Sam Zarifi
Sam Zarifi
basic belief events firm forces human liberties lie public repeated respect rights statements taken wants
These events give the lie to the king's repeated statements about his firm belief in democracy. If he wants his public commitments to fundamental liberties to be taken seriously, he has to show that his forces will respect basic human rights standards.
afghans allowed cynical human lots people rights serious
Lots of Afghans are disappointed and cynical because they feel like people who perpetrated serious human rights abuses have been allowed back in the parliament.
detain detainees family months release
The US detain people, keep them for a while and then release them without charges. It sometimes take two months for the family to know where the detainees are.
barely collective contains geneva laws threat violation
It contains a barely veiled threat of collective punishment. Making such a threat is a violation of the Geneva conventions and other laws of war.
bombs carrying medical military people picked training
The young people had been used as cooks, porters and medical personnel, but they had had military training and all were carrying grenades and socket bombs when they were picked up.
civilians deeply operate outside path places situation
The vigilantes operate completely outside the law, and this situation places civilians more deeply in the path of danger.
afghan children commit conference donors foreign judged measure medical night number people political safe security seek send success travel whether
The success of the Conference should be judged by how much donors commit to do for the security and development of the Afghan people, not their own political agendas. The real measure of security and development in Afghanistan is not the number of foreign troops, but whether people feel safe enough to go to the market, to travel at night to seek medical care, or to send their children to school.
address afghan basic bloody competence election figures free gun instead legitimacy needs parliament past people produced reflected represent rule schools wants
This election could have produced a parliament that really reflected the wants and needs of the Afghan people to be free from the rule of the gun . . . and for clinics, roads, schools and jobs. Instead what we may get is a parliament stocked with figures who represent the bloody past and who have very little legitimacy or competence to address the basic needs of the country.
feeling growing opportunity
There's a growing feeling of an opportunity lost.
afghans against despite failure financial progress provide security severe struggling sufficient taliban
Because of the international community's failure to provide sufficient security and financial assistance, Afghans are struggling against a resurgent Taliban movement, entrenched warlords, and severe poverty. Afghans have managed to progress despite these challenges, but they need real support, not just rhetoric.
choose unknown voters
Voters had to choose between the unknown and the notorious.