PC War in Afghanistan (Comments)

[Dallas]

Soldiers from the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division turn their backs so that Afghan women and children may pass as they conduct a sweep of homes Thursday, Nov. 7, 2002 in southeastern Afghanistan (news - web sites). U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan have been instructed to respect local Afghan customs, which forbid women to be seen by men outside their family. When searching Afghan homes U.S. soldiers take care to avoid contact with Afghan females, segregating them in one room to be searched by American female soldiers. (APPhoto/Scott Nelson, Pool)

A female soldier from the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division searches an Afghan child during a sweep of homes Thursday Nov. 7, 2002 in southeastern Afghanistan (news - web sites). Soldiers discovered over a dozen mines and grenades, 14 rocket propelled grenades, and plastic explosives as they searched several compounds as part of Operation Alamo Sweep. (AP Photo/Scott Nelson, Pool)

Afghan translators working with the U.S. military take time out during a sweep of homes in southeastern Afghanistan (news - web sites) to pray as part of Ramadan Thursday Nov. 7, 2002 in Afganistan. In addition to allocating prayer time for the translators, soldiers also were instructed to take care not to eat their prepackaged army food rations in front of Afghans who were fasting in observance of the holy Muslim month. (AP Photo/Scott Nelson, Pool)

Soldiers from the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division examine weapons discovered during a sweep of homes Thursday Nov. 7, 2002 in southeastern Afghanistan (news - web sites). Soldiers discovered over a dozen mines and grenades, 14 rocket propelled grenades, and plastic explosives as they searched several compounds as part of Operation Alamo Sweep. (AP Photo/Scott Nelson, Pool)

Soldiers from the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division search homes Thursday, Nov. 7, 2002 in southeastern Afghanistan (news - web sites). Soldiers discovered over a dozen mines and grenades, 14 rocket propelled grenades, and plastic explosives as they searched several compounds as part of Operation Alamo Sweep. (AP Photo/Scott Nelson, Pool)

An Afghan woman turns away as soldiers from the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division conduct a sweep of her home Thursday, Nov. 7, 2002 in southeastern Afghanistan (news - web sites). Soldiers discovered over a dozen mines and grenades, 14 rocket propelled grenades, and plastic explosives as they searched several compounds as part of Operation Alamo Sweep. (AP Photo/Scott Nelson, Pool)

[Dallas]

I have mixed emotions about this....

[Drango]

So what? We are at war. Part of being at war means you don't piss-off the locals if you can avoid it. Seems to be common sense to me.

Fight the Taliban and Al-Quida, not all of Afghanistan or the Muslim people.

[silmaril]

Don't. It's smart soldiering and smart warfighting to not alienate the locals when you don't have to. The more they sense respect from us, the more they will cooperate with us. And the more they cooperate, the sooner we win this war.

[okie01]

"I have mixed emotions about this...."

Don't. This is a war for hearts and minds. There is no sense in making more enemies than we already have. May I recommend...

Algeria War, 1954-62)

In my opinion, this is one of the most valuable threads on FreeRepublic -- a lot of collected wisdom on wars against terrorism.

The French provided an object lesson in how not to handle these nasty little wars. They arrogantly and short-sightedly alienated the populace. And found themselves surrounded by enemies...

[Dallas]

Does it also seem like common sense to ask troops to turn their backs on a hut that is full of ("dozen mines and grenades, 14 rocket propelled grenades, and plastic explosives") ?

It's the same hut in picture 1, as picture 5.

[Bogey78O]

as long as security can be maintained while we should make efforts to comply with loca customs. Sorry for any typos my cat is making me pet him.

[Dallas]

See #5

I understand the obvious, but our soldiers are hanging their asses out by following some of these customs.

Secondly, I don't think it makes a damn, how well we treat them. We'll always be infidels to Moslems because or our support for Israel. As bad as Russia treated the Afghans, you never heard them being labeled as the great satan.

[Dallas]

LOL...you're excused.

That's what I'm mixed about. I don't have a problem with making allowances for Ramadan, but the other part seems too risky.

[Larry Lucido]

There was a good discussion of this here in early October.

[Dallas]

What's sad, is these folks give their allegiance (out of fear) to whomever is in power at the time. Maybe the children will remember how Americans treated them someday, but I just don't think the adults can be trusted.

[DWPittelli]

And the feminists are proven right. Women are a useful part of the infantry.

[okie01]

"Secondly, I don't think it makes a damn, how well we treat them. We'll always be infidels to Moslems because or our support for Israel."

Would you think the same about, say, the Turks?

They're Muslims, too. And an ally of Israel.

Don't judge all Islam the al-Qaeda, Taliban and Wahhabi fanatics.

[Dallas]

Would you think the same about, say, the Turks?

The secular Turkish government didn't express the feeling of the majority, as the elections proved last week.

They're Muslims, too. And an ally of Israel.

I certainly hope it stays that way, but with the AKP now in power, it might prove to be meaningless. .

Don't judge all Islam the al-Qaeda, Taliban and Wahhabi fanatics.

You really are naive...

[silmaril]

Come now. At some point you have to trust that no American officer or NCO is going to "respect local sensibilities" to the point that they violate common sense and get someone killed.

You can't really advance a coherent argument that this behavior degrades the mission -- in fact, there's plenty of evidence that it enhances it. I think you're mostly just annoyed that US soldiers are respecting Muslim mores.

[LowNslow]

Way to go 82nd Airborne!

Your doing it right - Fighting smart.

[okie01]

"I think you're mostly just annoyed that US soldiers are respecting Muslim mores."

By George, I think you've got it.

Some people would buy trouble...

[El Gato]

Does it also seem like common sense to ask troops to turn their backs on a hut that is full of

Not all the troops had to turn their backs. I'm sure the female troops were watching the female "indigs" like eagles.

[blastdad51]

PC is going to get our soldiers killed. "Father forgive them, they know not what they do"

[El Gato]

certainly hope it stays that way, but with the AKP now in power, it might prove to be meaningless.

The AKP gets too far out of line and the Turk Army will slap 'em down. They've done it before and they can do it again.