Afghans killed for demonstrating

From Associated Press:

Afghan police kill 8 at protest

By KATHY GANNON and MIRWAIS KHAN

05/08/2013 09:27:52 AM CDT

KABUL, Afghanistan—Afghan police were accused of killing eight protesters at a demonstration on Wednesday as the U.S.-led coalition said it had opened an investigation into allegations of misconduct by NATO troops during an encounter with insurgents.

Both incidents occurred in southern Afghanistan where violence has escalated in recent weeks following a Taliban announcement launching the start of its spring offensive.

Villagers in the town of Maiwand said Afghan police opened fire on hundreds of demonstrators who were protesting raids that Afghan and NATO forces conducted in their village of Loye Karez two days earlier.

Accounts differed as to whether the eight killed were unarmed protesters or militants. Ten other people were wounded.

Kandahar Provincial Police Chief Gen. Abdul Raziq said Taliban insurgents had infiltrated the demonstration.

Abdul Qayyum, a 45-year-old demonstrator, disputed that, telling The Associated Press by phone that “there were no Taliban among the protesters.”

“The local people of Maiwand district are so upset and unhappy with the government and the foreigners because they are conducting night raids on the houses of local people,” he said. “With no reason, they are entering local houses and doing whatever they want. We don’t want all these things to keep happening to us.”

In the past, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has bitterly criticized raids on village homes, particularly those carried out during
the night.

In a separate incident, the NATO-led force said Wednesday that it had launched an investigation into allegations of misconduct following an internal report into an April 28 encounter with insurgents in Zabul province.

The statement did not offer more details and Lt. Tamarac Dyer, a spokeswoman for the coalition, told the AP in an email that “this is the only information we are able to release at this time due to the ongoing investigation.”

Afghan officials were not immediately available for comment.

The statement quoted U.S. Gen. Joseph Dunford, the top commander of NATO and U.S. troops in Afghanistan, as saying that the alliance takes “all allegations of misconduct by our personnel very seriously.” He pledged to “fully investigate the incident and keep the Afghan government informed.”

Karzai reveals US plan for permanent Afghanistan bases: here.

British troops will start serving longer tours in Afghanistan, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said today: here.

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