We're Not Your Game Boys

"PATRIOT, n. One to whom the interests of a part seem
superior to those of the whole. The dupe of statesmen
and the tool of conquerors."
--The Devil's Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce,

The propagandist's purpose is to make one set of people forget
that certain other sets of people are human.
-- Aldous Huxley

A terrorist is someone who has a bomb, but doesn't have an air force
-- William Blum
__________

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said at a news conference in Kabul following the recent bombing of 42 civilians (''Afghan Inquiry Finds That U.S. Bombing Killed 42 Civilians''),

“We are very sorry when the international coalition force and NATO soldiers lose their lives or are injured,” he said. “It pains us. But Afghans are human beings, too.”

The U.S. aerial bombing of a valley in western Afghanistan a few days ago killed at least 42, and wounded 50 more. President Karzai said such casualties were no longer ''tolerable.''

“Five years on, it is very difficult for us to continue accepting civilian casualties,” he said. “It is becoming heavy for us; it is not understandable anymore.”

This follows several recent incidents in which civilians were killed as a result of foreign forces using ''indiscriminate or excessive force.'' Afghan officials now warn ''the good will of the Afghan people toward the government and the foreign military presence is wearing thin.''

From Washington, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jeremy Martin, said, “We’re aware of the allegations, but we don’t have any information through operational channels to confirm the latest incident.” He added, “We take all measures possible to limit civilian casualties.”

What a wonderful insulated world the Special Operations Forces occupy. The forces romp and stomp through a foreign country killing its inhabitants, but they don’t have any information through operational channels.

Here's a hint: Why not use host nation channels, since it is their citizens that U.S. forces are so gratuitously killing. Isn't this what coordination is all about?

U.S. forces are not independent players and cannot run amok, as if this were a computer game.