Iraq, Afghanistan failing in human rights, US says

WASHINGTON: Fledgling U.S.-backed democracies in Afghanistan and Iraq are failing to protect human rights, the State Department says, despite huge flows of American aid to improve conditions after the ousters of governments run by Taliban militia and Saddam Hussein. --- "Too often in the past year we received painful reminders that human rights, though self-evident, are not self-enforcing," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in presenting the report. --- Afghanistan and Iraq have received millions in U.S. aid for rights and democracy programs — $102.9 million (€78.6 million) for Afghanistan last year alone and $183 million (€139.7 million) for Iraq since 2004, according to State Department figures.