Another deadly, bungling raid by the U.S. military in Afghanistan

[bigtree]

Disputed U.S. House Raid in Afghanistan Elevates Tension

December 18, 2008

KABUL, Afghanistan — A deadly United States military raid on a house near Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan became a new source of tension on Thursday, with the Americans calling it a successful counterterrorism strike and the Afghans saying it left three innocent civilians dead and two wounded, including a 4-year-old boy bitten by an attack dog.

The raid took place on Wednesday in the village of Kundi in Khost Province. American military leaders and Afghan officials said they were investigating the conflicting accounts of what happened.

But President Hamid Karzai, who has grown increasingly impatient with the American-led war effort against the Taliban insurgency here, condemned the raid publicly in front of government leaders and foreign diplomats, saying that “entering by force to our people’s houses is against the government of Afghanistan.

Mr. Karzai, who will face an election next year, is under enormous pressure from Afghans who say the 7-year-old war against the Taliban has devastated the country and led to many civilian casualties at the hands of American-led forces."

The raid took place on the same day that diplomats in Kabul called on foreign forces to increase their sensitivity in order to win the “hearts and minds” of Afghans . . .


read: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/world/asia/19afghan.html?ref=world&pagewanted=print

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Solution: Send 20,000 more bunglers.

You know, to "protect" the Afghans from people who will kill them. :banghead: :banghead:

[bigtree]

2. It's as if this administration is doubling down on their failed military policy

. . . and presenting it for the approval of the new president as brand new.

If I were Obama, I'd be wondering what I'd gotten myself in for, looking at the results wrought from the warped wisdom of the leaders of the crew he's decided to leave intact.

[gratuitous]

3. Would you set a trained attack dog on a four year old?

Oh well, there are "conflicting accounts." Never mind. I'm sure our star-spangled troops would never do such a thing. Three dead. Collateral damage. Fog of war. You know. Bummer. Here's $2,500. Per. All better now?

[bigtree]

4. I don't know what I'd do with myself

. . . if I didn't have contact and communication with folks who understand what's happening and at stake and are willing to speak out.

thanks.

[madokie]

5. Its way too late for winning hearts and minds now

all we can do at this juncture is pack up and leave. Sending money to help in fixing what we've fucked up would go a long ways towards convincing them that we know our country has done the wrong thing and that we want to try to fix it. Give the ICC the war criminals is step one too, lets not kid ourselves any here. Without that there can be no peace now, never in our lifetimes anyway.