The Afghan "Rape" Law

The American commitment to state building in Afghanistan makes us a party to stuff like this:

A new Afghan law makes it legal for men to rape their wives, human rights groups and some Afghan lawmakers said Thursday, accusing President Hamid Karzai of signing the legislation to bolster his re-election prospects. Critics worry the legislation undermines hard-won rights for women enacted after the fall of the Taliban's strict Islamist regime.

The law — which some lawmakers say was never debated in parliament — is intended to regulate family life inside Afghanistan's Shiite community, which makes up about 20 percent of this country of 30 million people. The law does not affect Afghan Sunnis.

Ultimately the U.S. can't legislate Afghan family life for the Afghans, regardless of how barbaric it is. But we should take a long hard look at just how much we want to invest in state building in the country if this is how they use their new found democratic institutions.