Marines from India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment and soldiers from the Afghan National Army take part in a firefight while an explosion occurs outside of Marjah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan on February 13th, 2010. The Marines from 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment and ANA soldiers have been conducting Operation Moshtarak to eliminate Taliban presence and intimidation in the city of Marjah, Afghanistan. (USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde)
The fighting is still underway in the town of Marjah, in what is being described as the first battle in Obama’s War in Afghanistan, or alternatively as the biggest battle of the US War in Afghanistan. But already, the US has lost that battle.
It lost it from day one, when troops fired missiles in to a Marjah house, killing 12 civilian occupants–half of them children. And it lost it further when another three more civilians were blown away by US-led forces. Finally, it lost the battle as much of the town has been simply destroyed by the fighting.
The supposed goal of the assault on Marjah was to demonstrate that the US would bring the wonders of good government and peace to the Pashtun tribal people who have endured a generation or more of war, and who have been living under the “cruel tyranny” of the Taliban in recent years. The new strategy of President Barack Obama and his hand-picked military leader in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, was to show that the US military could fight the Taliban without causing civilian deaths and casualties. Protecting civilian lives would be a priority, they claimed.
The problem with such a strategy is that the whole reason American forces have been able to crush resistance, as they did in the lighting invasion of Iraq in 2003, or the overthrow of the Taliban government of Afghanistan in late 2001, has been their callous disregard for civilian lives, which have been coldly labelled “collateral damage.”
In the war in Iraq, and in Afghanistan until recently at least, the American war-fighting style has been for troops to go into an area, seeking to draw enemy fire, and then to call in long-range artillery or air support, and simply blow up the area with heavy explosives, devastating anti-personnel bombs that shower an area in flesh-shredding flechettes, burning white phosphorus projectiles, and a brutal rain of machine-gun fire from fixed-wing and helicopter gunships. Inevitably with such tactics, countless innocent men, women and children get killed and maimed.
In Iraq, US forces ended up killing far, far more civilians than actual enemy fighters thanks to this approach. While information about deaths in the Afghan War is harder to come by, it is likely that the same holds true there also. In addition to the well-known incidents, where air strikes have been called in which ended up butchering entire wedding parties in both Iraq and Afghanistan, or where farm families engaged in routine activties have been blown away thinking they were terrorists, US forces have for years thought nothing about assaulting compounds and killing the inhabitants, innocent civilians or not, children or adults, if it was thought that even one “terrorist” was in the building at the time.
Such tactics, reminiscent of what years ago used to be attributed to vicious military regimes like the German Nazis or the Imperial Japanese, have become the norm for US forces, as has the tactic of “spray and pray,” under which US forces, if they take fire or feel threatened, simply unload all their weapons in every direction, killing every living thing within range, including people who might be seeking shelter behind mud walls of their homes.
These tactics, while criminal in the extreme under the Geneva Conventions, which require that civilians in any conflict be protected, do work in the short term, which is why American forces have prevailed in their initial assaults. But long-term, they inevitably become self-defeating, since they only turn a population into bitter enemies, many with an understandable desire for vengeance.
Thus, the “new” strategy of trying to minimize civilian casualties.
But once US troops are denied their air support, and are barred by commanders from simply blowing away buildings from which they are taking enemy fire, because of fears that there may be civilians in those buildings, US forces lose any advantage they may have had over local enemy fighters. It becomes a battle of guns vs. guns and person vs. person, and becomes more of a case of who is more willing to die.
Clearly the Taliban then gains an edge. Its fighters, or at least many of them, believe they are fighting for Allah, or for their country’s survival and independence, or for both, and they are willing to die for those causes. What are American forces fighting for in Afghanistan? Hard to say. I suspect many, if asked, would say they have no idea. Some, I’m sure, would say they are “defending America” if asked thanks to their indoctrination, but I also suspect that as they survey the primitive society in which they are fighting, and see the poverty of the people, they will have a hard time perceiving Afghanistan as any kind of threat to their own country or families.
