News of the Day for Sunday, March 17, 2013

A five year old boy, kidnapped in Kabul a week ago, is killed by his captors in Parwan province when his family fails to pay ransom. (This article does not state whether the perpetrators were trying to finance insurgent activities, or if this was a purely economic crime. In any case, it illustrates the lawlessness afflicting Afghanistan. Readers will recall that Iraq was horrifically afflicted by kidnapping for ransom after order broke down.)

U.S. delays hand over of Bagrham prison to Afghan authority for one more week. “Karzai reminded Hagel that the transfer has been delayed several times in the past and that this time the handover must take place, the statement added.” Karzai has suggested that some of the 3,000 prisoners in Baghram will be freed once Afghanistan gains control of the facility.

It seems this delay is caused by side negotiations over the presence of U.S. special forces in Wardak. Apparently the U.S. is using control of the prison as a bargaining chip force Karzai to rescind his order expelling the forces from the province, after reports that they had been involved in the torture and murder of civilians, which the U.S. denies. “”There might be a compromise on Wardak when the Afghan side is given full control of Bagram prison, which would help President Karzai who views the issue as a matter of sovereignty,” a senior government official told Reuters at the weekend, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak about the matter,” reports Hamid Shalizi.

However, it appears such a bargain would anger many Afghans. Khaama reports:

On Saturday, the influential Ulema Council, whose members are appointed by President Karzai and represent all of the country’s Islamic clerics, issued a threatening statement demanding the withdrawal from Wardak as well as a transfer of the American-controlled prison at Bagram to Afghan control. Also on Saturday, 300 demonstrators from Wardak Province staged a noisy but peaceful demonstration calling for Mr. Karzai’s order to be obeyed. Some were apparently relatives of people who disappeared in raids by Afghans who work alongside the Americans in Wardak, and they carried photographs of nine people who had disappeared after one of the night operations.

Robert Bales, the U.S. soldier accused of the rampage murder of 16 Afghan villagers, faces a “sanity review.” A panel of 3 doctors will report by May 1 on his state of mind and whether he is competent to be tried.

One NATO service member is killed in a helicopter crash in Kandahar province. As always, ISAF claims no indication of enemy activity, but the cause is under investigation.

The five Americans killed in a helicopter crash in the same area Monday are identified.