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Posted (edited)

there are too many 'bad apples' and too many dead civilians. every single one of these wars have turned out to be rotten.

ladies and gentlemen, another failed war. the sad part is that, it doesn't matter how many times it's proven that these adventures do not work, there are still people who will support the next adventure.

US soldier's killing spree puts Afghanistan on a knife-edge

A US soldier has shot dead 16 Afghan civilians, nine of them children, in a night-time shooting spree in a village outside his base in southern Afghanistan, a rampage the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, said was "impossible to forgive".

The unprecedented attack on families asleep in their homes came as anti-foreign sentiment was already running high after Afghans discovered US troops had burned copies of the Qur'an at a military base

whatever way you want to look at it, wars increase civilian casualties. whether they're killed 'accidentally' by the foreign invader (drones/bombs), or purposely by the 'bad apples' or by anti-government militant groups. wars still result in an increase deaths of civilians.

isn't it time to abandon this shit?

Edited by bud
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Posted

Since the soldier had done Iraq 3x and then had to go to Afghanistan, perhaps, his mental state just blew and he felt the ONLY way out, was to do something like he did and maybe he got tired of being a killing machine. The news said he turned himself in right after he did it.

Posted

It may not have been his intention or motive but that guy surely precipitated the US pull out from Afghanistan by many months.

Guest American Woman
Posted

It may not have been his intention or motive but that guy surely precipitated the US pull out from Afghanistan by many months.

I highly doubt it.

Posted
I highly doubt it.
I agree.

This is a terrible, tragic event. But the war in Afghanistan involves much greater issues than a single US soldier going postal.

I suspect that people in both Iraq and Afghanistan (and the Middle East in general) have suffered more than their share of heartbreaking tragedy over the past few decades. But I think that it is misplaced to blame the US military for this state of affairs.

-----

For the record, my own view is that the US was wrong to invade Iraq and depose Saddam. The Iraqis should have done that themselves with tacit support from the West. As to Afghanistan, NATO was right to invade - but our sole goal there should have been to ensure that Afghanistan is never used again as a base for terrorist attacks against the West.

From my experience with Afghans, they will leave the 13th century in their own sweet time.

Posted

It may not have been his intention or motive but that guy surely precipitated the US pull out from Afghanistan by many months.

I think you might be on to something here. Looking at prison times for civilian massacres in the past American soldiers rarely serve any prison time:

-2LT. William Calley responsible for the My Lai Massacre of 347 people got 3 years house arrest.

-Staff Sgt. Frank Wuteric responsible for the Haditha Massacre was given ... a demotion

Maybe in his twisted head he thought to save his brothers in arms he had to provide the straw that broke the camels back. That because of his actions US forces would be taken out of Afghanistan at the cost of a few civilians and maybe house arrest and a demotion followed by an honorable discharge?

Posted

Am I the only one noticing the hypocrisy of the Taliban and anti-US groups?

An American soldier goes wacko and kills 16 civilians. Rightfully so, the Afghan people are outraged. Of course,the Taliban and its ilk are right in there stirring the pot.

Meanwhile, in Syria THOUSANDS of innocents are being killed!

Has anyone heard a word from the Taliban and all those Muslim people self-appointed champions? Have they done anything at all to help them?

Hell, it doesn't seem like they care at all!

"A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul."

-- George Bernard Shaw

"There is no point in being difficult when, with a little extra effort, you can be completely impossible."

Posted

Am I the only one noticing the hypocrisy of the Taliban and anti-US groups?

I love how the Taliban always promise revenge after these big events. So what were they doing before? Sitting around peacefully and letting the Americans be? They're such a joke. "Ohhh we weren't going to attack you but now, Ohh we're going to get yah!"

Posted

I love how the Taliban always promise revenge after these big events. So what were they doing before? Sitting around peacefully and letting the Americans be? They're such a joke. "Ohhh we weren't going to attack you but now, Ohh we're going to get yah!"

You're right, but even more ridiculous are their western supporters, who say that if we don't do as the Taliban wants we will be attacked!

What are they going to do? Flick the detonator switch on an IED TWICE as hard? ;)

"A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul."

-- George Bernard Shaw

"There is no point in being difficult when, with a little extra effort, you can be completely impossible."

Posted

Am I the only one noticing the hypocrisy of the Taliban and anti-US groups?

An American soldier goes wacko and kills 16 civilians. Rightfully so, the Afghan people are outraged. Of course,the Taliban and its ilk are right in there stirring the pot.