Some may say they’re avenging the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon “by Al Qaeda” in 2001, but then, even the US government admits that the foreign fighters of Al Qaeda have long ago left Afghanistan, and no Taliban were involved in the 9-11 attacks. So it’s hard to see American troops being willing to die for these trumped up “causes.” I suspect, again, that most US troops are understandably trying really hard mainly to make sure they don’t get hurt or killed.
And that’s why, in the end, the US is losing this war. It’s why those deadly Himars rockets were fired and why air assaults are being called in after all in Marjah, and why civilians are again being slaughtered by American forces in this battle.
It’s why, despite promises to the contrary from Gen. McChrystal and Commander in Chief Obama, the town is being wrecked.
And in the end, it will be all for naught, since the US is supporting a wholly corrupt and criminal regime in Kabul which will not follow up the ultimate “victory” in Marjah with some kind of honest and well-functioning government in the destroyed city.
We will no doubt see some photogenic reconstruction in Marjah when the fighting subsides. We’ll see some demonstration projects which will be dutifully praised by the journalistic shills flown in by Pentagon flaks. But the people of Marjah will remember the destruction of their town, and will remember their neighbors and relatives who were killed. And when the Taliban return to the town, as they inevitably will after the Americans withdraw or draw down, they will probably be welcomed, or at least tolerated.
The reality is that America cannot prevail in Afghanistan except by applying the massive, oppressive power of its military killing machine, with its robotic rocket-firing drone aircraft, its bombers and attack aircraft, its fixed-wing and helicopter gunships, its indiscriminate anti-personnel weapons, and its massive bombs. It cannot prevail, in other words, without terrorizing the population.
And even then, in the end, it cannot succeed.
Dave Lindorff is a Philadelphia-based journalist. He is author of Killing Time: An Investigation into the Death Penalty Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal (Common Courage Press, 2003) and The Case for Impeachment (St. Martin’s Press, 2006). His work is available at thiscantbehappening.net
All I read is bullshit. I don’t read any earth shattering wisdom on a better way of handling the issue just bullshit. Step into the shoes of my son, a Marine, then you may have a right to write your drivel. Oh that’s right our service men and women have given you the right and this is how you use it. Do you think the Taliban will be a better provider for the Afghan people than the “corrupt” Afghan government. If you do your full of bullshit as well.
One more thing, did you write this from a tent in Afghanistan or sitting at your computer in Philadelphia wearing your Obama t-shirt and flip flops.
I read interest and concern (not any explentives, save those illogically placed) and nothing that directly provided any grounds for irrelevant responses (I happen to know some that were/are active as well, and some that never made it back). But killing innocents is the same everywhere, illegal. Acknowledging by alloting kindred to the subject doesn’t necessarily mean justification for the strategy in Afghanistan.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig11/storm-j1.1.1.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig11/valentine4.1.1.html
And the service men and women did not grant us the freedoms we have today, a small group of individuals (otherwise known as a militia) defended that right years ago against a tyrannical government. You’ve equated rights with force of arms, something the previous administration loved to confuse when benevolence guided their judgment.
http://www.cato.org/pressroom.php?display=ncomments&id=322
You don’t have to be in Afghanistan or Majah to know that the government of the country is hopelessly corrupt. You don’t have to be there to know that civilians are being slaughtered in Marjah and elsewhere. You don’t have to be in country to know that the Taliban will not be defeated in Helmand Province. They’ll be pushed out, yes, but then they’ll be back, when the Marines leave, as they will do. You don’t have to be there to know that the Afghan Army, and especially the Police, are hopelessly corrupt. Our own ambassador to Afghanistan says so. And by the way, my dad was a WWII Marine vet, and so I don’t need your patriotic crap. He did fight for our freedom, but your son is not doing that. He’s fighting for American imperialism. I don’t want him doing that in my name. I’d be happier to have him home in the US doing something productive, instead of killing innocent people in a country where we don’t belong.
