October 24, 2005
Afghanistan
:A public relations disaster for the United States is coming from the first front on the war on terror. It was announced Wednesday that the Army is investigating criminal behavior amid allegations that American soldiers had burned the bodies of two dead Taliban fighters and used the smoking corpses to frighten the insurgents. Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the burnings and said that he was taken aback by the pictures he witnessed. The Muslim faith prhibits cremation and holds respect for human remains. Meanwhile, provisional results have been released a month after elections were held for Afghanistan’s Parliament and it appears that Islamic conservatives won large portions of the vote.
(Filed under: Asia, Afghanistan, America)
October 17, 2005
Afghanistan
:Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the nation to praise the nation’s “march towards democracy” amid increased violence. Sixty militants attacked a policy convoy killing twenty-one people. The attack highlighted the struggle ongoing in the first American war post-September 11st where insurgents continue to fight a prolonged conflict. Fourteen hundred died in the last year due to ongoing violence.
(Filed under: Bush Administration, Asia, Afghanistan, America)
October 3, 2005
Afghanistan
:After a series off good news for rebuilding the nation, including a seemingly successful election, violence broke out this week with the first major bombing in Kabul in months. Eight members of the military and a civilian bus driver were killed. Meanwhile, with 80% of the vote counted from elections two weeks ago, widespread fraud is feared. Approximately 4% of ballot boxes across the nation are under investigation for potential fraud, which the European Union, who is observing the election, said “we are taking irregularities very seriously.”