9/27/10

The American Way: Spreading Democracy to Afghanistan, One Journalist’s Arrest at a Time

Can someone tell Peacenik again why Canada is involved in a corrupt, pointless, never -ending war in Afghanistan? No freedom of the press in Afghanistan. Corrupt elections. Drug production going through the roof. Innocent civilians getting killed all over the place. And war crimes that are shrugged off like it was just kids having a bit of harmless fun. Oh yeah, and Canada can't afford to pay the tab.

Are any of the reasons trotted out by politicians true? Can any politician make a cogent case for why Canada should be involved in Afghanistan? But the worst thing about Canada's involvement is that not one politician will stand up and say "Bring the troops home now." Peacenik doesn't know which is worse: this pointless war being covered by a kowtowing  corporate media or having Canada governed by the biggest bunch of gutless, chickenshit politicians imaginable. Bring the troops home now. There. Peacenik said it again. Why won't any politician?

by Dave Lindorff

US-led forces in Afghanistan sure did a bang-up job this week at promoting the concept of Western "democracy."
The so-called International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the puppet intelligence agency of the Afghan government, between them, arrested and held three journalists, Rahmatullah Nekzad, a freelance reporter for Al Jazeera and the Associated Press, Mohammed Nader, a staff correspondent and cameraman for Al Jazeera, and Hojatullah Mojadadi, an Afghan local radio station manager, and held them all without charge for the "crime" of allegedly having developed contacts with the Taliban. Nekzada and Nader were held for three days. Mojadadi was held by Afghan authorities for six days.
The three were ultimately released following international pressure and following demands for the release of the two NATO-held journalists made by Afghan President Hamid Karzai.