Aftermath of Deadly Attack on Afghan Villagers
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-03-13/aftermath-deadly-attack-afghan-villagers
In the early morning hours of March 11th, an American serviceman walked off his base in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan. The U.S. Army staff sergeant apparently went house to house in the neighboring village and opened fire on civilians, killing sixteen people--nine of whom were children. The tragic shooting was only the latest in a string of incidents involving U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, including the recent accidental burning of Korans by U.S. service personnel. Diane and guests examine what the latest incident could mean for the planned U.S. withdrawal in 2014 and future security in the region.
Guests
Michael Hirsh
chief correspondent, National Journal magazine; author of "Capital Offense: How Washington's Wise Men Turned America's Future Over to Wall Street."
Lawrence Korb
senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former assistant secretary of defense in the Reagan administration.
Christine Fair
assistant professor, Georgetown University's security studies program; fellow at West Point's Combating Terrorism Center.
Dr. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie
M.D., chief medical officer, Department of Mental Health, former chief psychiatrist in the Army
Comments
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We don`t know just how badly damaged our individual soldiers are.PTSD and multiple deployments,add in family issues at home,and you have a volatile cocktail. The last thing these people need is the hate machine instigators coming from Armed Forces Radio,by way of Beck,Limbaugh and others. I heard a broadcast of Glenn Beck where he ordered Catholic Chaplains to disobey military orders,and turn the pulpit into a political soap.box.A few days later was the Koran burning. Where and when will the retaliation come? Will the Fox News crowd hold a parade ?
Patsy would rather excuse any and all actions as long as Dems are in charge. But if Repubs were leading the White House and Senate - she would be castigating the them. The hypocrisy is over the top!
I have been out to the VA in Dayton Ohio and talked with many returned Vets from Iraq and Afghanistan. Most had been on numerous deployments Some of these young men have arms and legs missing. Many have talked about the stress and depression that they were and continue to be in the shadow of. Many talk about being handed anti depression medication instead of receiving real and consistent counseling for their conditions. Several have said that it is very difficult to talk with counselors who have never been to war and just "don't get it" in their words.
Please discuss the lack of deep and consistent counseling for Vets. And the massive use of pharmaceuticals to deal with their PTSD
I feel awful for this man's family especially after the name comes out. Having said that i think you either turn him over to their authorities or get out today. WHY WHY WHY was there not better oversight on the base??? let's get to the bottom which usually leads to the top. I am so sorry about his incident, this war and especially angry at the Republicans for pushing 2 wars down our throats....you are either with us or you are against us and un-American. Despicable party
Staff: Please pass a note to Michael Hirsh:
Stop saying "UH" several times a sentence. It makes it hard to listen to you.
Thank you
Harold Pomeroy
How often do you see or hear any of our returned Vets on MSNBC, CNN, Fox, the Diane Rehm show and the rest of NPR's programs? The MSM barely even covered the Winter Hearing testimonies of Iraq and Afghanistan some years back. They were aired on Cspan. But barely a whisper anywhere else. These Vets described horrific atrocities that some of them were involved in. The MSM and the majority of Americans seem not to want to know what has and is really going on in Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier
Winter Soldier
Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan featured testimony from U.S. veterans who served in those occupations, giving an accurate account of what is really happening day in and day out, on the ground.
This four-day event brought together veterans from across the country to testify about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan - and present video and photographic evidence. In addition, panels of scholars, veterans, journalists, and other specialists gave context to the testimony. These panels covered everything from the history of the GI resistance movement to the fight for veterans' health benefits and support
Consultant,
You have no evidence of this based on her post. Please refrain from making such wild accusations unless there is clear evidence, which there is not.
Two of the commentators have stated "maybe he shouldn't have been there." How's this for a proposition. Let's go with the idea that none of them should be there. This war has become the longest one in American history at this point and it has accomplished nothing. The population detest American troops and want them gone. If we had stayed out of Afghanistan and not supported the Mujhadeen we would not be in this situation now. This is the culmination of over 60 years of stupid, incompetent and visionless foreign policy in the region.
Although this is a regretable act, I can almost imagine the thoughts going through this man's head when he was doing the shooting. I imagine he was thinking get them before they get you. Then he realized what he had done and turned himself in.
I hope that the military does not turn this man over to the Afghan Govt. And, I am glad that I am not going to be sitting on the jury at his trial, with what I know about the threats to his and other UN forces lives, I might find myself using jury nullification to acquit this young man.
