Shocking sexual abuse of minors discovered in Taliban-run prisons

'You cannot try to impose American values and American norms onto the Afghan culture because they're completely different.'

Afghan intelligence operatives have discovered Taliban-run prisons in Helmand Province have been authorizing the sexual abuse of children - particularly young boys.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - In a practice called bacha bazi or "boy play," young boys dance for money. They dress up as girls, wear fake breasts, makeup and dresses then dance for the older men.

The boys, who can be as young as 10-years-old, are often exploited and raped after their performances.

Afghan intelligence operatives recently arrested at least four Taliban jailers.

The National Directorate of Security (NDS) reported the suspects were arrested during a military raid in Greshk district. The militants operated under Taliban leader Mullah Mazlumyar and have been named as Nazar son of Janan, Abdul Rahman son of Abdul Khaliq, Bacha Khan son of Mir Hamza and Naqibullah son of Abdul Rahman.

Fourteen civilians were released from the prison, including children and teenage boys who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of both officers and prisoners.

Afghanistan outlawed bacha bazi but officers have been known to participate in events and take advantage of the boys following their act.

One boy, who asked to be called Abdul, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: "I used to work as a street trader. When I saw the money which dancers got I stopped working on the streets. I was really happy when I started getting this kind of money. It was a lot. I started dancing because of my family's bad financial situation.

"The police don't ask why we're doing it, but they threaten to arrest us. Many times they demand that we dance and have sex with them or give them money."

According to Breitbart, U.S. soldiers who have discovered instances of bacha bazi, and the sexual abuse that inevitably follows, have been told "solders [sic] should tolerate all Afghan customs."

Col. Steve Johnson spoke of the sexual abuse on several occasions, saying: "You cannot try to impose American values and American norms onto the Afghan culture because they're completely different. ... We can report and we can encourage them. We do not have any power or the ability to use our hands to compel them to be what we see as morally better."

Johnson continued, explaining the abuse was systemic and added, "Functional or dysfunctional as it may be, there is a legitimate government in Afghanistan. We're operating within their borders. Operating on their behalf. So we have to work within their system.

"We can help their system improve by working with their system. If you want to fix the institution, you don't fix the institution by picking a scab."

"The scab" in question was an incident in which Green Berets attempted to end the sexual abuse of a male child who was tied to a bed and repeatedly raped by Afghani military officials.

Col. Johnson and other U.S. soldiers who learned of the abuse and did nothing have been accused of encouraging the child rape on military bases due to their lack of action to stop it.

Unfortunately, the United States military's hands remain tied in both legality and formality. Meanwhile, Afghani use of young boys as sexual play things continues to run rampant across the country.

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