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Lars_H
SFN Regular
Germany
630 Posts |
 Posted - 06/14/2002 : 08:03:49
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This week a preview of a documentary by irish filmmaker Jamie Doran has been shown in the German Parliament. The film allegedly documents War crimes committed by Americans or with American approval in Afghanistan.
The story has made a lot of press over here and to a lesser extend all over europe, but I have not found any english news about it yet. He talks of abuse, torture, executions and 'disappearings'.
From what I could tell he has nothing in the way of evidence to support his claims. A handful of locals telling stories and shots of earth said to contain mass graves is all the film probably shows.
The fact, that he was sponsored by the former communist party of Germany in his endevour, does not instill me with much confidence about its authenticy either.
I think, that there is not much truth to his shocking relevation, but with politicians and the media all over the story the truth probably won't matter much either way.
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Lars_H
SFN Regular
Germany
630 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2002 : 08:14:48 [Permalink]
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Found an english-language version of the story.
quote:
Documentary of US 'war crimes' shocks Europe
June 12 2002 at 05:28PM
By Clive Freeman
Berlin - American soldiers have been involved in the torture and murder of captured Taliban prisoners, and may have aided in the "disappearance" of up to 3 000 men in the region of Mazar-i-Sharif, according to Jamie Doran, an Irish documentary film-maker.
Doran's latest film, Massacre At Mazar, was shown on Wednesday in in the Reichstag, the German parliament building in Berlin, and there were immediate calls for an international commission to be set up to investigate charges made in the documentary.
Andrew McEntee, a leading international human rights lawyer, who has viewed the film footage and read full transcripts, believes there is prima facie evidence of serious war crimes having been committed by American soldiers in Afghanistan.
'The Americans did whatever they wanted'
McEntee, who was in Berlin for Wednesday's special screening, said war crimes had been committed not just under international law but, also, "under the laws of the United States itself".
Much of the footage shown in Doran's 20-minute documentary was taken secretly, and although witnesses were said to be living in fear of reprisal from within Afghanistan itself they had all agreed to appear at any future international war crimes tribunal to give evidence, it was claimed.
One witness in the film claimed he had seen an American soldier break an Afghan prisoner's neck and pour acid on others. "The Americans did whatever they wanted. We had no power to stop them," he alleged.
Sometimes prisoners who were beaten up and taken outside had "disappeared", he said.
In other sequences witnesses, among them two men, claimed they had been forced to drive into the desert with hundreds of Taliban prisoners.
The living were then summarily shot while 30 to 40 American soldiers purportedly stood by, it was alleged. The prisoners had been taken there on the orders of the local American commander, according to the documentary.
In the film, an Afghan witness admitted to killing prisoners himself, and another officer, allegedly a senior officer in the army of deputy defence minister Dostum's forces, was said to have gone into hiding following threats to his life.
The far-left Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) arranged for the special showing of Massacre At Mazar in the Reichstag. Party chairman Roland Claus was cautious regarding its content but did spoke of its attempt at "authenticity."
Andre Brie, a PDS member of the European Parliament, concerned by reports of ill treatment of Taliban prisoners, said he would be in favour of an international commission looking into "disturbing" questions raised by the film.
At a press conference Brie said he had known of Doran's dangerous film activity in Afghanistan, and had helped to support him financially.
The PDS party faction had wanted to obtain authentic footage of the war in Afghanistan, he said.
The film was due to be screened at the European Parliament in Strasbourg later on Wednesday evening. - Sapa-DPA
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@tomic
Administrator
USA
4607 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2002 : 08:29:57 [Permalink]
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So all of these accusations are based on nothing but eyewitness reports by people that probably have reason to try and cast the US in a bad light? That's TV for you.
quote:
The PDS party faction had wanted to obtain authentic footage of the war in Afghanistan, he said.
How is this "authentic" if it doesn't show anything?
 @tomic
Gravity, not just a good idea...it's the law! |
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Lars_H
SFN Regular
Germany
630 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2002 : 14:49:18 [Permalink]
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quote:
So all of these accusations are based on nothing but eyewitness reports by people that probably have reason to try and cast the US in a bad light? That's TV for you.
But I kind of fear that this lack of evidence won't make much of a difference when the whole film gets released to the public. There will be a whole lot emotion and stuff to convince people.
They will hear heart wrenching testimonials. Many will remeber Dostum's 'Track'-record and a few unfortunate reamrks about 'not taking prisoners' by US officials. That is all most people need to be convinced if they want to be convinced.
quote:
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The PDS party faction had wanted to obtain authentic footage of the war in Afghanistan, he said.
How is this "authentic" if it doesn't show anything?
The PDS is the succsor to the East-German communist regime. Their definition of authenticity might differ slightly from the one in the dictionary.
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