Probe of Taliban deaths would be hard, U.N. official says

Los Angeles Times

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The chief U.N. official in Afghanistan said Tuesday that there is no chance soon of a thorough, impartial investigation in the alleged murder last fall of Taliban soldiers, which might implicate troops loyal to one of the country's most powerful warlords, Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum.

Afghanistan must become far more orderly and stable before the alleged perpetrators can be pursued without endangering the lives of witnesses who remain in the area, said United Nations special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.

Brahimi was referring to an investigation into mass graves recently discovered in northern Afghanistan, which are believed to contain the remains of slain Taliban prisoners taken into custody last October when Dostum's forces seized the cities of Kondoz and Mazar-e-Sharif.

Taliban survivors have alleged that they were forced into shipping containers, without water and ventilation, that were used as makeshift prisons. They say scores and perhaps hundreds of the fighters died before the containers were opened several days later.

The U.S.-based group Physicians for Human Rights examined a grave site in May and said it appeared that hundreds of victims had been dumped there.

Dostum remains the chief strongman in that part of northern Afghanistan.

Brahimi said that trying to conduct a thorough investigation of such alleged atrocities in those circumstance could threaten the safety of anyone who takes part or comes forth with information.