AFGHANISTAN: Fighting forces 3,000 to flee - Bush is still liberating them

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/eea590fe8b858be86b22f5bb6ef79526.htm

KABUL, 25 May (IRIN) - More than 3,000 villagers are on the move following intense fighting between the Taliban and security forces in Afghanistan's restive southern province of Kandahar, officials from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed on Thursday.

"Nearly 3,000 residents of Panjwayi district and another 200 individuals from Ziari Dasht district have fled their homes due to heavy fighting and have entered Kandahar city," Mohammad Nasim Karim, head of the IOM office in Kandahar, told IRIN.

"People are in terrible conditions, many complain that their houses were destroyed and that they have lost some of their family members during the fighting," Karim explained.

Panjwayi district is located about 35 km west of Kandahar city. The area has seen three major anti-Taliban operations and heavy air strikes from US-led coalition forces over the past week.

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Why can't we just leave these poor people alone?

If they want warlords, isn't that their business?

We certainly don't have any serious intention of bringing them democracy, capturing Usama, or stopping the poppy trade, so what the hell are we doing there?

[Dunvegan]

3. Stopping democracy, hiding Usama, and running the opium trade.

[Norquist Nemesis]

2. There were 300 killed this month in Afghanistan

That's what I heard yesterday on CNN. And they also spent a whole 45 seconds 'reporting' the Taliban are making a comeback and gaining strength.

Of course, it's not getting a whole lot of front page attention as far as I can tell.