Suspended Member of Afghan Parliament Condemns Karzai, Warlords and U.S. Occupation

Interview with Malalai Joya, former member of the Afghanistan Parliament and author, conducted by Scott Harris

As President Obama considered the adoption of a new strategy in Afghanistan which could include the deployment of 40,000 or more additional U.S. troops, October became the deadliest month for Americans in the eight-year war. Eight American soldiers died in two bomb blasts on Oct. 27, preceded by the deaths of 11 U.S. troops and 3 drug enforcement agents in two separate helicopter crashes.

The Obama administration has delayed making a decision about sending additional forces to Afghanistan, partly based on the political uncertainty tied to the results of the Aug. 20 Afghan presidential election. Widespread evidence of vote-rigging and fraud has forced incumbent President Hamid Karzai into a Nov. 7 runoff election with his second place challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Malalai Joya, a critic of the U.S., NATO and Afghanistan's powerful warlords, who became the youngest person elected to Afghanistan's new Parliament in 2005. Two years later, she was suspended from the legislative body for her persistent criticism of the warlords and drug barons. A survivor of four assassination attempts, she has written a new book, "A Woman Among Warlords: The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Raise Her Voice." Here Malalai explains why she stands in opposition to the continued U.S. occupation of her nation, President Karzai and his challenger Abdullah Abdullah.

Visit Malalai Joya's website at www.malalaijoya.com

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"Between The Lines" is a half-hour syndicated radio news magazine that each week features a summary of under-reported news stories and interviews with activists and journalists who offer progressive perspectives on international, national and regional political, economic and social issues. Because "Between The Lines" is independent of all publications, media networks or political parties, we are able to bring a diversity of voices to the airwaves generally ignored or marginalized by the major media. For more information on this week's topics and to check out our text archive listing topics and guests presented in previous programs visit: http://www.btlonline.org

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