I checked and found that Bacha Bazi parties have been discussed on WS. Frontline did a piece on this age old practice a while back. However, I did not see anything about the US contractor, DynCorp, charged with training Afghan police. It turns out that it was revealed in December that DynCorp had "treated" some of the recruits to these parties. I was shocked to read that many former Green Berets consult and/or work for DynCorp and seemingly knew of these parties.
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2010/12/wikileaks_texas_company_helped.php
".....bacha bazi is a pre-Islamic Afghan tradition that was banned by the Taliban. Bacha boys are eight- to 15-years-old. They put on make-up, tie bells to their feet and slip into scanty women's clothing, and then, to the whine of a harmonium and wailing vocals, they dance seductively to smoky roomfuls of leering older men.
After the show is over, their services are auctioned off to the highest bidder, who will sometimes purchase a boy outright. And by services, we mean anal sex: The State Department has called bacha bazi a "widespread, culturally accepted form of male rape." (While it may be culturally accepted, it violates both Sharia law and Afghan civil code.)..."
and
"....According to most reports, over 95 percent of its [DynCorp's] $2 billion annual revenue comes from US taxpayers....."
more at link (including Frontline video of an actual bacha bazi)
DynCorp's official response to the story:
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2010/12/wikileaks_dyncorp_responds.php
Their spokesperson is kind enough to explain what "really happened".
Now, I'm starting to grasp why Henry David Thoreau refused to pay his taxes as long as slavery was legal.
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2010/12/wikileaks_texas_company_helped.php
".....bacha bazi is a pre-Islamic Afghan tradition that was banned by the Taliban. Bacha boys are eight- to 15-years-old. They put on make-up, tie bells to their feet and slip into scanty women's clothing, and then, to the whine of a harmonium and wailing vocals, they dance seductively to smoky roomfuls of leering older men.
After the show is over, their services are auctioned off to the highest bidder, who will sometimes purchase a boy outright. And by services, we mean anal sex: The State Department has called bacha bazi a "widespread, culturally accepted form of male rape." (While it may be culturally accepted, it violates both Sharia law and Afghan civil code.)..."
and
"....According to most reports, over 95 percent of its [DynCorp's] $2 billion annual revenue comes from US taxpayers....."
more at link (including Frontline video of an actual bacha bazi)
DynCorp's official response to the story:
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2010/12/wikileaks_dyncorp_responds.php
Their spokesperson is kind enough to explain what "really happened".
Now, I'm starting to grasp why Henry David Thoreau refused to pay his taxes as long as slavery was legal.
