For Afghans, more tricks than treats

Excuse the Halloween metaphor, but in reading the report of the latest indictments against US soldiers for abuse in Afghanistan, it was hard to resist.

Two Engineers of the 296th Combat Engineers Battalion stationed in Tarin Kwot, Oruzgan, were charged with assault on two prisoners held there in July. The only information released says the men were kicked in the stomach, body and head by these soldiers during the two days they awaited transfer to Bagram.

There are many questions raised by this latest "treat" of accountability offered to Afghans.

Firstly, and most obviously, why are Combat Engineers (normally in the business of blowing up bridges) in the business of building up Afghan infrastructure in a combat zone? How are they supposed to peacefully build up Afghanistan's infrastructure, offering lasting "treats" to the locals while encountering combat situations and taking prisoners? Doesn't it seem strange to have Engineers sweeping up prisoners, let alone beating them up? If the roads are being built for humanitarian reasons (more than one has been funded by USAID), how can "combat engineers" be soldiers and humanitarians at the same time?


Rebuilding Afghanistan while at war there credit

Secondly, given that as US spokesmen report, of only 120 reports of abuse in Afghanistan, only 17 have been substantiated, isn't this indictment merely a "trick" to distract attention from the over 100 "unsubstantiated" cases? (In Army speak, "unsubstantiated" often means an investigation was not finished due to logistical or security reasons, it does not always indicate a thorough refutation of the allegations.)


Navy documents (.pdf) regarding "unsubstantiated" watered-down version of report in "Taliban Country"

One "unsubstantiated" case even occured in the exact same location (Oruzgan Province) one year prior, as featured on our site, Taliban Country. In this film, 35 male villagers (including elders) claim they were taken prisoner and sexually humiliated and abused. Ironically, the reason for the lack of evidence, or "unsubstantiation," of these allegations in Taliban Country was that the area was "too unsafe" to investigate in. (But not of course, for "road-building" engineers to take prisoners and beat them.)