According to the 2007 Amnesty International report, available online here:
The government and its international partners were unable to ensure security and a climate of political uncertainty grew in the course of the year. Armed conflict, marked by aerial bombardments and suicide bombings, escalated in southern parts of the country. At least 1,000 civilians were killed. Poor governance, the power of regional commanders and the impact of narcotics undermined the rule of law and human rights. Government security bodies committed human rights violations with impunity. There was little reform of judicial, law enforcement and security agencies. Women continued to face violence. Human rights defenders, including women, were targeted and killed. It became increasingly dangerous to speak out against human rights abuses and for justice.
In other words, don’t plan any vacations there. The US government invades, sets up its own absolute legal authority, then conducts relentless attacks on the civilians unfortunate enough to live in the region. Because Washington controls the Karzai regime, which it has installed by force, the attacks are “legal”, and anything Washington wants to do in the area is legal as well. It reminds me of a quote:
The struggle must continue til the misguided creatures there shall have their eyes bathed in enough blood to cause their vision to be cleared, and to understand that not only is resistance useless, but that those whom they are now holding as enemies have no purpose toward them except to consecrate them to liberty and to open to them a way to happiness.
— Salt Lake City Tribune, 1899
That was referring to this massacre, which is usually called the “Spanish-American War” by the establishment. Another racist, vicious attack on non-WASPs by the US government, led at the time by a dangerously insane Methodist. My, my, my, my, my … how things change.
