Saturday, June 23, 2007

Essentially, Lieutenant-Colonel Rob Walker Is Lying By Omission.

In my last post on the War in Afghanistan I tried to give a broad picture of the Taleban offensive and NATO's reaction to it.

Now, a little more detail on the Kind of war Canadian soldiers are fighting.

(Here's some music to listen to while reading THIS article.)

I came across this quote from Lieutenant-Colonel Rob Walker, battle group commander for the Canadian contingent in Afghanistan, in the Saturday June 23, 2007 edition of the Globe and Mail in a story by Graeme Smith entitled, "Afghan Civilian Casualties Soaring":

“We're being very judicious about our fire,” Col. Walker said. “We've had no complaints about women and children getting killed.”

That's horse sh*t.

When Canadian Forces find Taleban dug in, they call in air support from 'Enduring Freedom', the US operation in Afghanistan, who then - guided by lasers pointed by Canadians - blow the target to smithereens.

Essentially, Lieutenant-Colonel Rob Walker is lying by omission.

(WARNING: the following contains horrific detail.)

After the bombs hit, our boys don't experience that disingenuous tripe; instead they get reality. They go in and reconnoiter the target - to see how many Taleban bodies they can identify - and in some cases, they get to count dismembered corpses of babies, women and old men.

And then they get to puke.

One of the most awful descriptions of the casualties I've heard of in this new era of high energy explosives comes from Iraq...

You get to the target, and there's movement in the smoke, 'things' are moving in there - then you realize it's people, live people - with no arms or legs, in shock - they're trying to move, trying to get away... get to safety.

Our young men are now faced with a moral dilemma (if there's no superior officer present), shoot them in the head to put them out of their misery; or try to tourniquet the stubs (which, when you try, just breaks the burnt skin and makes the wound worse); or do you continue about your duties, secure the area etc., while the bodies continue to scream, writhe, and finally die.

A third option, give the one screaming the loudest, the heroin in your med kit (which is against regulation, but you can replace it easily enough).


Here's another example of spin doctoring from the battle group commander of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan; from a June 14, 2007 Globe and Mail story by Graeme Smith. (now, only available with a subscription from Canada's National, Profiting from Death, Newspaper.)

"Pressure from NATO forces has so far prevented the Taliban from forming into large attack groups of the kind witnessed last year", Lt.-Col. Walker said..
That's horse sh*t too.

The tanks we shipped over there last year... ..that has nothing to do with the Talebans changed tactics this year... ..like we should all feel better knowing we fought them to a stand-off LAST year.

While we're at it, if we're talking about the 'last war', why not mention how surprised we were when they used regular tactics, the failure in our intelligence, that gave us no clue that they were capable of that level of organization.

Don't try to bull sh*t the Canadian people, Lieutenant-Colonel Rob Walker, Canadians may be a few days behind the news, but we're not stupid - or ignorant.

Why is the battle group commander running psychological operations any way? Does DND not have a communication department in country?

Man, we look provincial.


In other developments, CTV reported that,

"..NDP Leader Jack Layton said Canada should stop aggressive military action in the war-torn country and move towards political negotiations."

Agreed, but we should be in constant negotiation with the enemy, even if we decide that continuing aggressive military action is in our interest.




mh

3 comments:

  1. MH,
    your blog provides some valid points, However you provide no evdience that the military is lying just a slightly forcful statement of "thats Horse sh*t.

    Don't you think the women and children in the bombing you describe knew they were in danger before the bomb hit, why didn't they flee?? were they being held as captives? or helping??

    MH you you don't recommend a soulution on how to deal with this group of hostile people either when they bring women and children in to a combat environment.

    Should we leave afghanistan?? so the same women can be suppressed and beaten in public?

    So a dictorial form of government can be re-instituted and force their religous dogma on the general popluation.

    So thousands of children can have the opportunity to have a lifelong education in the art of terrorism and kill themselves and others in the name of their god?

    So the terrorist camps can be regenerated?

    MH don't tell us this is "Horse sh*t" thats weak.....quit whining....provide evidence, give a solution

    K.

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  2. K,

    Thanks for your comments. All good points.

    I won't try to answer them here, they deserve a new post; which I am writing now.

    Except the whining part; I was ranting.

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  3. I noticed, after my retort, that all of the questions you raise are answered if you read FilterBlogs Afghanistan Label from beginning to end. The war is un-winnable at best.

    It's all there, interactive video on the history of the place, operational problems.

    I am researching the original sources on Alexander The Greats Champaign there. Where he was mortaly wounded.

    Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete