Teen hanging sheds light on increasing number of Taliban attacks on children

As reported in Wednesday’s Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Newsline:

TEENAGER'S HANGING HIGHLIGHTS RISING NUMBER OF CHILD KILLINGS IN AFGHANISTANThe United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on October 2 condemned the hanging of a 15-year-old boy by Taliban rebels in the volatile southern Helmand Province two days earlier, criticizing the growing frequency with which children and young people are being "targeted so cynically," the Integrated Regional Information Network reported.

Killing children "goes against all norms in Afghan society, is against international law, and we condemn such actions unreservedly," UNAMA spokesman Aleem Siddique said of the September 30 killing, in which the boy was hung from a tree and his mouth stuffed with dollar bills.

In a separate incident involving children on September 30, a bomb disguised as a toy exploded in Khost Province, killing two children and wounding five others, provincial police spokesman Wazir Pacha said.

Afghan and Western officials have repeatedly accused the Taliban of using children as human shields during clashes with coalition forces, often in an effort to increase civilian casualties and subsequently blame them on Western militaries as part of its propaganda campaign (see "RFE/RL Newsline," July 26, 2007).

Schools are also being targeted, making it difficult for girls in particular to have access to education (see "RFE/RL Newsline," July 10, 2007). On June 15, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a school in Tarinkot, the capital of Oruzgan Province, as children were leaving, killing 11 and wounding several others. Over 400 schools are still closed in many southern provinces due to insecurity.

To access the article, click here.

Afghan president offers government positions to Taliban in new peace proposal

When Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced on September 29 that he was willing to give militants government positions in exchange for peace, some Taliban leaders refused. However, RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan reported that some leaders are not averse to the peace talks after all.

Karzai spokesman Humayun Hamidzada said: “The information we have received from tribal elders indicates that different groups operating inside Afghanistan under the Taliban name are discussing this issue seriously. In this case, we don't expect huge developments in the very near future, but we hope that those who want peace and stability in Afghanistan will come step by step to join the ongoing peaceful process."

Karzai pledged to hold talks under two conditions: he will only negotiate with Afghan, not foreign, Taliban fighters, and will not meet with militants associated with al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups.

“We are ready to negotiate to bring peace [to] this country,” Karzai said. “Continuation of the war, explosions, and suicide attacks should be stopped in any way possible. There were some contacts with [Taliban] in the past. But there is no specific, clear-cut line of communication – I mean, there is no official place for communication with the Taliban. I wish there were such a place.”

Tim Foxley, a researcher at Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said that, in theory, talking to “moderate” Taliban leaders would weaken the insurgency, but admits the difficulty in finding these kinds of figures.

For the full article, click here.

Afghan boy hanged for having U.S. dollars

A 15-year-old boy was hanged from a tree on Sunday in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province for carrying U.S. money in his pocket, The Associated Press reported today.

District Police Chief Wali Mohammad said the brutal act was used as a warning to villagers not to use U.S. currency. Taliban militants placed five $1 bills in the boy’s mouth to serve as a reminder.

According to the article: “Dollars are commonly used in Afghanistan alongside the afghani, the local currency, although the U.S. currency is more commonly seen in larger cities where international organizations are found.”

In a related development, Chief Mohammad also reported that Taliban militants in Helmand shot and killed a man seeking farm assistance and seeds from an international aid program.

Due to the surge in violence, President Hamid Karzai has expressed willingness to meet personally with Taliban leader Mullah Omar and Hezb-i-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

However, representatives from the groups declared that no talks will take place until international troops leave Afghanistan.

“Karzai has, in fact, no authority in the presence of American troops. Talks would be a waste of time in such a situation,” Haroon Zarghun, a purported spokesman for Hezb-i-Islami, told The Associated Press by telephone. “If the United States announces to leave Afghanistan, then we will be ready to hold talks.”

Negotiators working through Afghan elders to secure release of 4 Red Cross workers

Four International Red Cross workers were abducted by an “armed group” on Wednesday in the province of Wardak, located outside of Kabul. Negotiation through tribal elders will be used in lieu of military action to free the four men, two of whom are foreigners, Agence France Presse reported Thursday.

Negotiators are now in contact with the kidnappers through prominent tribal elders and influential government leaders.

This incident comes on the heels of a series of abductions of foreigners working in Afghanistan. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for some of these past abductions but denies involvement in the present kidnapping.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has played a significant role in the release of hostages in the past, including the 21 South Korean Christian aid workers that were recently released.

For the full article, click here.

Taliban allows Afghan polio team to enter southern provinces

The World Health Organization announced Sunday that medical teams have now been allowed to treat polio patients in areas such as Helmand and Kandahar provinces, Agence France Presse reported the same day.

These areas have seen some of the most severe violence of the Taliban insurgency.

Access to these areas has not been allowed for months, and this new development has been long-awaited by patients suffering from the crippling disease. Afghanistan is one of the few countries where polio still exists; there were 31 new cases reported last year.

The Afghan health workers, who are part of a WHO vaccination drive, successfully convinced Taliban leaders that their work was to benefit all children, non-Taliban and Taliban alike.

For the full article, click here.

Suicide bombing in Afghanistan’s Helmand province kills eight

Four policemen and four civilians were killed today in a suicide bombing at a police station in Helmand Province, Agence France Presse reported.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack and has since vowed to increase attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, which began on September 13.

The bombing trails a September 11 attack in Helmand that killed 29 people in one of the deadliest Taliban strikes since 2001.

Helmand, where illegal opium is widely cultivated, has seen the some of worst violence since 2001. According to the article, “The unrest has claimed more than 5,000 lives this year, according to an AFP count based on reports, with the violence focused in southern and eastern areas adjoining Pakistan. Nearly 4,000 of the dead are militants themselves.”

For the full article, click here.

Bangladeshi aid worker kidnapped in Afghanistan, government calls for his release

Nurul Islam, an aid worker with the Bagladesh Rural Advancement Committee, was kidnapped over the weekend by four gunmen in Afghanistan’s Logar Province, prompting the Bangladesh government to call for his immediate release today, Reuters reported.

The Taliban has declared it will only kidnap citizens from nations that have troops stationed in Afghanistan. Bangladesh does not have troops in the country.

Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, advisor to the interim Bangladeshi government, asserted that Islam’s work in Afghanistan was purely humanitarian and called for immediate release.

For the full article, click here.