While in Vancouver to make an anti-war speech, Malalai Joya talked to our reporter Zack Baddorf.

Free Speech Radio, October 18, 2010

Violence continued in southern Afghanistan over the weekend, where US and NATO forces recently launched a new military offensive. Militants are fighting back, killing two civilians Saturday in two separate bombings. On Sunday, at least eight Afghan security guards were also killed. NATO claims to have killed a number of militants, and said a detainee captured on Saturday was found dead in his cell.

Meanwhile, elections officials announced that thousands of votes from last month’s elections have been disqualified due to fraud. The Independent Election Commission said it is still going through complaints and delayed parliamentary election results for a second time. Those results are now expected Wednesday.

The violence and election uncertainty come as a government-run Peace Council has made overtures to negotiate with Taliban insurgents. But the Council has come under criticism by civil rights groups for being dominated by warlords and past Taliban leaders, and for being short on members from opposition groups, medical and development experts and those that champion women’s rights.

Former Afghan member of parliament Malalai Joya opposes such talks, saying the Taliban are "misogynist terrorist[s]." While in Vancouver to make an anti-war speech, she talked to our reporter Zack Baddorf about the US occupation, the Taliban and the future of her country.

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