And for the record, I do have a right to write what I write. I don’t need to be in your son’s shoes for that right. If he made the foolish decision to sign up for what Marine two-time Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Smedley Butler said was a “racket”, that doesn’t make him particularly wise or knowledgeable. Here’s Smedley Butler: “I spent 33 years in the Marines. Most of my time being a high-class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer for capitalism.” No offense to your son, but as a Marine, he is just continuing that work, as far as I’m concerned.
Dave Lindorff
http://www.thiscantbehappening.net
Dave, If only more people had the insight and courage to try to set the record straight. It began with Korea for me and I’ve needed to voice very similar remarks since.
It’s understandable, people who have had a relative killed in one of America’s illegal profit centers, can’t(won’t) bare being told a love one has died in vain.
I’m too old and wise today to loose any sleep over the nature of the American government(s) and it’s citizen lemmings. However I’m finding it ever more difficult to defend or explain my country’s crimes against humanity, particularly when outside it’s borders.
By the way Flory, if you used an ounce of deductive thought in reading my piece, you’d note that I’m attacking the Obama policy in Afghanistan in it. If you read any of my other work, including another piece on this site today, you’d see that I’m attacking Obama on pretty much every front. So your suggestion that I’m wearing his T-shirt and flip-flops makes about as much sense as the rest of your comments.
Dave
http://www.thiscantbehappening.net
You can’t write this without being called un-Patriotic while it is not a question of Patriotism. I hope all our soldiers come home safe but that does not change a responsibility to question why we are there and place people in office that will conduct sound foreign policy.
Facts are as laid out in this article and available if you look beyond the dis-information of MSM especially Fox news. Read the news from all countries and you can quickly see and follow the events. Why get upset with the messenger when the policy makers are the ones distorting the picture and creating the disconnect. How can we not be in a country yet capture Taliban in that country? Or have dead Americans among the dead? How can we not be droning in a sovereign nation when all reports from locals say otherwise? Why do officials deny these things that are contrary to policy until events demand explanations?
US media may refuse to address the issue but we are not welcome in these countries, we are feared. How would anyone in the US feel or react if Chinese drones started bombing towns in Arizona from a location in Mexico because they said “credible” Chinese threats existed here. We as locals would go into Mexico and take out the Chinese no matter what our State Dept said about cooperating. That is what is going on and it will only escalate unless we are looking at more mass destruction.
Dave, did I make you mad with my writing? Well so sorry you pissed me off with yours! But your attacks were more pointed to the grunt on the ground than to its leadership or the administration…”civilians are again being slaughtered by American forces in this battle”. Your reply stated: If he made the foolish decision to sign up for what Marine two-time Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Smedley Butler said was a “racket”, that doesn’t make him particularly wise or knowledgeable. Again you attack the grunt on the ground. Here is an interesting quote for you. Butler, a major general at 48, retired from the Marine Corps in 1931. He had faced gunfire 120 times. Columnist Will Rogers wrote of Butler, “He is what I would call a natural born warrior. He will fight anybody, any time….He carries every medal we ever gave out. He has two Congressional Medals of Honor….You give him another war and he will get him another one….I do admire him”. General Butler did everything you write against in your story. You did not mention that in your reply. You made it sound like he was a grunt on the ground just obeying orders when in fact he was the arm of the administration. Stories such as yours were written during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam they are nothing new. Your writting is nothing new. If you father is still alive thank him for me for his service.
Mr. Robertson, you can write this and not be called un-Patriotic, you just did. And by the way it is Patriotic to write against the administation and its policies. I believe that is how America was formed. What you did not do is wail against the grunts on the ground like Dave did. I agree with your comments. History shows “American Interests” have hurt millions of people. You say “Why get upset with the messenger” well Dave is not doing a good job at delivering the message. My guess he is not welcoming grunts home at the airport either.
