1. Scary tale.A society that has been under repression for ages,will ultimately frustrate any attempt at freedom.

aniekan thomas at 4:10PM on Feb 5th 2008

2. So much for giving them Freedom. It was all a bunch of lies. Women did HAVE freedom under the regime that the Soviets supported. Too bad we caused all of that to be destroyed. Women attended university, held jobs and could travel with out the burka under the regimes from the early 70's until the Taliban overthrew the PDPA with the help of the CIA and the Paki ISI in the early 90's. We ruin more lives everywhere we go.

Heidi at 4:43PM on Feb 5th 2008

3. Linking this story to Iraq. William F. Buckley said that U. S. style democratic institutions would not work in the middle east. He said that all Bush had to do was watch "Lawrence of Arabia" to confirm it.

Steve Seivers at 5:05PM on Feb 5th 2008

4. Jeff you may be a day late and a dollar short. An article date Feb 2 out of Afgan says the Afgan Senate backed down on the death sentance.

ROBERT OKANE at 5:12PM on Feb 5th 2008

5. #4 - ROBERT OKANE - That is certainly good news. Thank you.

alan at 5:27PM on Feb 5th 2008

6. Of course he will have to leave the country ASAP or the mobs will tear him apart.

alan at 5:29PM on Feb 5th 2008

7. It appears the Senate backing down may not be enough.

I picked this up from
http://www.progressivebloggers.ca/blog/tag.php?tag=Sayed%20Pervez%20Kambaksh

"But the fight isn't over:Mr Kambaksh can now petition the court of appeal against both his conviction and sentence, and, afterwards, the supreme court. If he fails there, he can appeal directly to Mr Karzai ? who has been inundated with emails about the case ? for a pardon. Mr Kambaksh's brother, Sayed Yaq..."

Another source is
http://leftword.blogdig.net/archives/articles/February2008/02/Lifeline_for_Pervez__Afghan_Senate_withdraws_demand_for_death_sentence.html

alan at 5:44PM on Feb 5th 2008

8. Thanks for the update ROBERT.

Considering the threats you've been sending me its odd to see you helping me out by addressing my readers with corrections.

The article I linked to mentioned the Senate backed down. But I would like the readers to know, despite what ROBERT claims that we are too late, there is an International campaign still going on to save This man.

The Independent: Feb 5th.
"The UN's most senior human rights official has added her clout to the international campaign being waged to save the life of the jailed Afghan student journalist Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, it emerged yesterday."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/un-human-rights-supremo-joins-campaign-to-save-pervez-778020.html

Jeff Hoard at 5:49PM on Feb 5th 2008

9. Leave it to people like Heidi to completely distort reality and try to make it sound like there is less freedom, not more, as the Taliban has gradually been displaced in Afghanistan.

If anyone is lying it is these historical revisionists who hold a doctrinaire belief that the US is evil and does nothing but destroy people's lives around the world. And how many fulminating left-wing professors must one be subjected to before believing that kind of "hate America first" drivel?

Dave at 5:59PM on Feb 5th 2008

10. Well shiver me timbers! Hoard has finally waken out of his coma and is now trying his hand at 'Champion of Human Rights-Extraordinaire!'
Something we've been doing since the Iraq invasion; fighting for human/women's rights.
This reminds me of Jeff's support for the liberation of Myanmar, but rabid opposition of our efforts in Iraq. Now..what's the word I'm looking for here??....oh yeah..HYPOCRIT. Hopefully, the condemned man won't say anything positive about George Bush, or Hoard will pull the plug on him and start knitting a noose.

lizard at 6:37PM on Feb 5th 2008

11. Yes I am very pro human rights, what a concept eh.

I did support the democratic effort in Myanmmar because that was a homegrown, grassroots, cry for democracy, did you see the marches? Did you see the rallies against the regime, those people wanted democracy. I supported them, and I was hoping there would be more International pressure. No, not in the form of bombs, death and destruction, but thanks for assuming.

I will never be against any attempts for third world countries to adopt democracy. But I will always be against Super Powers forcing democracy with the barrel of gun. (Like the 2003 Iraq Invasion)

Jeff Hoard at 7:00PM on Feb 5th 2008

12. great post jeff and i totally agree.

by FORCING democracy onto any people by ANY means by itself contradicts the meaning of a democracy, which is freedom of choice. obviously by forcing our form of democracy on them, we are terminating their right to choose their own form of government.

and when a democratic nation, such as the united states, forces its form of government onto another by means of force, isnt that called a dictatorship? i mean, we invaded their nation, overthrew their government, imprisioned or killed anyone who openly disagreed with the invasion over there, and installed a form of government that we wanted them to have. all are examples of what a dictator or an imperialistic government would do.

keep up your posts man!

mike at 7:54PM on Feb 5th 2008

13. Dave @ 9

I don't know if you are the same Dave that won't respond to my posts about his prior posts, so I'll just assume you are not. Fair enough?

I've been accused of talking too much about the darker side of US history before. Perhaps I do; so I would like to give you my perspective on this particular issue. It seems to me that many, if not a good majority, of US citizens are completely ignorant of the bad things we have done in the past. And when I talk about it to bring a proper historical background as to why other people may act the way they do, I tend to get two reactions:

(1) An immediate defensive reaction demanding that I acknowledge that the US does many good things (which I already acknowledge) or

(2) A virtual placing of their hands on their ears, closing their eyes tight, and chanting "La la la" until I stop.

I guess the point I am trying to express is that because the ignorance (and the desire for continued ignorance seems so strong) I tend to repeat myself to try to get a point across. I am neither a left-wing nor a professor nor promote a “hate America first” message. I’m just a man who has some ideas and likes to study history among other things.

I guess I just want to broaden your view of the people who talk about the governments we’ve overthrown (including those pesky democracies), the dictators we’ve installed and supported, etc. are not all “fulminating left-wing professors.” Fine word by the way, thanks.

P.S. I am not defending Heidi’s assertions with my post. I don’t know enough about what has actually happened with personal freedoms in Afghanistan to make an informed post about that issue.

Ken at 8:12PM on Feb 5th 2008

14. Ken - I think we can stipulate that the US has supported the wrong people in some instances around the world.But that's a whole lot different than saying, for example, that progress in Afghanistan (and by implication, Iraq) is all a lie. That's a pretty tough sell, as far as I'm concerned.

If you believe that, not only are you implicating the govt, you're implicating the military and some of the media as co-conspirators. And you're arguing that the Taliban extremists and Baathists are more tolerant of freedom than we are. Sorry, but the burden of proof is on anyone who makes that ridiculous, spurious claim. It can't simply be assumed. It must be supported.

And Ken, if you want to be a crusader against human injustice, why don't you start with the Communist countries that have enslaved, tortured and brutally murdered tens of millions?

Dave at 9:21PM on Feb 5th 2008

15. I'm really glad we brought freedom to theese guys!

mac at 9:38PM on Feb 5th 2008