Afghan outrage at U.S. raid highlights challenges facing new military push

[Better Believe It]

Tactical success, strategic defeat
Afghan outrage at U.S. raid highlights challenges facing new military push
By Pamela Constable
Washington Post
March 1, 2009

FORWARD OPERATING BASE ALTIMUR, Afghanistan - The U.S. soldiers entered the sleeping village in Logar province in the dead of night on Feb. 20, sure of their target and heavily armed. They surrounded a mud-walled compound, shouting commands, and then kicked down the gate as cries of protest erupted within.

Exactly what happened next is disputed, but shots were fired and a man inside fell dead. Four other men were grabbed and arrested. Then the soldiers departed, leaving the women to calm the frightened children and the rumors to spread in the dark.

By midmorning, hundreds of angry people were blocking the nearby highway, burning tires and shouting "Death to America!" By mid-evening, millions of Afghan TV news viewers were convinced that foreign troops had killed an unarmed man trying to answer his door.

"We are afraid of the Taliban, but we are more afraid of the Americans now," said Abdul Ghaffar, a truck driver in the raided village. "The foreign forces are killing innocent people. We don't want them in Afghanistan. If they stay, one day we will stand against them, just like we stood against the Russians."

Please read the complete article at:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29459328

[Life Long Dem]

1. Then this one is the enemy.

And this is who we are fighting,and the insurgence.

Now go get them, because they are part of the problem and not the solution.

[mix]

2. it will be an interesting spring and summer

in afghanistan this year