--- description: NATO has denied allegations that the Pentagon instructed American troops to look the other way when Afghan allies sexually abused boys title: NATO Denies Policy of Ignoring Pedophilia by Afghan Allies image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Afghanistan](/tag/afghanistan/) ## Afghanistan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # NATO Says American Troops Were Not Told to Ignore Pedophilia Among Afghan Allies by [Lisa Spear](/author/lisa-spear/) ## Lisa Spear Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 23, 2015 7:28 AM CUT by [Lisa Spear](/author/lisa-spear/) ## Lisa Spear Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 23, 2015 7:28 AM CUT Senior NATO commander John Campbell [released a statement](https://www.facebook.com/GENJohnCampbell/photos/a.162268200596849.1073741828.162243273932675/513810892109243/?type=1&theater "undefined") on Tuesday rebuffing claims that American soldiers and Marines were told to ignore the unbridled sexual abuse of young boys among Afghan commanders in rural areas. The allegations surrounding the local practice of _bacha bazi_, meaning “boy play,” first [surfaced](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/world/asia/us-soldiers-told-to-ignore-afghan-allies-abuse-of-boys.html?%5Fr=1 "undefined") in the New York _Times_, which cited interviews and court records. Soldiers were ordered not to intervene with the local Afghan commanders or American-trained militias to maintain good relations, the _Times_ said. “Instead of weeding out pedophiles, the American military was arming them in some cases and placing them as the commanders of villages — and doing little when they began abusing children,” read the paper’s [report](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/world/asia/us-soldiers-told-to-ignore-afghan-allies-abuse-of-boys.html?%5Fr=1 "undefined"). Campbell said in his statement that, after serving multiple tours in Afghanistan, he could confirm that no such policy exists and that the Afghan government would properly investigate all claims of abuse. “I want to make absolutely clear that any sexual abuse or similar mistreatment of others, no matter the alleged perpetrator or victim, is completely unacceptable and reprehensible,” Campbell said in the statement. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4045742/nato-afghanistan-boys-sexual-abuse/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4045742/nato-afghanistan-boys-sexual-abuse/"},"headline":"NATO Says American Troops Were Not Told to Ignore Pedophilia Among Afghan Allies","datePublished":"2015-09-23T07:28:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T11:10:35.674Z","description":"The practice of bacha bazi, or “boy play,” is common in parts of Afghanistan","url":"https://time.com/4045742/nato-afghanistan-boys-sexual-abuse/","keywords":["Afghanistan","Pentagon","Child abuse","Marines","New York Times","NATO"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lisa Spear","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/lisa-spear/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/afghanistan/","name":"Afghanistan"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4045742/nato-afghanistan-boys-sexual-abuse/","name":"NATO Says American Troops Were Not Told to Ignore Pedophilia Among Afghan Allies"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Frame by Frame - Photography in Afghanistan - Trailer","description":"“A country without photographs, is a country without identity,\" says Najibullah Musafer, a photojournalist who took great risks to document his homeland despite the prohibition.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/bq3KtwmR/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-04-30T19:24:25.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/bq3KtwmR.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4045742/nato-afghanistan-boys-sexual-abuse/","duration":"PT3M4S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4045742/nato-afghanistan-boys-sexual-abuse/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```