South & Central Asia Human Rights Group Urges End to US Aid to Afghan Warlords
VOA News
23 Sep 2003, 03:03 UTC
A human rights group has urged President Bush to end U.S. financial support and arms deliveries to Afghan warlords and military commanders accused of human rights abuses.
The request by Human Rights Watch comes as Afghan President Hamid Karzai visits New York to attend the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. Mr. Karzai plans to meet with Mr. Bush on the sidelines of the conference.
Human Rights Watch says that since leading the military effort to oust the Taleban in 2001, the United States has tried to support the government in Kabul while providing arms and money to regional warlords and military commanders who have joined the fight against Taleban remnants and al-Qaida.
But the group says it has documented systematic rights violations by gunmen under the warlords' command. It says the regional warlords are destabilizing the county. (snip/...)
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