US soldiers accused of beating Afghan civilians
Several Afghan civilians taken captive by US special forces last month have claimed they were beaten and abused by the American soldiers.
The men were arrested during two night-time raids on the Afghan village of Uruzgan during which at least 15 civilians were killed.
All the detainees were later released after the US admitted that they had no connections to the Taliban or Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network.
In fact, the men were supporters of the interim administration installed by the United Nations following the collapse of the Taliban regime last year.
Today’s Washington Post quotes some of the men mistakenly held as prisoners as saying they were kicked, beaten, punched and verbally abused at the US base near the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.
40-year-old Allah Noor, a farmer and policeman for the new Government, said: "They were beating us on the head and back and ribs. They were punching us with fists, kicking me with their feet.
"They said: ‘You are terrorist! You are al-Qaida! You are Taliban!"
Mr Noor said he suffered two fractured ribs, while local police chief Abdul Rauf said his nose was broken. "They were walking on our backs like we were stones," he said. "I can never forgive them. Why did they bomb us? Why did they do this?"
The Washington Post said the men were detained when special forces raided a school and a district government office in Uruzgan.
Pentagon officials said the targets were selected on the basis of local intelligence and surveillance information, but the US Government has refused to comment officially while an investigation is underway.
Locals said many of those killed were involved in efforts to restore stability and two of them were in charge of disarming former Taliban fighters.
25-year-old Amanullah, who uses only one name, said about 30 employees of the disarmament commission were sleeping in the compound when the attack began.
Amanullah said he saw US soldiers struggling with his cousin at one stage. When he returned to the scene the next morning, he found his cousin dead with bullet wounds to the back of his neck, his stomach and his shoulder.
Amanullah said he saw eight bodies, including his cousin's, with their hands tied behind their back.
Local officials said the two leading officers in the disarmament commission were found with their bodies burned.
