Afghan killings
This war is only fueling anti-Western anger in the region and across the Muslim world
A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths a statistic, argued the late Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. For the United States and its NATO allies, the killing of 52 Afghan civilians, at least 12 of them young children and two women, Saturday night in another airstrike is merely another statistic in the “war on terror.”
And if the killing of civilians in the bombing of a residential compound in Helmand drew angry protests and “warnings” by President Hamid Karzai, they were predictably followed by “sincere apologies” by the coalition saying “top priority is given to prevent civilian casualties and it takes such cases very seriously.” Karzai thunders he has repeatedly warned the coalition against air raids that kill innocents and this is his “last warning” to the coalition. And White House says it takes “Afghan concerns very seriously,” adding, “We work very hard to avoid civilian casualties.”
We have been here before of course. We have seen many such “warnings” by the Afghan president and many such “apologies” by the coalition. Media pundits and human rights groups will express their “outrage” for a day or two and move on. Little will change on the ground. The farce goes on — until there is another airstrike killing more innocent people.
The truth is, the world has grown weary of this decade-long war and doesn’t really care two hoots whether it’s Taleban insurgents or innocent civilians who are wiped out by the indiscriminate US-NATO bombings. The Americans do not want to be reminded of the mess created by their trillion-dollar war abroad at a time when they have more pressing things to worry about, like the economy and jobs for instance. As a result, the coalition forces kill at will — and with impunity.
What will it take to wake up the world’s conscience — and that of the Americans — over this wretched, interminable war? Tens of thousands of innocents have been killed in the US-NATO air raids and “operations” on the ground — many times more than those killed in Taleban attacks. And this war is supposed to bring freedom, democracy and peace to Afghanistan! How many more must die before the international community asked the West to leave Afghanistan? Why do we not see Vietnam-like anti-war protests around the world?
Even if this war was about avenging the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington, ostensibly carried out by Al-Qaeda, with the outfit wiped out in Afghanistan and even its figurehead leader killed in neighboring Pakistan this month, the US mission is already accomplished in the region. The West has no excuse or business to be around now. This war is only feeding and fueling anti-Western anger in the region and across the Muslim world.
What’s going on in Afghanistan today is resistance against occupation. And the Afghans will fight for a thousand years without worrying about consequences or the brute power of the adversary. This is a game that no one, including the Russians and British, has won in Afghanistan. The US must learn from history. It’s in its own interest to end this conflict and leave while it can — with dignity. Dialogue is the only way out.
Comments
TOM
May 31, 2011 09:18
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May 31, 2011 14:25
Report abuse@ Tom, dear we have no problems if you nuke the terrorists, be it from any religion, cast or creed. but please don't kill innocent people. if you count the numbers, the was in both afghanistan and in iraq has killed more civilians than terrorists. so is it justified.
if let say i wanted to get rid of a few thousand men hiding across the USA would it make sense to bomb the entire usa to get rid of them? yes now that example hit the spot, didn't it.
it would be like bombing the entire bank building and bringing it down like the twin towers just to kill 12 robbers and trying to save the lives of the hostages and also to stop the bank from being robbed.... and when the hostages die you say oh i am sorry it was not my intention, it's collateral dammage, it happens, we will investigate... and then nothing happens except the same tactics are repeated with another bank robbery.
do you see what i am trying to say... or should i spell it out to you on a platter!!!
you say usa went into these countries to save americans... from what??? were there any WMD's in IRAQ, or in Afghanistan??? no! so why not an inquiry into bush and co. why not demand from them every shread of (so called) evidence that they had to link 9/11 to OBL and the evidence they had of Iraq having WMDs... where is all that evidence?
THOMAS GORDON
May 31, 2011 14:32
Report abuseTAHIR KHAN
May 31, 2011 14:42
Report abuseAHMED
May 31, 2011 14:53
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