Afghanistan is a nation in southwest Asia.  It is bordered by Pakistan, Iran, China, and several of the former Soviet republics (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan).  It is one of the most impoverished and least developed countries in the world.   Seventy-five percent of the people live in rural areas/villages and many make their living in agriculture using primitive farming tools and techniques. 

 The landscape of Afghanistan includes great mountainous terrain, scorching desserts, rolling plains and meadows.  It is approximately the size of Texas.  The population of Afghanistan consists of approximately 20 ethnic groups many of which are divided into tribes.  Most of the ethnic groups have their own distinct language and cultural pattern.  The lack of unity amongst the people has hindered the government and country from developing into a unified and modern nation.  This has also resulted in Afghanistan being at war (on and off) for nearly the last 30+ years. 

In 1978 there was a revolt and overthrow of the government that resulted in a socialist/communist government taking power.  In 1979 and through much of the 1980’s the U.S.S.R. sent troops into Afghanistan to assist the government in fighting an Islamic revolution called the “mujahideen.”  The United States helped arm and train the mujahideen.  This is where Osama Bin Laden got his start.  Going back nearly 200 years Afghanistan has been a country in nearly constant struggle and war.  Several times during the 1800’s and leading up to the early 1900’s Britain invaded Afghanistan and had several wars there as Britain and the czarist Russia empires fought for control of Central Asia. 

 During the 1990’s Afghanistan was engaged in a civil war which resulted in the Taliban (a Sunni Islamist group) taking control of the government in 1996.  The Taliban instituted very strict Islamic law.  This included the inhumane treatment of women, public executions, and wide spread maiming and murder of those that did not conform to ridiculous Islamic customs. Under the Taliban, Afghanistan continued to degenerate into an even more isolated and hopelessly poor country.  Only a handful of countries recognized their government. 
The latest war in Afghanistan arose out of the 9/11/2001 attacks on the U.S.  The Taliban provided a safe haven to Al-Qaeda (the group who took responsibility for 9/11).  Based on this, the U.S. attacked the people of Afghanistan and waged a long and costly war with them ever since.  The Taliban was removed from power but they continue to maintain an insurgency and insurrection against the U.S. supported government. 

The U.S. has killed thousands of Afghans during the war and has been widely criticized world-wide for indiscriminate bombing and murder of civilians including innocent women and children.   The U.S. occasionally gives blanket apologies to the Afghan people for accidentally killing their civilians.  The U.S. often refers to these accidental civilian casualties as “collateral damage.”

The official Constitution of Afghanistan, which became law in 2003, provides for an elected President and a National Assembly (with two houses). Interestingly, the Constitution states that among other things the President must not have been convicted of crimes against humanity, a criminal act or deprivation of civil rights.  For a nation with as much bloodshed and murder as Afghanistan it is a tall order to find anyone that can govern the nation that can meet this requirement.  If this part of the Constitution was enforced it might filter out all known government officials.   The President appoints the members of Afghanistan’s Supreme Court, the Strea Mahkama, to 10-year terms.  Eligible judges can either have training in secular law or God forbid Islamic jurisprudence.  “Islamic jurisprudence” is an oxymoron.  More about barbaric Islamic jurisprudence later (see We Treat Our Women Like Dogs).  While the Constitution allows for civil laws, it states that no law may contradict the beliefs and provisions of Islam.  The Constitution provides that citizens are guaranteed the right to life and liberty, to privacy, peaceful assembly, and to be from torture.  It also guarantees the freedom of expression and speech.  I’m sorry those all sounded pretty normal right up until the right to be free from... torture.  Is that a problem in Afghanistan?  Well, yes it is and guess what?  Just because it is listed as a no-no in the Constitution has not stopped Afghans from torturing each other.  It’s a way of life there.   And do not count the U.S. out of that as well.  The U.S. military unquestionably engaged in torture as well.