That is correct. I am not someone who simply hails everyone who wears a uniform as a “hero.” I’m not saying that there are not people who are in the military who are heroic and who are there to selflessly defend the American Constitution and the American people. There are. But the men and women in the military are no better and no worse than the men who fight fires or teach our children. There are also people who join the military who are looking for work and a paycheck, and people who are sadistic, racist killers. Just wearing a uniform doesn’t make a person better than someone else, more knowledgeable, or “heroic.”
And if the mission is sick or criminal, then the person who is blindly following orders and pursuing it is not to be commended. I can feel sorry for the guys who have been sucked into these wars, either because they had no economic alternative, or because they believed the lies they were fed, but I do not praise someone who calls in airstrikes on a compound known to house civilians and children. And I don’t hail as “heroes” people who participate in something like the invasion and leveling of Fallujah, which was openly a case of collective punishment of a city because some people in it attacked and killed a few American mercenaries.
I hail those brave soldiers who have refused orders to return to these wars, after having learned what they are really about. They are the true heroes.
PS Yes dad’s still alive, and he thinks these wars are a crime, and that the US has become a sick society obsessed with militarism, which he abhores.
Mr. Flory, Thank you for your comment to me and I pray your son’s safe return and I commend his patriotism and service to the country. I really did not mean to send my “messenger” comment in your direction. I understand your questioning of Dave Lindorff and realize you may have a better perspective than I. Mine is a broader criticism directed at the MSM reporting.
To be fair, before seeing the comments, I read the article as being critical of both the Bush Doctrine and now the Obama Doctrine. The policy decisions. Which has been a real eye-opener this past year to realize the two are the same. It leaves the question – “who is really calling the shots on Foreign Policy”?
Dave,
You are way off base attacking the Marines on the ground or the principales under which they serve. I think you are further off defending the afgan civillians and with your stupid quote, ” all i want to do is grow my poppy” whaaaa whaaa, poor drug dealer. In any other part of the world we would call this civillian population drug dealers, criminals. The problem is we are not going far enough
Mr. Robertson you are absolutely right it is the foreign policy that should be looked at. Look at any administration that has been in power during a time of war, good and bad decisions have been made. Yes it certainly was both the Bush and now Obama doctrine that has succeeded, failed and may fail. I recognized that when I made my t-shirt and flip flop remarks. It was a remark made from anger at Dave’s attack on the men and women in uniform. Men and women that have joined for many different reasons; patriotism, education, poverty, or simply to find direction in life. Thank you for your thoughts regarding my son. Rick
Slammer22, The Taliban are the good guys in Dave’s story. They are the freedom fighters that use women and children as shields, prevent girls from getting an education, and provide the majority of the worlds heroin. Yea they are my kind of people. They were this before we stepped foot in Afghanistan.
Rick,
I wish your son a safe return home, especially if he’s in a combat position. Know that I have a cousin over there myself, who already did two tours in Iraq.
Having said that, I need to reiterate that while I understand there are many motives people have for going into the military, not all people in the military are automatically granted halos. I’ve met my share of racists, thugs, bullies and just general assholes who were in or had been in the military.
It is my view that this country has become militarized to an extent that is completely incompatible with democracy. There was a time, for example, when had there been some kind of military coup–as was once contemplated in the ’30s, and as Nixon also considered (see “Operation Cable Splicer”), and later the people under Reagan, notably Ollie North (see “Operation Rex 84″), most of the grunts would have refused to go along. Now I’m not at all sure that would happen.
Furthermore, back in the days of the citizen army, when we had a draft, most of the grunts were at best grudging soldiers, and they ended up, in many cases, refusing to do what their professional leaders demanded. That is healthy. Now we see much less of that kind of independent thinking. The volunteer military is filled with people who, either because of their training, or a sense that they “asked for it themselves,” of concerns about self-advancement, are much more ready to simply do what they’re told, however criminal the policy.
