In an awards ceremony for human rights activists last week, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton blasted the Taliban for its abuse of human rights, and particularly women's rights.
"Perhaps the most egregious and systematic trampling of fundamental human rights of any person is taking place in Afghanistan today against women under the iron rule of the Taliban," said Clinton, with sharp condemnation.
In addition to citing Taliban decrees which forbid women from working and attending school, Clinton called special attention to the fact that Afghan women are dying from treatable illnesses, due to lack of proper medical care. "The Taliban has imposed a draconian Catch-22 on women," she said. "Health care for women has all but vanished. Women can no longer be treated by male doctors, yet women physicians are prohibited from working."
5/22/2013 Immigration Reform Bill Advances In Senate - Last night, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a sweeping immigration reform bill in a bipartisan vote of 13 to 5. . . .
5/22/2013 Afghan Women Arrested for 'Moral Crimes' Increases 50% - A new report by the Human Rights Watch shows that in the past 18 months the number of women in Afghanistan incarcerated for 'moral crimes' has increased from 400 to 600, a 50% growth.
Many of the women imprisoned for moral crimes were arrested running away from forced or abusive marriages and families, even though there is no law against leaving. . . .
5/22/2013 Army Commander Suspended for Adultery Amid Wave of Sexual Assaults - On Tuesday, Brigadier General Bryan T Roberts was suspended from his position as commander of the Fort Jackson, South Carolina training camp which trains approximately 60% of incoming female recruits pending an investigation into allegations of adultery.
Roberts was suspended following allegations of "adultery and a physical altercation." Colonel Christian Kubik, an Army spokesperson for the Training and Doctrine Command, told reporters "We don't have any evidence of any sexual assault. . . .
