Freedom [to screw little girls] is on the march

Salon has some handy links in a piece on the direction in which all that freedom is marching in Afghanistan. Remember that country? It's the nation that harbored Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks. Remember Osama bin Laden? He's been on the loose for close to four years after attacking us. Anyway, we invaded Afghanistan to overthrow the oppressive theocracy of the Taliban-- former darlings of the American right. How are they enjoying their freedom? The pedophiles are on cloud nine...

Howard Dean angered Republicans last weekend when he dared to suggest that Iraqi women may be worse off in the new Iraq than they were under Saddam Hussein. While Dean's paying attention to the sorry state of women's rights in countries the United States has forcibly "liberated," we hope he doesn't overlook Afghanistan.

The United Nations' newest report finds that underage marriage is a rampant problem in the country, especially in rural areas. "Nearly 45 percent of marriages in this country involve girls below the legal age of 16," the U.N. Population Fund said in a statement. "The tradition of marrying off daughters as young as six is still common."

Afghan girls are sometimes traded as chattel to resolve disputes with another tribal family. The children become the "property of the family or individual who receives them," the report says. The U.N. Population Fund will hold a two-day workshop with Islamic leaders to grapple with the problem later this month in Kabul.

And the right-wing talking heads wonder why the press isn't reporting all the good news from the Middle East. What could be better than getting your hands on tender, young girl-flesh? Awesome!