Afghan Atrocities

The lead article in today’s New York Times, “Afghan Soldiers Step Up Killings of Allied Forces,” describes an irreconcilable difference between the cultures in Afghanistan and the United States.

As a result of these differences, the very Afghan soldiers being trained by Allied Forces are committing acts of homicide against U.S. forces. Though previously dismissed as isolated incidents, it appears there is a mutual disrespect between the two sides that has led to the murder of 58 Allied Forces by the Afghan Army and police units.

The issue came to the fore again when videos surfaced of U.S. Marines pissing on dead Afghan civilians. Believe it or not, these pictures were praised by certain members of U.S. forces on their respective Facebook accounts.

Afghanistan has a history of rejecting foreign forces on their soil, and it seems that even after the U.S. Army leaves, they will receive no thanks for their efforts.

At least, we can be thankful to have rid the country of Al Qaeda and to have eventually found and eliminated Osama bin Laden. And perhaps we have brought some measure of civilization, at least in the way they educate and respect their female members.

The killing of U.S. soldiers though by the very people they are training is particularly inexcusable.