Strict Islamic rule returning to Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan — Extremist Muslim rule is being re-established in Afghanistan and could get worse without intervention, says the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent federal agency advising the Administration and Congress.

The commission issued a statement on Afghanistan Oct. 10, recommending that President Bush or Secretary of State Colin Powell immediately appoint a special envoy to advance human rights protections in Afghanistan.

The commission reports that despite the huge amount of military and foreign-assistance resources the United States is devoting to Afghanistan, the U.S. government is not making a similar investment in diplomatic resources to promote human rights and related freedoms.