U.S.-Led Coalition Condemns Murder of Afghan Family

Dec. 10, 2006 – U.S. military headquarters in Afghanistan today denounced the Taliban extremists who murdered five members of an Afghan family Dec. 8. "The U.S.-led coalition condemns in the strongest terms possible the murder Friday of a family in Kunar province," Combined Forces Command Afghanistan spokesman Col. Tom Collins said today at the organization's headquarters in Kabul.

"The murderers who committed this despicable act deliberately chose to kill teachers because they fear the opening of the human mind," Collins said.

Taliban extremists stormed into a house in the Narang district and killed five members of the family, including four women, two of whom were teachers.

"Teachers represent the future of a free and open Afghanistan," Collins said. "The Taliban extremists represent only the sad, backward-looking past, so they murdered five innocent people."

Provincial Governor Shalizia Didar confirmed the incident and blamed "enemies of the country," a term often used to describe Taliban extremists. Didar said he called a meeting of local elders and Afghan national security forces to pursue the murderers.

Afghan police officials are investigating the crime.

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