War - What are we fighting for ?

In a rare piece of candour a member of the Afghanistan parliament put her finger on the truth .
In describing the Afghan Parliament , she said:-

"A stable or a zoo is better, at least there you have a donkey that carries a load and a cow that provides milk. This parliament is worse than a stable or a zoo."

Ms Joya, a fervent advocate of women's rights, has angered male MPs with her criticisms. Some have thrown water bottles at her while she spoke in debates and others have threatened her with rape. She has also survived assassination attempts and has to regularly change her address after receiving death threats from Islamist groups ( the highest-ranking official dealing with female empowerment, Safia Amajan was murdered) . Earlier this year Joya opposed legislation granting an amnesty for the Afghani war-lords against charges of war crimes committed by them during Afghanistan's last 25 years of conflict.

Ms Joya said:-

"Talking about women's rights in Afghanistan is a joke. There really have not been any fundamental changes, the Taliban were driven off by the Americans and the British but then they were allowed to be replaced by warlords who also simply cannot see women as equals...Those of us who speak up are targets. My friends and colleagues have been assassinated. They have tried to kill me four times, the last attack was in Kabul which is the capital of this country which is supposed to be secure and democratic. And then if you try to speak up in parliament their first reaction is to try to gag you."

Democracy , Afghan style , as brought to you by Bush , Blair and the NATO military .