Afghan women still suffer despite U.S. intervention

The United Nations states that after three years after military intervention meant to oust the rebel Taliban government, Afghan women still suffer extreme abuses and their plight has actually worsened. The abuse includes young girls being forced into marriages or bartered to settle debts, the UN said. UN women's rights monitor Yakin Erturk on Monday urged the government to do more to protect women and said ignoring the issue because of fears it could cause political instability "not only falls short of the United Nations' founding principles, but is also politically shortsighted". Gee, it seems like the U.S. government really let that whole "Afghan democratization project" go down the tubes, doesn't it? Apparently, you need international commitment, grassroots mobilizing, and financial assistance to actually help "free" a country.