This is the result of our freedom crusade? LOL! What a joke. I predict the puppet governments of Afghanistan and Iraq will be nothing like democracy in 10 years. Hell, they are nothing like democracy now!

quote:

Afghan journalism student sentenced to 20 years By AMIR SHAH, Associated Press Writer – Tue Oct 21, 12:22 pm ET KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan appeals court overturned a death sentence Tuesday for a journalism student accused of blasphemy for asking questions in class about women's rights under Islam. But the judges still sentenced him to 20 years in prison. The case against 24-year-old Parwez Kambakhsh, whose brother has angered Afghan warlords with his own writings, has come to symbolize Afghanistan's slide toward an ultraconservative view on religious and individual freedoms. "I don't accept the court's decision," Kambakhsh told The Associated Press as he was leaving the courtroom. "It is an unfair decision." The case can be appealed to the Supreme Court, the highest court in Afghanistan. John Dempsey, a U.S. lawyer working for six years to reform the Afghan justice system, said Kambakhsh has yet to get a fair trial. "Procedurally, he did not have many of his rights respected," said Dempsey, who attended the trial. "He was detained far longer than he should have been legally held. The defense lawyer was not even allowed to meet the witnesses until a night before the trial."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081021/ap_on_re_as/as_afghan_journalist_trial

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lower court overturns his original sentence of death. Now gets to appeal that ruling to the Supreme Court. Sounds like the makings of a proper independent judiciary. Granted the rulings are as harsh as anywhere in Muslim society but a speedy independent judiciary is a foundation of any modern democracy. And like all democracies will evolve over time.

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Originally posted by Q5echo lower court overturns his original sentence of death. Now gets to appeal that ruling to the Supreme Court. Sounds like the makings of a proper independent judiciary. Granted the rulings are as harsh as anywhere in Muslim society but a speedy independent judiciary is a foundation of any modern democracy. And like all democracies will evolve over time.

Right, a democracy ruled by corrupt poppy growing war lords. Got it. Hamid Karzai is a shame. The man hardly leaves his heavily fortified compound. Sounds like a guy I'de love as my leader!..

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Originally posted by Krypton This is the result of our freedom crusade? LOL! What a joke. I predict the puppet governments of Afghanistan and Iraq will be nothing like democracy in 10 years. Hell, they are nothing like democracy now! http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081021...ournalist_trial

It is quite a mad tribe.

The original post of this thread would have been an amazing contribution to my Defending Afghanistan thread, which is a collection of such articles. I hope to bring them all under one easy place of reference!

Great article nevertheless.

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quote:

Originally posted by Q5echo lower court overturns his original sentence of death. Now gets to appeal that ruling to the Supreme Court. Sounds like the makings of a proper independent judiciary. Granted the rulings are as harsh as anywhere in Muslim society but a speedy independent judiciary is a foundation of any modern democracy. And like all democracies will evolve over time.

I can actually find common ground on this. To believe everything will happen over night is to follow the same ridiculous failed idea that democracy is going to flow like water after starting two wars. That this kid was able to speak out, actually get a trial, change his sentence, and have opportunity for appeal does show progress. Significant considering the area and policies of surrounding regions. Unfortunately the process foreshadows that there is till a long long long way to go and may never actually resemble democracy as the West knows it.

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Originally posted by josh4 I can actually find common ground on this. To believe everything will happen over night is to follow the same ridiculous failed idea that democracy is going to flow like water after starting two wars. That this kid was able to speak out, actually get a trial, change his sentence, and have opportunity for appeal does show progress. Significant considering the area and policies of surrounding regions. Unfortunately the process foreshadows that there is till a long long long way to go and may never actually resemble democracy as the West knows it.

We've thrown tens of billions of dollars and thousands of lives away, for this? Come on now......What the hell are we fighting for? Afghanistan????...Why the hell are they worth our blood and treasure? Let the bloody Afghans fight their own war against the Taliban. If they want freedom, they can fight for it. Same with Iraq. If they want democracy, they'll fight for it. The fact of the matter is. What they need most is freedom from us...

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lol@Democracy in Afghanistan.

Seriously I dont think anyone can actually answer why we are all still there fighting.Talibans arent going anywhere thats for sure.Does that mean we have to be there forever too?

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Originally posted by hardcore trancer lol@Democracy in Afghanistan. Seriously I dont think anyone can actually answer why we are all still there fighting.Talibans arent going anywhere thats for sure.Does that mean we have to be there forever too?

How many Afghans were on the planes September 11th?

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quote:

Originally posted by Krypton How many Afghans were on the planes September 11th?

My point exactly.

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quote:

Originally posted by josh4 I can actually find common ground on this. To believe everything will happen over night is to follow the same ridiculous failed idea that democracy is going to flow like water after starting two wars. That this kid was able to speak out, actually get a trial, change his sentence, and have opportunity for appeal does show progress. Significant considering the area and policies of surrounding regions. Unfortunately the process foreshadows that there is till a long long long way to go and may never actually resemble democracy as the West knows it.

You're kidding me ... this is a trial in NATO-controlled territory. For Christ's sake in Afghanistan they still do arranged marriages and give away 10-year old girls into marriage. And other examples. Everything outside of cities is controlled by Taliban and even Taliban is seeping into cities and killing their critics. There's no progress there, but now a slow reversal of fortunes, and the progress that is happening is managed under tremendous defense and military watch of NATO / Afghan forces. But they will never have enough forces to watch over the whole country. And anti-NATO sentiment is growing.

See my official "Defending" Afghanistan thread for a collection of articles to prove my point.

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quote:

Originally posted by Magnetonium You're kidding me ... this is a trial in NATO-controlled territory. For Christ's sake in Afghanistan they still do arranged marriages and give away 10-year old girls into marriage. And other examples. Everything outside of cities is controlled by Taliban and even Taliban is seeping into cities and killing their critics. There's no progress there, but now a slow reversal of fortunes, and the progress that is happening is managed under tremendous defense and military watch of NATO / Afghan forces. But they will never have enough forces to watch over the whole country. And anti-NATO sentiment is growing. See my official "Defending" Afghanistan thread for a collection of articles to prove my point.

Well I don't disagree, generally. Some people like to cherry pick and hold up the cherry yelling "SEE! SEE!" Considering the big picture, cases like this quickly become moot points. In some facets there may be progress but in the grad scheme of things its not enough to make any difference. I really doubt we're going to be seeing total free speech there in any of our life times.