British soldiers arrested over report they molested Afghan children, filmed it

[moderate libertarian]

Not on Drudge report yet, this is bound to fuel more resentment against foreign troops:


British soldiers arrested over alleged abuse of Afghan children

19 January 2012

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- An investigation has been launched after two British soldiers allegedly abused two children while being deployed in Afghanistan, officials said on Thursday. The Afghan government and the Taliban have condemned the news.

The two soldiers are alleged to have filmed, on multiple occasions, a young boy and a 10-year-old girl as they forced them to touch their private parts through their clothes. The soldiers, who were in full uniform, later showed the footage to other soldiers on their laptops.

After receiving complaints from other soldiers, a sergeant and a private in the Mercian Battle Group were arrested by the military police. The UK Royal Military Police is investigating the allegations and has seized a number of laptops.

The office of Afghan President Hamid Karzai said it is 'deeply disturbed' by the reports and strongly condemned the 'immoral act'. "The government of Afghanistan is immensely disgusted by the rise in recent incidents of immoral nature among foreign soldiers that clearly undermine public confidence and the Afghan people's cooperation with foreign troops," a statement said.

The latest allegations come just a week after a controversial video was uploaded to the Internet, showing four U.S. Marines, uniformed and equipped with combat gear, urinating on the bodies of three people, believed to be dead Taliban fighters. It also comes less than two weeks after the Afghan government claimed U.S. forces 'abused and tortured' prisoners at Afghanistan's main prison, Bagram.

http://channel6newsonline.com/2012/01/british-soldiers-arrested-over-alleged-abuse-of-afghan-children/


Hamid Karzai condemns alleged Afghan child abuse by British soldiers

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/9023214/Hamid-Karzai-condemns-alleged-Afghan-child-abuse-by-British-soldiers.html

[CaptainAmerica]

absolutely DISGUSTING

[moderate libertarian]

Yep.

[specsaregood]

This sounds like normal afghan custom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacha_bazi



The practice of 'Bacha bazi' prompted the US Defense Department to hire social scientist AnnaMaria Cardinalli to investigate the problem, as Western soldiers on patrol often passed older men walking hand-in-hand with pretty young boys. British soldiers found that young Afghan men were actually trying to "touch and fondle them," which the soldiers didn't understand.

http://original.antiwar.com/vlahos/2010/04/12/a-deal-with-the-devil/

[moderate libertarian]

http://original.antiwar.com/vlahos/2010/04/12/a-deal-with-the-devil/



The Rape of the Afghan Boys

by Kelley B. Vlahos, April 13, 2010

We talk about the possibility of losing the war in Afghanistan, but what if we lose our soul in Afghanistan?

Indirectly, Frontline will be asking that very question on April 20 with an underground report on the resurgence of bacha bazi or "boy play" among the wealthiest and most powerful men in northern Afghanistan. It’s the pustule threatening to burst all over the righteousness of our humanitarian effort there, and just the tip of the sick fact of how poor Afghan children are systematically used, abused, and tossed away by the ruling elite and even Afghan soldiers living, training, and fighting alongside our own.



Report you cited is from last year, not clear if you were suggesting these are same British troops.

US allied with Northen Alliance in Afghaninstan and article you cited is also saying child sex abuse has seen resurgence in Northen Afghanistan. But British troops even if were "joining in" the child sex abuse with some sick war lord allies or their soldiers and filming it, it remains totally disgusting. There is absolutely no reason to condone child sex abuse by US policy makers even if it is done to make allies with war lords.


The Warlord's Tune: Afghanistan's war on children

Updated February 22, 2010 12:58:00


There is also evidence this type of abuse is spreading throughout Afghanistan.

Mr Alimy says his research shows it is happening in the south and even in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

"It's true they make the boys wear girls' clothes and make them dance in front of many men," he said.

The powerful men he refers to are often former warlords who helped drive the Taliban out of the north. Others are wealthy businessmen. Under the Taliban, bacha bazi was outlawed. Today it is still a crime, but clearly there is no concerted effort being made to stop the practice and the criminal activity that surrounds it.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-02-22/the-warlords-tune-afghanistans-war-on-children/338920


In unrelated reports, heroin profits in Afghanistan jumped over 100% in 2011 comprared to previous years. Obama escalated war in Afghanistan in same period with number of US troops there increased to over 100K. Strange resurgences going on with war pumping.

[specsaregood]

But British troops even if were "joining in" the child sex abuse with some sick war lord allies or their soldiers and filming it, it remains totally disgusting. There is absolutely no reason to condone child sex abuse by US policy makers even if it is done to make allies with war lords.


Yeah, not condoning or whatever. Just pointing out that this was part of their local customs for a long time and was only outlawed for a shortwhile under the rule of the taliban. Once the taliban were removed, it came back into being.

especially interesting since some people claim the elites in our own country are all part of a child-rape cult.

[moderate libertarian]

Yeah, not condoning or whatever. Just pointing out that this was part of their local customs for a long time and was only outlawed for a shortwhile under the rule of the taliban.

I see what you're saying and I was referring to US alliance with war lords.
But the the term "local custom" you used would be misleading for readers. That is like saying prostitution or injecting needles is a "local custom" in America. It happens everywhere in America, more common in some areas than others but that does not make it a "local custom".



Once the taliban were removed, it came back into being.

I would phrase it as "once the Talibans were removed and US led alliance occupied Afghanistan, child sex abuse had a resurgence".
If Talibans cannot outlaw sex abuse of children, there is no reason US/NATO forces cannot outlaw it...unless they decide to condone it.