Meanwhile, in Syria THOUSANDS of innocents are being killed!

Has anyone heard a word from the Taliban and all those Muslim people self-appointed champions? Have they done anything at all to help them?

Hell, it doesn't seem like they care at all!

Syria has some big powerful friends. Afghanistan did not.

Guest American Woman
Posted

I think you might be on to something here. Looking at prison times for civilian massacres in the past American soldiers rarely serve any prison time:

-2LT. William Calley responsible for the My Lai Massacre of 347 people got 3 years house arrest.

-Staff Sgt. Frank Wuteric responsible for the Haditha Massacre was given ... a demotion

Maybe in his twisted head he thought to save his brothers in arms he had to provide the straw that broke the camels back. That because of his actions US forces would be taken out of Afghanistan at the cost of a few civilians and maybe house arrest and a demotion followed by an honorable discharge?

The incidents you refer to didn't result in US forces being taken out of Vietnam and/or Iraq - so why would this soldier think such a murderous rampage would result in US forces being taken out of Afghanistan, thus "sav[ing] his brothers in arms?" I doubt his murder spree was that calculated.

Posted

Syria...I notice a distinct lack of caring on the part of folks who usually blow a fuse if Israel farts.

I asked the Syria question almost a year ago. Many here could not .. would not answer.

Syria has big friends. This is why the USA/NATO and the UN is skirting the issue. There won't be a full blown invasion of Syria. You are risking a much larger war spilled over to much more than just Syria.

Posted

..... I doubt his murder spree was that calculated.

I agree, but it has brought closer scrutiny to the escalation of troops in Afghanistan, i.e. Obama's surge did not bring about the same perceived results as Bush's surge in Iraq, which, along with other key events, is now considered a good move in retrospect. Both venues have their share of troop and command failings, but Afghanistan is at the end of the brutal op-tempo and multiple deployments for US forces.

Economics trumps Virtue. 

 

Posted

I asked the Syria question almost a year ago. Many here could not .. would not answer.

Syria has big friends. This is why the USA/NATO and the UN is skirting the issue. There won't be a full blown invasion of Syria. You are risking a much larger war spilled over to much more than just Syria.

No...I mean the usual "peace activists" that come out of the woodwork to protest and sail ships though blockades. America could give a rat's ass about Syria. Russia's problem.

Posted (edited)

No...I mean the usual "peace activists" that come out of the woodwork to protest and sail ships though blockades. America could give a rat's ass about Syria. Russia's problem.

There are the card carryng members of the Tinfoil Hat Society at bedwetter.ca...sorry...Rabble.ca that seem to think the CIA is behind this (with help from the Mossad,of course),trying to foment instability for the Assad's and Syria...

Edited by Jack Weber

The beatings will continue until morale improves!!!

Posted

There are the card carryng members of the Tinfoil Hat Society at bedwetter.ca...sorry...Rabble.ca that seem to think the CIA is behind this (with help from the Mossad,of course),trying to foment instability for the Assad's and Syria...

Poor Assad...what's a brutal dictator to do with these fellows in trenchcoats and dark sunglasses running around everywhere stirring sh*t-up?

Posted (edited)

Poor Assad...what's a brutal dictator to do with these fellows in trenchcoats and dark sunglasses running around everywhere stirring sh*t-up?

I always wonder why the more extreme idealogues on the left and the right have this submission to authority complex to the "Great Leaders" that rule thier nations with an iron fist...

You can get in trouble for pointing out the brutal ways of the dictatorship in China over there...They call it "China bashing"...

I realize that some of the wayward types on the left still feel that China is upholding the virtues of Chairman Mao,but they are hardly commies anymore...

Edited by Jack Weber

The beatings will continue until morale improves!!!

Posted

No...I mean the usual "peace activists" that come out of the woodwork to protest and sail ships though blockades. America could give a rat's ass about Syria. Russia's problem.

Why was Libya America's problem?

Why was Iraq America's problem?

Why was Egypt not America's problem?

Why was Tunisia not America's problem?

Why was Bahrain Saudi Arabia's problem?

Why is Syria not America's problem?

Why is Iran America's problem?

Posted

Why was Libya America's problem?

Why was Iraq America's problem?

Why was Egypt not America's problem?

Why was Tunisia not America's problem?

Why was Bahrain Saudi Arabia's problem?

Why is Syria not America's problem?

Why is Iran America's problem?

Pretty simple...

'Cause they're broke...

The beatings will continue until morale improves!!!

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