If he has served for 11 years, it sounds like he enlisted just after 9/11.
I understand many citizens did so in a show of patriotism.
Is there any data about the internal conflict these particular service members must feel now, over a decade and many deaths later, and the effect on their mental health?
Thank you for reminding the deniers that we had it under control in 2002 and then left to go chase a war of CHOICE in Iraq. The American people need to be reminded daily as to who made those decisions. GOP never again
It is the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan itself that created this massacre, not just an unbalanced, ill-recruited, over-deployed individual. The impoverished city of Detroit where I live is robbed of more than $140 million in tax dollars for the 2012 prosecution of this horrendous occupation. We would be better served with this money used for jobs, health care, education and housing and reconstruction of our beleaguered city.
Bring the troops, advisers, contractors, mercenaries -- the whole occupation out of Afghanistan, now!
The military is not a "job."
it is amazing that there are not more incidents like the shootings in Afghanistan. 4 tours of duty in the mideast shows that the burden of the wars falls on a small subset of our population. If the draft were still in effect, we would be long gone.
Does this not all revert back to why we are in Afghanistan to begin with - in the wake of the controversy revolving around the events of 9/11 and to what extent bin Laden was actually involved. The CIA was monitoring pre-9/11 terrorist activities and was well aware of what was going on and who was involved. People within the FBI stymied field investigations despite Mueller's contention that there were no warnings. I challenge you to bring Michael Ruppert on the show for an analysis of the Iraq/Afghan wars.
"Restrepo" is a war documentary that is critically acclaimed.I could NOT watch it all. Disgusting. A soldier had a conversation with the village elders. He listened politely. Then he told them "MOVING ON". What? That nonsense works on Fox News,not in the real world. When everyone in Afghanistan has been deeply scarred by war and death,how can you say "MOVING ON"? Can American`s flip a switch and turn off the Islamaphobia in the U.S.A.? Can Afghans trust the same folks who hate them and kill them?
Good Morning,
There are two things the mainstream press never seems to discuss about our wars in the Middle East, Religion and OIL. I don't think oil had much to do with this, but there are religious zealots on both sides. It would be great if the panel could discuss the possibility of this being a factor.
Mick Dooley
Consultant has it right, we all know where Patsy is going with her wild inferences. The democrats are hypocrites in the extreme, the war protesters evaporated when Bush left office never to return even though Obama made no changes to Bushes over all policy, in fact he doubled down on it. Obama made this his war with his massive military build up for nation building, he owns it.
Occupying Afghanistan will not rid that country of the Taliban and the Taliban's terrorist designs on the U.S. A more effective and cheaper way eliminate the threat would be first, to completely get out. Then, let it be known far and wide that if a terrorist act occurs in the U.S. that orginated from Afghanistan, then we will (1) announce that the entire population of Afghan town "X" has 5 days to completely get out of that town. Then (2) we use massive air power to wipe ALL the buildings of that town completely off the face of the earth. And if there's another attack, we flatten the buildings of a LARGER town/city.
Whenever anything goes awry, military goes into "damage-control" and is all about suppressing as much of the truth as possible. The reasons for this is obvious:
1)so public opinion remains kept as pro-military, pro War as possible and to not inflame international condemnation (including creating more "terrorists" enraged by these incidents).
Truth is War is Hell. And IMO a lot of the PTSD is about the moral conflicts involved with the consequences of killing and maiming people- many of them "collateral damage"- (that is- innocent people).
The "military justice system is a very fair system" - unless you are in Guantanamo. I challenge you to bring Gordon Duff of Veterans Today on the show for an analysis of military behavior in Iraq/Afghanistan.....
RE: "ndelaney47 wrote: Does this not all revert back to why we are in Afghanistan to begin with ..."
We should reflect on why we were there -- we invaded Afghanistan in the Rah Rah Kill The Muslims environment promoted by the right-wing after 9/11. This worked out great for the War Industry (can anyone say Halliburton), but not so well for the U.S. When we go to war because we like fighting wars instead of to accomplish a goal, we get what we deserve -- unending war.
We now have Republicans ginning up the Rah Rah Kill The Muslims environment to invade Syria and Iran so Halliburton, etc can get more billions -- but without any thought (as if the right wing war mongers have the ability to think) about how to stop the wars we start. Will we go to war if Romney or Gingrich or Santorum is elected? Undoubtedly. Will we get out of the war these guys start in less than a decade? Not likely. If you thought the Afghan and Iraq wars were sheer strategic genius, you should vote Republican so we can have more of the same.
