Here are the early details of this lamentable development in the conclusions of the Gardez (district of Paktiya Province) Incident Feb. 12.I want to make it abundantly clear that I do not think the blame should rest on the shoulders of NATO's (and American) uniformed soldiers fighting in this improbable lunar landscape, far from the strategic interests Europeans and Americans.
NATO and U.S. troops, fighting under the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) command, are the best, most proficient and professional troops ever assembled. They are not the troops who can't shoot straight; they are the troops who can't know - all too often - who to shoot. Reference another weekend news item detailing how NATO troops killed Afghan troops trying to reinforce them.
Whose fault is this?
It is the fault of those suits in the Pentagon and NATO capitols who have risked the Alliance resources to pursue a mission impossible: using non-Islamic troops to graft a modern nation-state on top of a medieval Muslim environment.
More bad news is to follow.
War is only necessary and justifiable as a means of self defense. We have no business telling other countries how to run themselves. We have no business picking leaders and disposing of ones we don't like. We have no business deciding the fate of countries thousands of miles away and struggling with their own demons. The military industrial complex needs war to be self sustaining and profitable. They do not make much money in times of peace. We don't need as many generals or bombs it times of peace, and the money could actually be used for domestic programs. Our leaders are more afraid of being labeled doves than they are of being invaded. The link between constant war and national security has been made to keep the American people at bay, politicians in line, and in constant fear of the bogeyman. We must stop the madness and withdraw from both Iraq and Afghanistan and never act as the worlds sole policeman again.
ReplyDeleteRemember now.
ReplyDeleteLets not compare Afghanistan to Nam. :-)
Mini Mi Lai's have been going down in Afghanistan since day one.
MC Chrystall “We have shot an amazing number of people, but to my knowledge, none has ever proven to be a threat." Why has he not been drilled by our media about this statement.
I forgot, in the new America. Dissent and questioning our government is considered unpatriotic.
W -x-x- I mean Obama has a lot to answer for. Instead all we get is spin, and lip service.
Mr.s Obama and Gates have consistently said that the proposed withdrawl date is nonnegotiable. We'll just have to see, now won't we?
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ReplyDeleteThere is nothing nice about war. It is an unfortunate consequence of the human condition. What we can't kill we enslave. That is the only comparison to Vietnam. All wars are nightmares beyond description. It continues to make me very sad, but isolated instances should not be used as evidence that all of those fighting for our country engage in such behavior. An army is made up of individuals...all types from all walks of life.
ReplyDeleteFinally, this is the third time I have crafted this comment because I am not sure what to say beyond what I said except this:
We need to get our troopers out of that place. I no longer support the mission. Karzai threatens to join the Taliban if we don't give him what he wants? F***k him! I am sorry for the civilians when we leave. The return of the Taliban will be a nightmare but we can't continue sacrificing our own blood for countries that can't do it on their own. As to the primary mission of anti-terrorism and etc. To hell with that. If there is evidence that al Qaeda has returned and is setting up shop just bomb hell out 'em and go on about our business. I am sick and tired of war and that includes this one. WE NEED TO GET OUT NOW!!
APB to Oso, Reality Zone, Ms Barry Boris, Messenger, & Beach:
ReplyDeleteGet in here and witness the above statement by Mad Mike of America. B-4 it's 2 late!
I will stand by it Vigil. I am tired of all the death and dying for a cause that is vague...
ReplyDeletePeace...
Good to hear Mike. I don't what would become of the country if we up and left, but ultimately we aren't there for the Afghanis but for our own purposes which have nothing to do with what's objectively best for them.
ReplyDeleteNot just there and not just us, it's all big empires do things only for their own purposes,nobody elses.
Reality Zone has emailed this You Tube, Collateral Murder, to a number of us. It is a (leaked) video recording of an American helicopter gunship firing on a group of Iraqis in Baghdad (I think) in 2007. It turned out that these were non-combatants, and included two photo journalists in Reuters' employ. But then same gunship asked to be authorized by off-camera fire control to shoot up a van that stopped to pick up the bodies. Which they were and which they did. Two kids had been in the van.
ReplyDeleteThe experience of watching this video can produce nausea and rage. But I say again, I do not fault the uninformed troops in the fire zone. I fault their suited leaders in the pentagon and our suited leaders in the White House who sent our brave troops into this ignominious task of invasion and occupation. I do not have words (at the moment) that adequately express my rage at both offices (Pentagon and White House).
So, I will break off for the moment.
VIG: Hat Tip.
ReplyDeleteIt was very difficult for me to watch it the FIRST time. These were 30mm cannon fire. That is a lot of fire power. The worst part was the shooting of the wounded. And the re-killing of the dead.
I totally agree about putting the blame on their superiors. But the tone of the audio was very telling. These guys were trigger happy shooters. I can not think of a military force in history that blatantly killed the wounded.
IF these are not war crimes then I do not know what it. Again, sometimes the cover up is worst than the crime. Our military force is trained to get in, kick ass, and get out.
Not occupation.
MM: I hope you mean what you say.
ReplyDeleteIt will take many voices to stop this insanity.
There is no mission, there never was a mission.
There never was an exit strategy.
The Powell [Casper Weinberger] doctrine was never in the cards. They are still using the Rummy strategy.
There is only one strategy. And that is to bring these kids home.
They will need a lot of help.
And Americans still wonder why we are hated.
Your impulse to punish the grunts, Reality Zone, is such a stereotypical 'White-Liberal' response, I can't believe I am hearing it from you, of all people. Who for chrissakes sent our professional fighting men into foreign - even alien - civilizations without linguistic or cultural or historical understandings which could equip them for dealing with the demographic and political intricacies? (That fucking Bushitter went into Iraq before he knew Iraqis came in Shiia and Sunni varieties!) It's so easy and simple and unoriginal to grab a grunt or two and court martial them. But collaring the real perps among the M.I.C.? That's not so simple, is it? Is that why we shouldn't talk that up?
ReplyDeleteI suggest you re-read my comment.
ReplyDelete"I totally agree about putting the blame on their superiors."
Good discussion here. Personally, I like LTE's observation:
ReplyDelete....Our leaders are more afraid of being labeled doves than they are of being invaded. The link between constant war and national security has been made to keep the American people at bay, politicians in line, and in constant fear of the bogeyman ....
That's astute. Too bad it implies that Barack Obama was a little too timid in appeasing McChrystal & Gates of MIC, Inc. when it came to Afghanistan. But the truth is harsh to the tongue and ear, as they say.
Common wisdom used to assume that Soviet communism was bad because it forced a type of government and lifestyle on a captive population, imposing it and maintaining it through military invasion and at gunpoint. We and most of the rest of the world roundly condemned the Soviets for their actions in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Afghanistan. With our invasion, occupation, and imposition of our type of government on the peoples of Afghanistan and Iraq, we are little better than the old Soviets were.
ReplyDeleteExcellent observation Jack.
ReplyDeleteJack Jodell, should we invite Putin to invade Afghanistan and turn it all over to him?
ReplyDeleteIsn't it Russia's heroin supply that's at stake? At least the Ruskies are 'stakeholders', huh? Plus logistics favor them as world policeman over us. I would say Afghanistanam is in their 'jurisdiction'. Huh?
ReplyDeleteWar brings out the worst in people. Never the best. It's humanity.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Reality Zone! I was making a point over your innocent back.
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