LYONS: Draft of new U.S. Army handbook must be scrapped

http://www.washingtontimes.com ^ | 28DEC12 | Retired Adm. James A. Lyons

[bayouranger]

Military supposed to defend First Amendment rights

After the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the erosion of our military’s moral principles, regretfully, continues.

A recent Wall Street Journal article described the U.S. Army’s final-draft handbook, which indoctrinates our military personnel heading to Afghanistan in how to be sensitive to and accept Muslim and Afghan 7th-century customs and values — or possibly be killed by our Afghan partners.

Unbelievable. This is being done to prevent the so-called “green-on-blue” attacks, which have cost 63 American lives this year.

According to the Army’s Combined Arms Center at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., it is our military’s ignorance and lack of empathy for Muslim and Afghan cultural norms that is the basic cause for our Afghan military partners to react violently and kill our troops.

For example, if our military personnel hear or witness an Afghan soldier sodomizing a young boy, the handbook tells U.S. service members to voice no objection, accept it or ignore it, or they could be killed. If an Afghan beats, rapes or kills a woman in the presence of a U.S. serviceman, they are not to interfere or stand up for women’s rights or else they might be killed.

What the Army is saying, in effect, is that if Afghan partners conduct violence against U.S. service personnel, it is the serviceman’s fault. This is mind-boggling. We know, according to former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, that nine out of 10 Afghan military personnel are illiterate and cannot be counted on in combat.

[bayouranger]

As a first step, the Army’s draft handbook should be trashed.

Second, Congress must take positive action to protect our First Amendment rights and force the Obama administration to withdraw from any further participation in the Istanbul Process. Third, the unilateral disarmament of our military must be reversed. It’s time for members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to take a position that supports the oath they took to protect and defend our Constitution.

Retired Adm. James A. Lyons was commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and senior U.S. military representative to the United Nations.

[Bringbackthedraft]

that nine out of 10 Afghan military personnel are illiterate and cannot be counted on in combat....................................... We’ll, I hear that illiteracy was what the earlier occupiers counted on to keep the southern tier as a buffer between India and Pakistan. The Northern end of Afghanistan where the Northern alliance is is the more educated area. IMHO, we are in more of a culture war there, than a religious one. We are still dealing with a primitive culture of tribes and clans, who are stuck in time with no apparent desire to change. So why are we there? Copper Oil and Lithium???

[neverdem]

U.S. Military Builds Up Its Presence In Africa

It's high time for this mindless BS to cease and desist.