So far this year, more than 50 members of the NATO forces in Afghanistan have been killed in insider attacks -- the so-called "green on blue" killings. Some say the perps are Taliban disguised as Afghan troops and police. Others say the snipers and suicide bombers really are Afghans, pissed off at being dissed (and occasionally killed, by accident of course) by Americans and other infidels.
Whatever the motive, and whoever's doing it, this business of Afghan police or soldiers turning their weapons on their Western "mentors" has just naturally got to stop! But how? Maybe refusing to go out on missions with them would be a smart move. That, at least, is the theory behind today's order indefinitely suspending most "mentoring operations".
Effective immediately, all front-line missions involving units smaller than an 800-strong battalion will stay behind the barbed wire, leaving the Afghans to go out and shoot each other without the benefit of Western advice. However, a senior NATO spokesman, US Colonel Tom Collins [Seriously? That's his name? Ed.] said the order was only a "temporary and prudent response" to the current situation. Apparently things are worse than usual, what with angry demonstrations in the Stans and across the Muslim world over "that film".
Reuters quote an anonymous ISAF official as saying "This is not a happy day for the coalition." Walt doesn't understand. Shouldn't they be happy not to have to go out and get blown to bits in a pointless exercise in pretending to be the world's police force?
Showing posts with label ISAF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ISAF. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Westerners 1, Krazai family 0
An unconfirmed report from Afghanistan alleges that NATO troops [What happened to "ISAF"? Ed.] in Kandahar shot and killed Yar Muhammad Karzai. The deceased was a cousin of Afghan's President and Chief Puppet, Hamid Karzai.
Although most of the troops now in Kandahar are American, the Dand district, where the shooting occurred, is under Canadian command. This raises the suspicion that the shooting might have been an accident.
Ahmed Wali Karzai, the Deputy Puppet who heads of Kandahar provincial council, says the shooting was "a mistake". As readers might guess from his name, Ahmed Wali is related to Hamid. In fact, he's the Prez's brother. Karzai name, Krazai family! But there's one less of them now!
Although most of the troops now in Kandahar are American, the Dand district, where the shooting occurred, is under Canadian command. This raises the suspicion that the shooting might have been an accident.
Ahmed Wali Karzai, the Deputy Puppet who heads of Kandahar provincial council, says the shooting was "a mistake". As readers might guess from his name, Ahmed Wali is related to Hamid. In fact, he's the Prez's brother. Karzai name, Krazai family! But there's one less of them now!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Gates calls ISAF killing of Afghan kids "a setback"
The turmoil in North Africa has diverted our attention from the war against the Axis of Evil in Afghanistan. Of late, the Forces of Democracy haven't suffered as many casualties as in the past, but the total body count has decreased only a little. Afghan civilians are still being killed by the score, sometimes by "insurgents" and sometimes by ... errr ... the NATO invaders.
Many western eyebrows were raised and faces reddened last week wheN it was revealed that nine Afghan boys had been killed by NATO helicopters -- by mistake, of course. US Defence Secretary Robert Gates described their deaths as a "setback".
"Not only is their loss a tragedy for their families, it is a setback for our relationship with the Afghan people," he told a media conference in Kabul.
Mr. Gates was on an unannounced trip to assess security progress. He did not reveal his assessment, but repeated Washington's apology for the killing of the boys, which has increased strain on an already testy relationship with Afghan President Karzai.
The Puppet-in-Chief had earlier rejected a surprisingly candid apology by General David Petraeus, commander of the ISAF. [Please check. Typo for "USAF"? Ed.] "It may be a setback to you," growled the Afghan prez, "but not nearly so much as it was to those kids!"
Said Joshua Foust, a fellow at the American Security Project, "There is legitimate and growing anger within Afghanistan over ISAF-caused deaths."
However, Major General John Campbell, ISAF commander in the east, said 90 percent of civilian casualties in his area were caused by insurgents. So that's all right, then.
Walt to Ed.: OK, I checked. ISAF stands for "International Setback Amelioration Force".
Ed. to Walt: Check again.
Many western eyebrows were raised and faces reddened last week wheN it was revealed that nine Afghan boys had been killed by NATO helicopters -- by mistake, of course. US Defence Secretary Robert Gates described their deaths as a "setback".
"Not only is their loss a tragedy for their families, it is a setback for our relationship with the Afghan people," he told a media conference in Kabul.
Mr. Gates was on an unannounced trip to assess security progress. He did not reveal his assessment, but repeated Washington's apology for the killing of the boys, which has increased strain on an already testy relationship with Afghan President Karzai.
The Puppet-in-Chief had earlier rejected a surprisingly candid apology by General David Petraeus, commander of the ISAF. [Please check. Typo for "USAF"? Ed.] "It may be a setback to you," growled the Afghan prez, "but not nearly so much as it was to those kids!"
Said Joshua Foust, a fellow at the American Security Project, "There is legitimate and growing anger within Afghanistan over ISAF-caused deaths."
However, Major General John Campbell, ISAF commander in the east, said 90 percent of civilian casualties in his area were caused by insurgents. So that's all right, then.
Walt to Ed.: OK, I checked. ISAF stands for "International Setback Amelioration Force".
Ed. to Walt: Check again.
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