yet another resurgence in Afghanistan

And no, this has nothing to do with the little blue pills, or the resurgence of the Taliban. This involves the centuries old spectacle of dogfighting. Oddly enough, it was the Taliban that outlawed the "sport" when they were in charge because they considered it un-Islamic. Of course, the sin was that people were betting on the fights, not the cruelty to the animals but hey, baby steps I suppose. Even after the attack at a February gathering of enthusiasts, where a suicide bomber killed himself and about 80 others, it is ignored now by both former and current rulers. I understand there are many, many more urgent matters that need attention in Afghanistan, still though, pitting two animals against each other as a form of entertainment is a step in the wrong direction.



The linked article goes on to describe a recent event in Kabul, where some 2,000 fans attended, many with dogs in tow hoping to take home some prize money. Bets are placed depending on the reputation of the dog, so a fight could have a purse ranging anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars, to thousands of dollars. But for some, they claim it's not about the money.

“It’s something from our ancestors,” said Ghulam Yahya Amirzadah, 21, whose family owns 17 dogs in Kabul and in their hometown in the northwest province of Badghis.

“It’s not about money,” Mr. Amirzadah said. “If my dog beats another dog, it makes me feel like I’ve won $100,000. I can survive just from the happiness.”

o_O ??? If there is any positive out of this, it's that apparently, unlike some cultures, the dogs don't fight to the death and are usually pulled apart before serious injuries occur. No word from the dogs on that though. What is amusing from the article, is that it reminds us that we can be worlds away and yet, people are people. Take for instance the trash talking between two potential opponents, or the interaction between the family mentioned.

Except for deep wounds on a leg and an ear, Palang was O.K. But his owner was not. Minutes after the fight, Mr. Kefayatullah collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. He had a heart attack.

“It was a stroke of joy and happiness!” he joked a week later, as he lay in a ward in the Wazir Akhbar Khan Hospital in Kabul. His wife and daughter sat at his bedside. “I’ll be up in no time,” he said, “and everything will be back to normal, like before.”

His wife’s face visibly tensed. “No you won’t!” she said, glaring. She was serious. He was smiling. The daughter looked embarrassed.

“It’s over,” Mr. Kefayatullah’s wife continued. “I will kill the dogs! I will give them some pills.”

Mr. Kefayatullah shrugged and smiled again, trying to defuse the situation. “She says a lot, but I don’t listen,” he said, and he vowed to be back at the Friday dogfights — with his champion dogs — soon enough.

Here is the exchange between the gentlemen.

“My dog is younger than his dog, I have the advantage,” said one of the men, known as Abdul Sabour, 49. “And my dog is more energetic than his dog.”

“He’s lying,” grumbled the other man, Kefayatullah, 50. “His dog is old. He’s just here wasting his time. How many dogs has my dog beaten? Sixty! My dog has been a champion for three years!”

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Canada's top soldier rejects report before welcoming it

Canada's top soldier in Afghanistan on Tuesday rejected criticism of air strikes and nighttime raids by international forces in the country, saying such actions are taken only "as a last resort" and that he is confident that his soldiers are following international law.

I wonder, is there some sort of international law against soldiers involved in illicit drug use and trafficking, and if there is, should that be rejected as well?

"Every precaution is taken to ensure there is a have a high degree of certainty regarding targets" when air strikes or nighttime raids are launched, Thompson said, adding he is proud of Canada's "exemplary" track record in Afghanistan.

"Task Force Kandahar troops — both U.S. and Canadian — take extraordinary efforts to minimize collateral damage and to avoid harm to innocent civilians," he said.

Like, if we see a building with what looks like 200 people in it, and one that appears to have 100, well, we go after the one with 100.

Thompson noted two incidents, on July 27 and Sept. 18, in which civilians died "as a result of our operations."

"Both incidents were investigated, and in both cases, it was found that our soldiers followed proper escalation of force procedures."

He later went on to say off the record, that Blackwater USA had conducted that investigation.

The report suggests international forces often rely on unreliable sources or faulty intelligence when launching the incursions into homes, and there is little public accountability for the raids, which also appears to increase local anger.

There is a lack of co-ordination between coalition forces, foreign soldiers and local authorities, the report says.

"Ordinary people believe that there is no accountability or justice in respect of these violations, regardless of who [has] committed [them].

The overall picture is that … continuing support for Afghan government and international military has been eroded as … consequences of the not carefully planned night raids," the report says.

Monthly tracking information from the United Nations' human rights unit shows air strikes have been responsible for 25 per cent of all civilian deaths in Afghanistan this year. Coalition forces caused the majority of those civilian casualties.

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