US military offers sheep in apology for Afghanistan deaths

[NJmaverick]

Vice Adm. William McRaven traveled to the village of Khataba to offer personal apologies for the five Afghanistan deaths in a botched special forces raid there in February. The US military acknowledged its involvement in the killings earlier this month.

Arriving in a cavalcade of trucks and armored vehicles, three Afghan soldiers pinned down a sheep and held a blade to its throat in a traditional Afghan gesture seeking clemency. Then an elder summoned them inside and McRaven offered his condolences.

“Sir, I know that you are a good man and that your family are good people,” he said. “We did not come here to any harm. The American soldiers came here to protect the Afghan people, not to hurt them. This was a terrible mistake.”

“Sir, you and I are very different,” he said. “You are a family man with many children and many friends. I am a soldier. I have spent most of my career overseas, away from my family. But I have children as well. And my heart grieves for you.”

Rising from among the dozens of soldiers and family members seated on the floor, Mr. Sharabuddin said he knew that “foreign troops came to Afghanistan to help us, to protect us, to bring security” and were “not here to kill the civilians.”

But, he said, justice would only be served when the Americans gave up the informant who sent the Special Forces squad to raid a house full of civilians and government officials. “We want that spy who gave the false information to the Americans,” Mr. Sharabuddin said. “I don’t want the spy for myself, I want him to face justice or be handed over to the commander of the corps.”

Commander Abdullah, a member of the provincial council of elders, warned US forces not to “accept information too readily. Because the enemies of Afghanistan are always trying to trick them this way… During the 30 years of war in Afghanistan, everyone made some enemies, and everyone is trying to get their enemies killed like this.”

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/0408/US-military-offers-sheep-in-apology-for-Afghanistan-deaths

[HubertHeaver]

1. Were they Monsanto sheep?

[NJmaverick]

2. The article doesn't say

[Uncle Joe]

3. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, NJmaverick.:thumbsup:

Edit for P.S. It's weird when the rec count shows 0 votes but doesn't move when you rec it.

[NJmaverick]

7. There are many that only wish to see hyperbole filled articles that

paint our troops as blood thirsty villains

[TwilightGardener]

4. I am glad they are apologizing in a culturally-sensitive way.

It doesn't make up for the deaths, but it's the right thing to do.

[NJmaverick]

5. Agreed, I wonder how culturally sensitive they were under Bush

[TwilightGardener]

6. I've read somewhere that "Three Cups of Tea" is required reading for the brass, now--

Greg Mortenson should be insanely proud of himself for helping the military become much more respectful of Afghan culture.

[NJmaverick]

8. I guess that shows one never knows what will happen after you write a good book

[harun]

13. This is very important. In Islamic law (old school anyway) if there was wrongful death

something like this is very much appropriate and will be viewed favorably by the populace there.

[grantcart]

9. k and r

[NJmaverick]

10. What did you think of the interesting point brought up by the Afghans?

where they pointed out that false tips are responsible for many of the deaths.

[cali]

11. I'll say what I said before when this was posted

I find it heartbreaking on so many levels.

[NJmaverick]

12. It is very sad

[cliffordu]

14. Kicked.