRC in this area indicates that the abuse of women by armed groups is so common that the body's research department has decided to maintain a separate category in its files for such incidents.

Amnesty International's research indicates a systematic pattern of abuse against women and girls in Mazar-e Sharif, and incidence of abuse in both Nangarhar and Bamiyan provinces. Human Rights Watch has reported on the occurrence of rape of women, girls and boys in southeast Afghanistan, including in Laghman, Ghazni, Gardez and Nangarhar provinces, and in Paghman district of Kabul province.

Incidents reported to Amnesty International included the rape of four girls by members of an armed group. The youngest, aged 12, was unconscious as a result of her injuries when brought to hospital by her parents. UNAMA has investigated a number of incidents of abuse of women and girls by members of armed groups, including incidence of forced marriage of girls as young as 12.

http://rawa.fancymarketing.net/ai-women2.htm

Full Amnesty International Report:

http://www.web.amnesty.org/library/index/engasa110232003

[donsu]

9. every second of every day in the US women are raped

so are girls and toddlers

so are boys

the Taliban uses religion as a front

[IndianaGreen]

10. Did you understand the Amnesty International report about rapes?

Or does that interfere with a world view that America is a good country doing good things all over the world?

Wasn't America the same country that created the criminal that Osama bin Laden is today?

[bicentennial_baby]

4. Hahahaha

Dude, the Taliban never left! Half of them switched sides until the coast was clear, and the other half hid out in Pakistan. They're making a comeback in a major way. Post-Taliban Afghanistan is an equally dangerous and violent place. We did'nt help out the people of Afghanistan one bit with our Trans-Caspian Oil Pipeline War.

[IndianaGreen]

5. I can't hardly wait to hear what Hillary and Reed will say

once they get to Iraq.

[bicentennial_baby]

6. Bush is there

Just saw it on Faux News...Suprise visit to the troops! He's in Baghdad. :puke:

[IndianaGreen]

7. Is he really in Baghdad

or is he flying 35,000 feet over Baghdad?

[bicentennial_baby]

8. Good question

I'm sure if there's a photo op to be had, we'll see it soon enough. :eyes: