Afghanistan condemns “lenient” US military verdicts in prisoner abuse trial

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2005/August/subcontinent_August975.xml§ion=subcontinent&col=

KABUL - Afghanistan on Saturday condemned as too lenient the jail terms of up to three months each for two US soldiers whose abuse of Afghan detainees led to the prisoners’ deaths.

“We think the punishments given to those who have severely violated human rights are very light and unexpectedly lenient,” said President Hamid Karzai’s spokesman Karim Rahimi. “They should have been given severe punishments.”

The two soldiers were tried in a US military court in Texas, leading to the first judicial sentences handed to any American soldier for prisoner abuse in Afghanistan since 2001.

“We’re disappointed,” Rahimi said.

[acmavm]

1. Haven't they been paying attention to the other trials? I guess not.

.

[Judi Lynn]

2. These soldiers just might be in line for some of those dandy

Purple Heart Band-Aids. It would be fitting.

[rodeodance]

3. good example of showing our resolve (to dumb down these incidents)

[pfitz59]

4. UNOCAL Karzai is a tool....

This statemnet is designed to curry favor with the peasants (and perhaps fend off the next assasination attempt!)