Hearts & Minds Campaign in Afghanistan...

BentSailor · #1 (**permalink**) 03-22-2011

...you're doing it wrong, USA.

Sailormon6 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-22-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by BentSailor

...you're doing it wrong, USA.

Do ya think these vile acts were a result of the policies of President Obama and his Secretary of Defense?

BentSailor · #3 (**permalink**) 03-22-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailormon6

Do ya think these vile acts were a result of the policies of President Obama and his Secretary of Defense?

Does it matter in the eyes of the people? NATO, the US, and allied embassies do not appear to think so (keeping their people under more protection now that this information is being released to the public).

I don't pull my punches, if I thought it was the Administration's fault directly, I'd say so. However, as these are US soldiers, they will (like it or not) be changing the opinion of Afghani citizens towards America & Americans as a whole. You know, like Al Qaeda & the Taliban are changing the opinion of the US towards all Muslims.

WouldaShoulda · #4 (**permalink**) 03-22-2011

American and NATO miscreants are charged with crimes.

Remind us what happens to AQ and Taliban miscreants.

BentSailor · #5 (**permalink**) 03-22-2011

Doesn't matter.

Muslims condemn Al Qaeda & the Taliban. They fight alongside non-Muslim soldiers in the US army. Yet they are all still tarred by the same brush and I would (& have) made the same type of "Well done, that'll win them over" remark when a Muslim does something stupid and/or heinous.

This is going to hinder (if not destroy) the "hearts & minds" campaign being run by the US, from the actions of US soldiers, in Afghanistan. It was a miracle of PR that the US managed to ameliorate the Abu Ghraib incident. That was humiliation and torture. This is worse and will have a correspondingly larger impact on regional opinion of the US.

It is not the right way to win hearts & minds. Which, if one were to read my post without a knee-jerk response, is what I was talking about. Not blaming Obama or Bush or even the generals.

WouldaShoulda · #6 (**permalink**) 03-23-2011

No one elses thoughts matter but your own.

Check.

Sailormon6 · #7 (**permalink**) 03-23-2011

BS, you're stating the obvious. I doubt that anyone will disagree that this incident is stupid and depraved, but it's certainly not the policy of the US government. These are simply the criminal acts of individuals, and they will be dealt with appropriately by military courts. The US can warn soldiers that actions such as these will be severely penalized, but, if some dim bulb gets drunk on Saturday night and "acts the fool," all the US can do is make apologies and keep its word to the offenders. Of course this is disastrous PR, but I doubt that the military could do more than it has to prevent it, other than to stand the offenders up against a wall and shoot them.

BentSailor · #8 (**permalink**) 03-23-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by WouldaShoulda

No one elses thoughts matter but your own.

Check.

No. It is just your claims about Al Qaeda & the Taliban have no bearing on whether this is winning hearts and minds. You might find the actions "justified", but that is you - a citizen of a Western Country. The "hearts & minds" campaign is aimed at Afghanistan residents, not you, and when members of an invading/occupying force are targeting civilians and using the army as a shield/cover for their actions - they are pretty much validating what the Taliban says of America.

tdw · #9 (**permalink**) 03-23-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailormon6

BS, you're stating the obvious. I doubt that anyone will disagree that this incident is stupid and depraved, but it's certainly not the policy of the US government. These are simply the criminal acts of individuals, and they will be dealt with appropriately by military courts. The US can warn soldiers that actions such as these will be severely penalized, but, if some dim bulb gets drunk on Saturday night and "acts the fool," all the US can do is make apologies and keep its word to the offenders. Of course this is disastrous PR, but I doubt that the military could do more than it has to prevent it, other than to stand the offenders up against a wall and shoot them.

Hey, it may not happen all that often

but you are spot on with that post. Well said.

(edit - that was supposed to read "it may not happen all that often that we agree with each other")

Sailormon6 · #10 (**permalink**) 03-23-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdw

Hey, it may not happen all that often

but you are spot on with that post. Well said.

Thanks Fuzzy!