Enduring Freedom - Abuses by US Forces in Afghanistan

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Enduring Freedom - Abuses by US Forces in Afghanistan was a report released in March 2004 by US-based human rights organisation, Human Rights Watch.

It was a negative view of the actions of United States armed forces in Afghanistan, following the campaign by US forces to eliminate the Taliban in 2001.

It alleged that there were several concerns, particularly regarding the conduct of US forces during arrests, and over the detention of prisoners, and recommended that the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai put pressure on the US to ensure that human rights laws were more strictly enforced.

It pointed out that the US State Department had condemned many of the methods allegedly used in Afghanistan as 'torture' in their annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.

In response to the report, Lt Col Bryan Hilferty, the US military spokesman in Afghanistan, was quoted as saying "We've seen the report, we are taking the allegations seriously."

"We feel it shows a lack of understanding of the laws of war and of the environment we are facing in Afghanistan.

"They say we should be using police procedures when we carry out arrests, but this is a combat zone."

Also, a photograph of a a pair of burning Taliban body by US-Special Forces for psychological warfare was taken by Australian photojournalist Stephen Dupont. The two Taliban corpses, who were KIA the previous night, were laid out facing Mecca.

• Enduring Freedom: Abuses by US Forces in Afghanistan - online version
• US condemned for Afghan 'abuses' - www.bbc.co.uk