Reply #22: War crime in Afghanistan [View All]

[Zan_of_Texas]

Even if you think we should have invaded Afghanistan (and I don't and I didn't and I published an article to that effect shortly after 9-11), do you think we should have committed or overseen atrocities there?

Don't think we did? It was in Newsweek. Front cover article.

August 26th, 2002 Newsweek, "The Death Convoy of Afghanistan," is an exclusive investigation about 1000 Afghan people who were captured and put in rail boxcars with no air and no water. These prisoners were captured by troops who, while not American, were under American control and supervision. The people died excruciating deaths of thirst, suffocation and crowding, and were secretly buried in a mass grave, which was bulldozed over. Drivers told those in charge that the people were suffering inhumane conditions, and attempted to at least poke holes in the boxcars so the prisoners could get air. The drivers were beaten. You can find this story at Newsweek.com (for a fee), or at a mirror site: http://www.scc.losrios.edu/~bodleyd/DeathConvoy.html

OR mirror site http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.21A.death.convoy.htm

In at least one container, the prisoners themselves managed to rip holes in the wooden floor, and
all of them survived. Abdul, a 28-year-old pashtun, is one who lived. NEWSWEEK interviewed him in Sheberghan prison. He recalls that his container was packed to the breaking point. After nearly 24 hours without water, Abdul says, the prisoners were so desperate with thirst that they began licking the sweat off each other's bodies. Some prisoners began to lose their reason and started biting those around them.

I read the actual article -- the photos upset me tremendously.

This was done in our name. Our country is committing heinous war crimes.

You read the whole article and tell me (a) that those people did anything to us, and (b) even if, by some wild stretch of the imagination, you believe they did, that that was a way for human beings to treat other human beings.