To: steve harris who wrote (232972 ) 5/16/2005 2:09:41 PM From: tejek Respond to Karzai warns heavy-handed US troops as riots spread President Hamid Karzai insisted the Kabul government will veto US military operations after a week of hugely destructive anti-American rioting left Afghan cities and towns in flames and hospitals overflowing with casualties. Searching homes for weapons is a highly contentious issue in the southern and eastern Pushtun tribal areas, especially when soldiers barge into womens' quarters, a deeply insulting act in tribal culture. The military has tried to soothe anger, training female soldiers to search. Afghans also complain that innocent villagers are frequently arrested and taken to Guantanamo Bay or the interrogation centre north of Kabul at Bagram if they are unlucky enough to be in the vicinity of attacks on US soldiers or if they are the victim of faulty intelligence. Last year, Mr Karzai appealed to the US military to rethink their tactics. But he is now demanding control of military activities. He said: "We will allow or not allow operations to be conducted." The last week has seen the worst street violence in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban. Disturbances began in the eastern city of Jalalabad and then spread to smaller cities in the east and north and the capital Kabul. Sixteen died, more than 100 were injured, and millions of dollars worth of damage was done to offices and equipment of Western aid agencies which were targeted by rioters.news.independent.co.uk
