Italian government leaves NGO high and dry

The Afghan authorities have scotched reports that three Italians working for Emergency, an NGO that provides medical aid in international war zones, have confessed to taking part in a Taliban plot to kill the governor of the southern city of Lashkar Gah. The men are still under arrest, however. Italy’s foreign and defence ministeries, who earlier blamed the organisation for "spoiling Italy's image" by offering treatment to Taliban insurgents as well as civilians, have yet to call for their release. An editorial by Roman daily Il Manifesto is scathing. "The attack on Emergency is a consequence of Operation Moshtarak", launched in February by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

"Preparing for war requires the elimination of every discomforting witness. Emergency's hospitals are annoying observation posts for those who bomb and kill", the daily writes, one day after NATO soldiers in Southern Afghanistan opened fire on a bus, killing four civilians including a woman and child. Meanwhile, the Italian NGO's staff have surrendered the hospital where the three worked to Afghan police. "If they wanted us to stop operating here, they’ve succeeded", declared an Emergency spokesman to La Repubblica.