[Peace-political] Fwd: [SRRTAC-L:6906] Afghan "Opposition": Not exactly a democratic alternative

[Al Kagan]

FYI

>Delivered-To: akagan at alexia.lis.uiuc.edu
>X-Sender: iskra at pop.earthlink.net
>Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2001 12:49:34 -0400
>To: SRRT Action Council <srrtac-l at ala.org>
>From: Mark Rosenzweig <iskra at earthlink.net>
>Subject: [SRRTAC-L:6906] Afghan "Opposition": Not exactly a 
>democratic alternative
>Reply-To: srrtac-l at ala.org
>Sender: owner-srrtac-l at ala.org
>Status:  
>
>On the character of the Northern United Front the US is arming and
>mobilizing as the military/political alternative to the Taliban....
>
>>FROM HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
>>For Immediate Release:
>>
>>For more information, please contact:
>>In Washington, Joost Hiltermann: +1-202-612-4359
>>In New York, Vikram Parekh: +1-212-216-1237
>>+1-212-290-4700 x237
>>In Brussels, Jean-Paul Marthoz, 322-732-2009
>>
>>Afghanistan: Poor Rights Record of Opposition Commanders
>>
>>(New York, October 6, 2001) - A number of commanders associated with the
>>emerging coalition of opposition forces in Afghanistan have a record of
>>serious human rights abuse, Human Rights Watch said in a backgrounder
>>released today.
>>"The U.S. and its allies should not cooperate with commanders whose
>>record of brutality raises questions about their legitimacy inside
>>Afghanistan," said Sidney Jones, executive director of the Asia division
>>of Human Rights Watch. "Any country that gives assistance to the Afghan
>>opposition must take responsibility for how this assistance is used."
>>Human Rights Watch urged in particular that no cooperation be extended
>>to Abdul Rashid Dostum, the head of the Junbish militia; Haji Muhammad
>>Muhaqqiq, a senior commander of Hizb-i Wahdat; Abdul Rasul Sayyaf,
>>leader of the erstwhile Ittihad-i Islami; and Abdul Malik Pahlawan, a
>>former senior Junbish commander.
>>Abuses that were reported from an area controlled by a United Front
>>faction in late 1999 and early 2000 include summary executions, burning
>>of houses, and looting, principally targeting ethnic Pashtuns and others
>>suspected of supporting the Taliban. Children, including those under the
>>age of fifteen, have been recruited by both the United Front and
>>Taliban.
>>The various parties that comprise the United Front also amassed a
>>deplorable record of attacks on civilians between the fall of the
>>Najibullah regime in 1992 and the Taliban's capture of Kabul in 1996.
>>"Not a single Afghan commander has been held accountable for human
>>rights abuses," said Jones. "The time to break this cycle of impunity is
>>now, and the United States and its allies will have the leverage to do
>>it."
>>
>>The backgrounder can be found at
>>http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/afghan-bck1005.htm.
>>

-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu