Human Rights Commission South Asia

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Killing May Harm US Image

Afghan human rights activists have warned that allegations that an American security contractor killed his Afghan interpreter could damage the United States's image in Afghanistan, just as the US military suffers the highest death rate to date in the years it has been fighting Taleban insurgents. Relatives of the slain interpreter, 37-year old Noor Ahmad, threatened to set themselves on fire unless his American supervisor is prosecuted. The incident, which occurred at a compound in the western province of Farah, has raised questions about the reach of Afghanistan's fledgling law-enforcement and judicial system. Foreigners working on civilian projects are generally subject to Afghan law, but the legal status of security contractors appears unclear. "My brother who died has seven children," said Fazel Ahmad, 45, a brother of the dead man. "Who will take care of them? This guy should be brought to justice and there should be an open trial, because he is a foreigner and he has killed a poor Afghan man." The case damages the friendly image that the Americans had earlier developed in Afghanistan.