Allegations surface with detainee abuse report in Afghanistan

An investigation is currently underway to determine the extent of Afghan detainee abuses, Reuters reported today. Allegations concerning the incarceration and torture of a man in Ghazni, a town southwest of Kabul, by U.S. and Afghan soldiers come on the heels of reports of increased civilian deaths by U.S. and NATO forces.

Wolfgang Bauer, a journalist for Germany’s Focus magazine, and his photographer witnessed the torture of the detainee. According to Bauer, the suspect refused to talk and was subsequently tied to a car and told that he would be pulled around until he told the truth. After two minutes behind the running car, the man was released without any further discussion.

The U.S. military is currently investigating the incident. “This alleged behavior goes against everything the U.S. military stands for and believes in,” said Army Colonel Martin P. Schweitzer, a commander for foreign troops in the region. The Afghan army has launched a similar investigation into the allegations.

Some former detainees have also alleged mistreatment and torture while in custody, and there have been numerous unexplained deaths.

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