The Associated Press
09/28/2006
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GENEVA - Deteriorating security in Afghanistan has had serious consequences for human rights, the United Nations' top rights official said Thursday, citing civilian deaths caused by insurgent attacks as well as government and international forces.

Louise Arbour, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, expressed disappointment with "a series of killings" of government supporters, including Monday's assassination of Safia Ama Jan, a women's rights advocate who ran an underground school for girls during Taliban rule.

Arbour said the lack of security in Afghanistan has severely restricted the work of human rights institutions there, particularly in the south and southeast near neighboring Pakistan.

Arbour was addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council, the 47-nation rights watchdog currently meeting in Geneva, a day after the U.S. military said it has seen a tripling of attacks since a truce between the Pakistani army and pro-Taliban tribesmen that was supposed to stop cross-border raids by militants.

Insurgent bombings, ambushes and rocket attacks had soared this year even before the cease-fire. Both the United States and NATO launched big offensives this month in response to insurgent attacks, claiming to have killed 640 militants.

"The deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan carries grave implications for human rights," Arbour said. "Civilians have at times become indirect victims of attacks by insurgents as well as by government and international military forces."

At least 25 militants were reported killed in fighting Wednesday before a White House meeting of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and U.S. President George W. Bush to try to patch up their dispute over how to quell Islamic extremists.

Under Musharraf, Pakistan was a key supporter of Afghanistan's Taliban militia before it was ousted from power by a U.S. military campaign in late 2001 for harboring al-Qaida. But Pakistan quickly distanced itself from the Taliban following the Sept. 11 attacks and aided the Americans.

Afghan officials allege that Pakistan is letting Taliban militants hide out and launch attacks into Afghanistan. Pakistan bristles at such charges, insisting that Afghan insurgents get no help from inside its borders.

Arbour also expressed disappointment that Afghanistan's Supreme Court includes no women, and said there had been increasing violations of freedom of speech and religion in the country.

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