To expand on the last caller's concern; it seems after the number of soldiers in service is directly related to the millions of soldiers affected by the Vietnam War. Some analyst in the Pentegon has obviously decided to limit the number of people exposed and thus the future cost of providing mental health attention.
As sad example of ROI.
To expand on the last caller's concern; it seems after the number of soldiers in service is directly related to the millions of soldiers affected by the Vietnam War. Some analyst in the Pentegon has obviously decided to limit the number of people exposed and thus the future cost of providing mental health attention.
As sad example of ROI.
Thank you to the speakers today! I am glad you brought up bringing back the draft. i have been saying this since 2003. EVERYONE needs skin in the game. ESPECIALLY the ones who decide to go to war. Bush told us to go shopping! what an awful awful leader. Jenna and Barbara Bush should have been over there with wolfowitz's kids or grandkids. GOP NEVER AGAIN
RE: THX 1138 wrote "... even though Obama made no changes to Bushes over all policy, in fact he doubled down on it." THX is correct that the Obama Administration has continued many of the Bush Administration actions (torture/murder of innocent people around the globe, etc), but he does overstate the case. The Bush Administration (and current Republicans) wanted permanent occupation of both Iraq and Afghanistan whereas the Obama Administration ended the Iraq occupation over the hysterical objections of the Republicans/right wing, and is ending the Afghan occupation, again over the hysterical objections of the Republicans/right wing. It is interesting that since Vietnam, Republicans and Democrats have swapped places: previously Democrats started wars and Republicans ended them (Korea, Vietman), and now Republicans start the wars (Panama, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq) and Democrats end them (Afghanistan, Iraq).
Wake up to Ron Paul. Elect him and we stop all of this useless, expensive, sacrifice of life on both sides of the "war". Bring our troops HOME!!!
RE: "billtmore wrote: I am glad you brought up bringing back the draft. ... EVERYONE needs skin in the game." Since WWII, it has not been the case the everyone has skin in the game when there was/is a draft -- the Bushes/Cheneys, etc., had no skin in the game during Vietnam (I reference Bush/Cheney only because they are "chicken hawks" -- the reasonably well to do were all exempt, both parties), and there is no reason to think that bringing back the draft will change this.
By definition, Soldiers are prepared for war. And as such, they are trained very well to kill.
And so when they are sent to war and kill or witness killings, the fact that civillians expect them to turn off this training and continue on "normally" is insane.
This turning on and off of this "switch" is by definition schizophrenic. Not on the part of the Soldier, but on the part of civilian society.
Soldiers and their Families know all too well the horrors and costs of war. Until all of American Society has to face it as well, there will be more of this Schizophrenia.
In response to the comment generalizing all military and suggesting that people with a propensity toward violence join the military.......MANY people join the military as a way to pay for their expensive College education. I specifically know dozens of people in the medical field who have done this. My husband will be deployed this year for the 3rd time in 6 years. He is a physician sent to combat zones to care for our soldiers. Our family has sacrificed a lot to support our troops and the apparent desire of the American people and politicians to invade countries and engage in undeclared war. It might be correct to suggest that military personnel interested in the specialized forces such as Navy Seals, Green Berets, etc may be more willing to be in combat situations. However, I would put a hold on generalized statements like the one that was made. There are a lot of good people in the military who are not interested in killing or violence!! One last thing.......... support Ron Paul 2012! Bring our troops HOME!!!
Mike Larson wrote:
"but he does overstate the case. The Bush Administration (and current Republicans) wanted permanent occupation of both Iraq and Afghanistan whereas the Obama Administration ended the Iraq occupation over the hysterical objections of the Republicans/right wing.
We still have a 16,000 strong U.S. presence in Iraq. And yes Obama did follow a withdrawal date as outlined by the Bush administration. The only difference was the hard date set, and that was what all the complaining was about. We will have a presence in Iraq for decades at a minimum, we always do.
see what left wing hero Jon Stewart said,
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/jon-stewart-mocks-gop-over-blaming-obama-for-...
"and is ending the Afghan occupation, again over the hysterical objections of the Republicans/right wing."
We do not know what the republicans would have done because they are out of office. But we do know Obama increased U.S. forces by tens of thousands. I was going to include some links my computer seems constipated today.
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-02-17/politics/obama.troops_1_afghanistan-t...