Afghanistan has carried out its first execution
since the fall of the Taliban regime, putting a notorious former
military commander to death with a bullet to the head, officials said
Tuesday.
The April 20 execution remained secret for a week until it was revealed
in a scathing report by Amnesty International, which accused powerful
politicians of silencing Abdullah Shah before he could expose their
human rights violations. Jawed Ludin, a spokesman for President Hamid
Karzai, said the Afghan leader signed Shah's death warrant reluctantly.
Karzai has commuted two prior death sentences, but was compelled by the
heinous nature of the crime, Ludin said. Shah was convicted of killing
one wife by pouring boiling water over her body and murdering his
infant daughter by bashing her repeatedly against a wall.

"Many who live deserve to die, and some who die
deserve to live. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too quick to
deal out death and judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."