American Commander Admits Afghan Atrocities ("We have killed an amazing number of people")

[Karmadillo]

http://www.chris-floyd.com/component/content/article/1-latest-news/1949-an-unaccustomed-truth-american-commander-admits-afghan-atrocities.html#comments

An Unaccustomed Truth: American Commander Admits Afghan Atrocities
Written by Chris Floyd
Saturday, 27 March 2010 01:16

Well, John the Baptist after torturing a thief
Looks up at his hero the Commander-in-Chief
Saying, “Tell me great hero, but please make it brief
Is there a hole for me to get sick in?
-- Bob Dylan, "Tombstone Blues"

One can only assume that the regular editors of the New York Times were all out at a party, or left early for a weekend in the Hamptons, or something -- but somehow, the paper published a front webpage story that stated -- without the usual thousand excuses and extenuations -- that American troops are routinely slaughtering Afghan civilians at checkpoints. What's more, the story unequivocally ties the civilian killings to the "surge" ordered by the noble Nobel Peace laureate, Barack Obama.

Here's what the Times says:

American and NATO troops firing from passing convoys and military checkpoints have killed 30 Afghans and wounded 80 others since last summer, but in no instance did the victims prove to be a danger to troops, according to military officials in Kabul.

And what is the paper's authority for this astounding admission of atrocity? Not the usual "unnamed sources" or "senior official in a position to have knowledge of the situation," but none other than Obama's hand-picked commander on the Af-Pak front, General Stanley "Black Ops" McChrystal his own self:

“We have shot an amazing number of people, but to my knowledge, none has ever proven to be a threat,” said Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who became the senior American and NATO commander in Afghanistan last year. His comments came during a recent videoconference to answer questions from troops in the field about civilian casualties.

Let's repeat the much-media-lauded general's statement again: “We have shot an amazing number of people, but to my knowledge, none has ever proven to be a threat." Now, what would the authorities say if you or I shot "an amazing number of people who have never proven to be a threat?" Why, they would call us murderers -- even mass murderers. Yet this is precisely what "the senior American and NATO commander in Afghanistan" has just declared, on videotape.

<edit>

Again: what do you call it when innocent, unarmed, defenseless people who "have never proven to be a threat" are gunned down in cold blood? What do you call such an act?

[BeFree]

1. It is war

That is why only a fool would ever support a war.

[Skittles]

2. sounds like he should be in the Gun Forum

[aquart]

3. And paid a fortune for the privilege, too.

WTF are we doing there?

[lib_wit_it]

4. K & R SNd this wasn't disclosed during the Shrub admin because..? Wait, wait, don't tell me... /m

[sabrina 1]

5. 'History will not absolve us'

Few Americans will bat an eye over this admission of atrocities. When the German people claimed they did not know, the world didn't believe them although with far less media available at the time, such a claim was far more believable then, that it would be now, if Americans were to try to make a similar claim.

The country has become accepting of the brutality or its government towards innocent men, women and children and if asked about it, many will dismiss be claiming 'well, we are at war and in wars these things happen'. It is rare to find anyone who exhibits any kind of appropriate outrage.

Like all other Empires, the people simply go about their business while their government slaughters people overseas in their name.

At least in 2003 there was resistance to these wars. Now, there is very little and those who continue to fight against these atrocities, have been marginalized, like Cindy Sheehan.

McCrystal would never have made that admission six years ago because the country was still not accustomed to war. Today, it is perfectly safe for him to do so. The people have been properly conditioned to just accept the slaughter. Abu Ghraib, which should have ended with people in jail, was successfully blunted and while they had tried to hide what they were doing initially fearful of the reaction, it all worked out very well for the murderers and profiteers in the end. The people just got bored by it.

We are a disgrace. R.I.P. to the children of Afghanistan. I don't know what else to say or do.

[Karmadillo]

11. "We are a disgrace." Sad to say, those four words sum us up quite accurately.

nt

[laughingliberal]

13. +1000

:cry:

How many, like Sheehan, who we were all cheering for a few years ago are now marginalized? And why are they marginalized? Are we really so callous that things become acceptable just based on which party is in office.

[readmoreoften]

6. Yeah that's totally not happening anymore!

It's all good over there now!

[Forkboy]

7. Go team!

[Karmadillo]

8. Interesting comment on American indifference to these crimes

http://www.chris-floyd.com/component/content/article/1-latest-news/1949-an-unaccustomed-truth-american-commander-admits-afghan-atrocities.html#comments

DPP said:

The Good American

I recall reading how soundly the German citizenry were castigated and vilified for standing by and letting Hitler do what he did. Even though Germans who complained could and did end up in concentration camps as political undesirables or conscientious objectors.

Looking at the indifference of Americans to their army's civilian slaughter as they waddle the mall with their fanny packs browsing for worthless Chinese knick-knacks made by virtual slave labour, the hypocrisy is breath-taking. In the age of the internet it's not like they can claim they don't know what is going on...

I expect in 30 years there'll be some sort of five minute public apology like that made to the interned Japanese Americans and the shopping will continue.

[malaise]

9. They never apologize before

the generation who knew it was all lies is dead and buried.
All war is evil.

[L0oniX]

10. This is what our 700+ billion a year defense budget is for.

[Karmadillo]

12. Interesting how little attention the slaughter of defenseless civilians gets here. Too bad there's

no Teabagger angle to the story.

[laughingliberal]

14. Yep.

An almost total lack of comprehension of the meaning of cleaning up our own house, too.

[lsewpershad]

15. Just stop

this stupid war already. Bring the troops home now and stop the killing.

[gratuitous]

16. What do you call such an act? Democracy!

Now, what does the rest of the world call it? War crimes. Crimes against humanity. Fortunately, we still control enough nuclear weapons that we won't be held collectively responsible for those crimes. But be sure, that from time to time, some folks will exact revenge and punish these misdeeds. They probably won't be very accurate in hitting the actual perpetrators. But you don't mind being maimed or killed for those atrocities, do you?

[Karmadillo]

17. And when those atrocities occur, we'll call them atrocities and be amazed they happened. And then

we'll go murder more civilians in faraway lands.

[Vinca]

18. I still can't figure out why we're there at all.

The bad guys are in Pakistan.