Taliban thugs start executing Afghans
The UN’s senior human rights official says there is credible evidence the Taliban is carrying out widespread summary executions against civilians and Afghan security forces.
UN high commissioner for human rights Michelle Bachelet told the body’s Human Rights Council in Geneva there was growing evidence of abuses, especially in provincial Afghanistan where there are no Western observers to document them.
“We have received credible reports of serious violations of international law and human rights abuses taking place in many areas under Taliban control,” she said.
“They include, among others, summary executions of civilians and members of the Afghan national security forces; restrictions on the rights of women, including the right to move around freely and girls’ right to attend school; and the recruitment of child soldiers.”
There were also reports the Taliban was snatching girls as young as 12 from their families to use as sex slaves.
The horrific actions of the Taliban came as US President Joe Biden said America intended to complete its pullout by next Tuesday’s deadline because of the growing risk of Taliban terrorist attacks.
“The sooner we can finish, the better,” Mr Biden said of the plan to evacuate Americans, Afghan nationals and US troops from Taliban-controlled Kabul. “Each day of operations brings added risk to our troops,” he added.
The President said he had discussed the evacuation with the Group of Seven leaders and they agreed to “continue our close co-operation to get people out as efficiently and safely as possible”.
“We are currently on pace to finish by August 31,” said Mr Biden, who has been under pressure from some European leaders to extend the deadline to ensure the evacuation of everyone who is seeking to flee the country.
During the virtual G7 summit, he rejected an appeal by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other European leaders to extend the August 31 evacuation deadline.
Britain is scrambling to airlift more than 4000 British nationals and citizens of Afghanistan out of the country by the end of the week after the Taliban said locals would be barred from travelling to the airport.
But Mr Biden’s decision now means the last British evacuation flight is expected to leave on Thursday or Friday to ensure there is time for the 1000 British soldiers in Kabul to get themselves out.
The UK government is attempting to evacuate 1250 British nationals and other people from recognised “safe” countries, along with a further 2500 Afghans who have supported British forces over the past 20 years, including interpreters. Ministers remain optimistic that the majority of this “core” group will be evacuated in time.
Mr Biden said the US had evacuated 70,700 people since August 14 – the day before the Taliban took power in Kabul – including 6400 in the past 12 hours. More than 4000 Americans were among those flown out.
Meanwhile, the World Bank has suspended aid to Afghanistan, saying it is “deeply concerned” by the situation, especially regarding women’s rights, and is closely monitoring the situation.