It’s not that I necessarily blame them for this. A lot of these people have been lied to all their lives–by the media, in their schools, and by their leaders. But to say we have to praise them and cut them slack for their behavior in the field, and refer to them deferentially as all being “our heroes”, and to automatically see them as “fighting defend our freedoms” is simply too much.
I’m not falling for that crap. Of course it is the leaders, in the military and in Congress and the White House, as well as the corporate leaders who own them, who are the real villains, but as Buffie St. Marie sang so eloquently in her song “Universal Soldier,” of the grunt, “He knows he shouldn’t kill, and he knows he always will, but without him all this killing can’t go on.”
What we need is to insist that America stop trying to rule the world, that we as a nation lead by example, not force, and that we slash our military budget by 50-75 percent and become a peaceful nation, not a global terrorist nation.
Dave Lindorff
http://www.thiscantbehappening.net
By the way, you set up a straw man in your last letter, when you claim that “the Taliban are the good guys in Dave Lindorff’s story.” I never–and I defy you to find a quote–said the Taliban are the good guys. They are not, and as I have written, they are religious, fanatic thugs. But that’s not the point. The point is that the ordinary people of Afghanistan–who are not the Taliban–are victims in all this. The Taliban were at one point armed and financed by the US, when the enemy was the USSR. This is not about fighting the Taliban. It is about the US dominating and controlling Afghanistan. And in the end, the people of Afghanistan have to determine their future. If they don’t want the Taliban, they can get rid of the Taliban.
The claim that the Taliban pose a threat to America is simply nonsense. This is the poorest of poor nations, at the remotest, landlocked corner of the world from the USA. If they are a threat, then every podunk country in the world is a mortal threat to America.
Get a grip.
But don’t call me an advocate of the Taliban. That’s just stupid arguing, when you don’t have a real one to make.
Dave, my son is in combat and I thank you for your comments. I wish your cousin a safe return as well. But I disagree with you on my “straw man”. As you are well aware the “sin of omission” is with any writer. While you accuse the military (and I am giving you a break here) your omission to tell all the truth about the horrors the average Afghan citizen lives and lived before we entered their country paints red only the American military. In this article, the first I’ve read, you did just that.
What would have happened in WWII if the pilots of our bombers had said I can’t carpet bomb these German and Japanese cities? The military is not an individual, free thinking organism. If it were it could not function. I don’t remember seeing the French or the Italians upset that we liberated them after we destroyed most of their countries. Many writers of the day wrote similar stories as yours. Were they right then? I believe no. It is not as simple as you believe and write it to be. America has its cross to carry on numerous issues. We as a people must work together to correct the faults of America and rise up the best America can represent. Dave, I came across your story only through a Google search of stories about where my son is deployed. You and I will never agree on much. But in your own way you write the truth as you see it and at the end of the day, whether I like what you write or not, that is America, warts and all!
Funny you should mention that. I spent a year as a 15-year-old attending a german high school in Darmstadt, Germany, a city that was firebombed by the brits near the war’s end. It was a city with no military value–just a cultural center. About 50,000 people died horrible deaths, and the entire city which was made of mostly wood, went up in a firestorm. They never found most of the bodies, which were simply incinerated. The purpose of this atrocity was to study firestorms!
There was no justification. It was simply the worst of war crimes. Like Dresden.
You accept the propaganda that these actions somehow “saved American lives.” In fact, all they did was take civilian lives–mostly women, children and old people, since the soldiers were all at the front.
There is no justification for this type of thing.
As for my “sin of omission”–my job as an alternative media journalist is to say things that are NOT being said in the mainstream corporate media, where there is no dearth of articles about the horrors of the Taliban. Why on earth would I have to write about such things. They are well covered. What’s missing is clear=eyed writing about what our side is doing and why.
Dave
http://www.thiscantbehappening.net
How should I address that hate mail Dave? Mr. Dave Lindorff or “Terrorist Sympathizer” Dave Lindorff?