U.S. Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke gave an interview to Der Spiegel telegraphing the intentions of the U.S. administration to abandon a human rights cause for equality and liberty in Afghanistan, stating that “We’re not in Afghanistan to build a perfect democracy,” and stating the U.S. sought to work those who support extremism.

Holbrooke told Der Spiegel that “very clearly that the majority of the Taliban do not support Mullah Omar’s extreme views and that there is room for them to rejoin the social and political fabric of Afghanistan if they renounce al-Qaida and reintegrate peacefully into Afghanistan,” further adding that “We’re not seeking to destroy every person who supports the Taliban, that’s not a credible goal.”

This pattern of official surrender on human rights and refusal to defy the extremist ideology represented by the Taliban must remain an essential focus of our human rights campaigns for human equality and liberty.

Accountability to human rights means saying “No” to all extremist ideologies.

See also:

— October 8, 2009: Afghanistan: Media Reports US Willing To Accept Taliban, As General Calls for 40,000 Additional Troops

— September 24, 2009: Afghan women hiding for their lives

— August 31, 2009: Afghanistan: Taliban disfigure Muslims who dare to vote

— Afghan women victims of ‘widespread’ rape: UN

— New ‘poisoning’ hits 98 Afghan schoolgirls

— Afghanistan: Women Flee as Taliban Laws Return

— Afghanistan: extremist  law “legalizing rape”

— Accountability and Defying Extremism