74 Afghan School Girls Allegedly Poisoned

The Taliban are allegedly poisoning school girls again in Afghanistan. A common occurrence in a country with elements that want women to remain uneducated, this time around 74 girls in the Bibi Maryam school in Taluqan, Takhar province, became sick after smelling a noxious gas. The girls were transported to the local hospital to determine what sickened them. Hospital head, Dr. Jamil Frotan said:

"We have already sent samples of their blood to the Ministry of Public Health and it will soon become clear what the reason for their illness was."

Most of the girls were released, although several are in critical condition. Another girls school in that area was targeted three days earlier, and that poison attack sent a dozen or so to the hospital. No one is claiming responsibility for the two attacks, but it's quite obvious who the perpetrators are.

Last year Takhar experienced numerous poison attacks including 160 girls who were poisoned at the Ahan Dara Girls' High School, and 120 girls and several teachers at a different school.

The fact that women regained their rights to an education, employment and voting in 2001, it hasn't stopped the Taliban from preventing them from doing so.  And the few rights that women have gained, Post Taliban, are going to quickly fade away once we totally pull out of the country.