Monday, October 12, 2009

Obama wars: Pakistan

"Even locals tolerant of the torture and extra-judicial execution of Taliban members, however, are uneasy that some innocents have perished horribly. Akhtar Ali, for example, was picked up from the street at around 4pm on September 1st at a checkpoint in Mingora. Many passers-by saw the 28-year-old, who ran a popular electrical repair store, being taken away. His family were assured later that day that he would be released. But at 6am on September 5th his corpse was dumped on the doorstep of the family home, where many in the neighbourhood saw it. Every inch of his body showed signs of abuse, including burns made with an iron and the marks of merciless beatings. He was not shot, but tortured to death. It seems that he may have been a case of mistaken identity."