Putting to rest Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s long-standing complaints about the night raid policy of US troops raiding the homes of Afghan civilians in the middle of the night with little to no legal oversight, the two nations have signed a pact which would legalize the practice, albeit in a somewhat different form.
Under the deal, the US will play a “support” role in all future raids, with the Karzai government itself conducting the hugely unpopular attacks on private residences. The captives from such raids would be under Afghan control, and a judge would get to decide after their capture whether or not they remain in custody.
Exactly when this new system for the raids will begin is unclear, as Afghan officials concede that they don’t have any legal system set up to cover this sort of operation. Night raids were the last major issue for a deal to secure a US occupation force in Afghanistan through 2024.
The real question, however, will be how the civilian population reacts, particularly in the Pashtun-dominated south, where the overwhelming number of raids are conducted. The objection to the raids wasn’t solely to their being conducted by foreign occupation forces, and without a search warrant, but to the notion of troops bursting into their homes in the middle of the night in general.
The deal will provide the US more cover than they have had in the past when such night raids go wrong, but even if the warrants curb the large number of civilian deaths and wrongful detentions somewhat it may add to the negative popular sentiment toward the Karzai government.
hmmm, maybe we can reach a deal at home about night terror raids by the American police
How much did we pay for this "deal?"
Woo hoo! Now the Afghans get to supervise and approve the killing of their own people.
Who can blame the Afghans for not supporting night raids. How would we react, if at 2a.m. a number of people dressed as creatures from outer space and bristling with weapons and blinding lights broke down our door and shot everone in sight including small children? And we refer to them as terrorists?
That happens regularly through SWAT raids. Wrong address? Get shot "mistakenly" by the masked sturmtruppen? Tough shyte! "Following departmental guidelines" and all with a judges wave of the hand and a corrupt wink of the eye.
Terrorism has but one solution — End Western imperialism that causes Middle-East vengeance
Greater terrorism to overcome a lesser terrorism, this causes greater vengeance which is the root cause of all terrorism.
Empire USA is a dictatorship, as it is ruled by the 51% most aggressive, most greedy and most wealthy, as they have a monopoly on the voting process.
The DoD announced today the death of Spc. Antonio Burnside from Great Falls Montana who died Friday, April 6 in Ghanzi province from small arms fire. U.S.combat dead in Afghanistan are increasingly being identified as Marine Spc., or Army Spc. and today just Spc.
At least 14 U.S. soldiers have died in combat in Afghanistan in the last 12 days returning to the 2011 averagel of greater than one U.S.soldier each day.
The demand by the U. S. today that Iran abandon its entire nuclear program is a very ominous sign for war throughout the region.