Afghan Puppert Regime Court Sentences Journalist to Death

I don't know about you, but it sickens me that the USA has spent blood and countless treasure in Afghanistan and the end result is a puppet regime that allows the same kind of depraved Islamic fundamentalism as was imposed by the Taliban. What the Hell are we spending out money and the lives of our young soldiers for?? This mockery of a trial described in this Washington Post story published today (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/22/AR2008012201745.html?hpid=sec-religion) appears little better than what on would expect in Iran. When is Congress going to stand up and DEMAND compliance with basic human rights standards by regimes getting US funding? I hope someone makes it clear to the Chimperator's puppet, Karzai, that a pardon had best be forthcoming. This case is yet another example of why religion and the civil laws and civil government should never intermix. Here are some story highlights:

KABUL, Afghanistan -- An Afghan court on Tuesday sentenced a 23-year-old journalism student to death for distributing a paper he printed off the Internet that three judges said violated the tenets of Islam, an official said. The three-judge panel sentenced Sayad Parwez Kambaksh to death for distributing a paper that humiliated Islam, said Fazel Wahab, the chief judge in the northern province of Balkh, where the trial took place. Wahab did not preside over the trial.

Kambaksh's brother, Yacoubi Brahimi, described Tuesday's proceeding as a "secret trial," saying the family did not know it had been scheduled. Some have accused Kambaksh of writing the paper in question, but Brahimi said that his brother printed it off the Internet. "He told them he didn't write this article," said Brahimi. "It was written by an Iranian."

Wahab said that only President Hamid Karzai can forgive Kambaksh because he had confessed to violating the tenets of Islam. "We completely condemn this trial," Samandar [the head of the Kabul-based National Journalists Union of Afghanistan] said. "It goes against the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press."