Letters to the Editor
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Interesting. Ommissions highlight a problem in this war
This was an interesting article, particularly in describing the amount of planning that goes into how to hit a target not just whether a target should be hit.
I try to pay attention to what is left out sometimes. The big thing left out here is that the people that the US is targeting are generally people who view civilians not as collateral but as the actual target. Example: the airstrike that killed Zarqawi (sp?) stopped a leader whose strategy was to kill civilians.
So, the US has a problem. It is being rightly held to a standard of minimizing civilian causalties but is fighting an enemy who is intending to kill civilians. While launching the airstrike may kill civilians, not launching also probably leads to the deaths of civilians.
I think opponents of the war also have a problem. The clear best outcome for both the US and the Iraqis is that the US and the elected government win the war. Choosing to withdraw and concede defeat, while it may feel good for a bit, is not likely to save civilian lives. More civilians probably die if the US doesn't fight hard.
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Generations of US Wars
In WW II, we bombed like crazy. Killing German and Japanese grandmas and little kids was okay. It was patriotic. In the 1960s and 1970s, killing Vietnamese grandmas and little kids was okay. John McCain himself killed many Vietnamese grannies and kids.
Now, 2007, we must give the US Air Force a certain amount of credit. They are trying to limit their grannie-kill. But the only reason they do it is that we are watching.
Otherwise, they might nuke the whole Iraqi and Afghan populations, for their own good. You can't trust these foreigners, so you mght as well kill them.
Please keep watching!
Do you remember that god-awful story, early on in Afghanistan, when American Air Force guys machine-gunned an Afghan wedding? And they killed the bride and her dad, plus most of the dear little-kid cousins on the wedding dance floor?
Hail W. Bush! Hail Mighty Conqueror!
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McGarrett50
Interesting comments by you and an interesting article. But your comments finally only refer to possible consequences of our (as yet not planned or expected) withdrawal. You fail to refer to our initial decision and reasons to invade Iraq. The fact is that our wrongful action led to much of the problems being discussed here and is of consequence and worthy of reference. I have difficulty listening to and absorbing the comments of someone who hasn't acknowledged the folly of this unprovoked war and the full impact of that horror on our soldiers and the people of Iraq. I apoligize for that difficulty. And I believe in free commment, from you, McGarrett50, and everyone else.
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Innocent Civilian Deaths Unacceptable Whether Above 30 or Below
Just like Bush thinks History will judge him more favorably twenty years from now, so too will collateral deaths from our misguided wars and occupations come home to roost ten, twenty, thirty, fourty, and fifty years from now. For each innocent victim of our wars both against and of terrorism, count 20 jihadists born for every one.
There is no doubt that these new trainees will be let loose on our interests and people overseas and as well here in the Homeland. It is not a matter of years but more like months, weeks, or days before we see suicide bombers blowing themselves up at sporting events and music concerts......to say nothing of attacks on the thousands of waiting travelers going through security checks at our many airports.
And Bush says that if we leave Iraq the terrorists will follow us here. Well Georgie boy, heck of a job, they're alreadly here.....and in numbers.
Unfortunately because of the collateral damage we've visited on Iraq and Afghanistan, every death here will be more than deserved. If you want to be safe, live in the country or move to another country. What Bush has sowed, we all will reap.
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What if the "accidental death-dealing" was about to fall on you? How would you think or feel then?
Perhaps a more on point question would/should be "When is a deliberate,fraud/false choice based war not a fraud/false choice war?" as this Bush/Cheney regimes invasion/occupation of Iraq was/is.
The U.S.military could best avoid the moral/ethical blackness of no-see by not having gone into Iraq in first place based on Bush/Cheney lies,deceits and truth/fact abuse and misuse.
That would have been the best and only real moral/ethical choice for the U.S.military and in turn the Bush/Cheney regime.
But it was far easier to leap into Iraq on the worst of wishful thinking and the even worse ignorance/arrogance of what could happen by doing so or result in doing so.
This article has the quality of one of those oft repeated Discovery Channel programs about "gee-whiz that is so cool" U.S. militarism cheerleader takes on U.S.military "smart weapons and smart-based tactics" that are very heavy on the technology of high accuracy death-dealing.
Only thing is they never show how the victims of these hi-tech killing weapons look or looked after the hi-tech killers do/did the deed.
One can only surmise that if indeed article writer Mark Benjamin and/or his loved ones/close family were the subjects of this "ask permission to kill civilians rule" he might not be so happy-dappy about the outcome of his and his loved ones being seen as acceptable victims of "accidental" death-dealing.
It is this sickenly disturbing undertow of "oh well, some more Iraqis or Afghanis or Palestinians civies were/get killed...gosh that sure is too bad" that lurks just under the surface of American and Israeli ME militarism that is anything but accidental. It also very much is lurking just beneath the surface of this article by Mark Benjamin.
It is death-dealing by the guys who wish to be seen as being the "good guys" but actually are not good but bad and indeed take/find perverse satisfaction in the death-dealing they plan and do.
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Choose Life???
Mr. President, we have word that there are 30 mothers in early stage of pregnancy who are going to willingly donate their children to the terrorist cause and enroll them in a radical madrassas. We have a chance to abort these babies. These children will not grow up to be "innocent bystanders", but in fact will be insurgent fighters, suicide bombers. Mr. President, will you sign off?
Oh yes, and while you are thinking about that, we have the daily list of deadly air strikes, if you can just quickly put the old John Hancock on the dotted line...