Where is the moral high ground if our justification for targeting children is that the Taliban is using and hiding behind them? They started it!
“It kind of opens our aperture,” said Army Lt. Col. Marion “Ced” Carrington, whose unit, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was assisting the Afghan police. “In addition to looking for military-age males, it’s looking for children with potential hostile intent.”It's a complicated and dangerous situation that highlights for me the fact that we're out of our league. George W. Bush, the candidate, was correct when he said we shouldn't get into the business of nation building.
I don't know what Obama's timetable is for getting us out of Afghanistan, but it isn't soon enough. As scholars of the region and historians said at the time of the original invasion, Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires (or some such phrase). We're just one more.
2 comments:
What are you doing visiting Military Times?
How do you feel about the course the US is pursuing regarding Egypt? How about the latest with the chemical bombs in Syria?
When do we cross the line to keep powerful groups from killing masses of citizens? Maybe when they export it here? Maybe not then?
I had hoped that the trip to Asia would draw some attention away from the MidEast, but there are just too many reporters there, filing urgent releases by the dozen.
You do have a way of getting off subject.
I am in favor of targeting children when they are part of an invasion force landing in Florida. (If they invade Texas, I´d step back and let them have it, as long as I knew they had no larger territorial ambitions. Ok, may be they could have Oklahoma too, but no more.)
In Afghanistan, it´s time to admit we didn´t accomplish much (the Taliban are back) and leave. Before we come back and help them with their nation building, they have some other important cultural issues to take care of. Until then, we´re outta there.
We should have learned by now that, when our allies are scum bags, only marginally better than your foes, it´s a losing proposition.
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