It would appear that via a government contractor in Afghanistan, a company called DynCorp, US Tax dollars are funding a practice known as ‘bacha bazi’. That’s paederasty to you and me. DynCorp pays for young boys to ‘entertain’ tribal leaders in order to gain their cooperation. Wikileaks has exposed it, but for some reason it has not become a scandal of global proportions.
http://www.realsportszone.com/wikileaks-dyncorp-pimps-young-afghan-boys-for-bacha-bazi/
Boadicea's Chariot 
But, but, I thought we were supposed to value all cultures equally?
But, but neither the tribal leaders nor the boys are American citizens…….so it’s probably ok. 😦
Culture schmulture. That being said, while one might be forgiven for turning a blind eye to an alien custom, there can be no justification for actually supporting it when it is manifestly so abhorrent to one’s own culture.
Ironically perhaps, the Taliban have tried to ban the practice.
Sipu, I was being a little ironic. I would have thought that, since American Companies are bound by American law wherever they operate, and since procurement of minors for sex is illegal in all States – though I believe the definition of ‘minor,’ varies from State to State, then the company is open to prosecution, and civil suits.
“American Companies are bound by American law wherever they operate.” I suppose that includes Haliburton too?
Sorry, Bravo, yes I know. I was trying to be witty by introducing a new culture, US Yiddish, with the use of that phrase. According to the video, the US government has claimed something to the effect that it cannot interfere with a private company operating outside its borders. I don’t know if they did say that, but I find it very odd if it is true.
I’m not sure at all that that is correct, Sipu – though I wonder why some US lawyer hasn’t made an issue of this, so far, on behalf of the minors involved?
Yes indeed, one would expect them to. But, I do not recall that they made much of a fuss about the Bhopal disaster, when they could have taken Corporate US to the cleaners. The payouts then were a joke and the penalties handed out were insignificant, as I recall.
After this, I shall believe anything about American foreign policy.
See http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20081202.aspx
I believe I have mentioned before that a friend who was in Afghanistan on loan as a senior advisor to a member of their Cabinet, assured me that buggery was not considered a crime in parts of Afghanistan, provided both parties were under 30. He also told me about the provincial governor who shot dead a mullah who refused to marry the provincial governor to a teenage boy who took his fancy. The same man was charged with entertaining Angelina Jolie on one of her UN missions to Afghanistan…all in a day’s work, eh?
Hi, CWJ, yes, to the Taliban converting kids into suicide bombers is a noble cause. One has to wonder if there is such a thing as absolute morality.
Reminds me of that book “The Kite Runner”. Totally depressing. Was Mohammed into (sorry about that) nine year old boys as well as girls then?
Hi Sheona, I thought of Kite Runner as well.
“There is a boy across the river
with a bottom like a peach,
But alas, I cannot swim”.
🙂
Toc – “Zakhmi Dil” also known as “The Wounded Heart”, a Pathan War March – set to bagpipe music by the Queens Own Highlanders in their Cabar Feidh Collection page 132. Would you like me to hum it for you?
There is a lot about it on the ARRSE site.
‘A woman for business, a boy for pleasure, a goat for choice’ is an old Pathan proverb as well.