Afghans turn to Taliban in fear of own police - "If the boys were out in the fields, the police would come and rape them," he said.

[Johnny Asia]

Afghans turn to Taliban in fear of own police

By Peter Graff � Sun Jul 12, 9:57 am ET

PANKELA, Afghanistan (Reuters) � As British troops moved into the
village newly freed from Taliban control, they heard one message from
the anxious locals: for God's sake do not bring back the Afghan
police.

U.S. and British troops have launched a campaign to seize control of
Helmand province, about half of which was in Taliban hands, and
restore Afghan government institutions.

But as they advance, they are learning uncomfortable facts about their
local allies: villagers say the government's police force was so
brutal and corrupt that they welcomed the Taliban as liberators.

"The police would stop people driving on motorcycles, beat them and
take their money," said Mohammad Gul, an elder in the village of
Pankela, which British troops have been securing for the past three
days after flying in by helicopter.

He pointed to two compounds of neighbors where pre-teen children had
been abducted by police to be used for the local practice of
"bachabazi," or sex with pre-pubescent boys.

"If the boys were out in the fields, the police would come and rape
them," he said. "You can go to any police base and you will see these
boys. They hold them until they are finished with them and then let
the child go."