KABUL - AfghanistanÂ’s parliament has granted immunity to all Afghans involved in the countryÂ’s 25 years of conflict, lawmakers said on Thursday, despite calls by human rights groups for war crimes trials.| Carla del Ponte just poured herself a strong drink ... |
| Gul is responsible for more than just the recent chaos, he was the bad boy who pushed Afghanistan into final civil war after the Russkies left. |
The United Nations in Kabul objected immediately. “For any process of national reconciliation to succeed, the suffering of victims must be acknowledged and impunity tackled,” it said in a statement. “No one has the right to forgive those responsible for human rights violations other than the victims themselves.”
| Who are represented by a government, who just decided to forgive them. And who exactly are you to talk about who does the forgiving -- who elected you? |
“In a way, this provides immunity for all,” Shukria Barakzai, a leading woman activist MP, told Reuters. She was among a small group of delegates who left the session in protest.
Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, a former Mujahideen leader who was among the key legislators behind the amnesty, said it was in line with Karzai’s efforts to push national reconciliation. He also believed the immunity would cover Omar and Hekmatyar. “This is a law and the law will be implemented on all individuals equally,” he told Reuters.
The decision was approved days after Karzai again indicated he could consider talks with Taleban leaders to end the bloodshed after the countryÂ’s most violent year since the TalebanÂ’s ouster. One of KarzaiÂ’s advisers on Wednesday clarified talks would not be held with the Taleban as a political, ideological or military group.
| I personally think it's a mistake, but I'm sitting in my comfortable study in the States, not in Afghanistan, so I'm really not in a position to judge. Sure would like to see Omar and Gul have work accidents in the real near future. |