Afghan Atrocity

The lead article in today’s New York Times is titled, “Errant Rocket Kills Civilians in Afghanistan.” It describes the battle for Marja and a fatal error by NATO / U.S. forces in striking a civilian complex with a rocket, killing 10 civilians including five children.

The rocket came from Himars, an acronym for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. It is supposedly guided by GPS and can strike within a yard or two of the programmed location.

But this rocket missed, and the casualties are exactly the kind of event General McChrystal has emphasized that he wishes to avoid. He apologized to the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, but the damage has already been done in terms of winning hearts and minds to the U.S. cause.

The problem is that these kind of events are inevitable during the course of a heated battle. You can’t just lay down your arms or handicap yourself when faced with a determined foe.

The rest of the article provides a gripping account of the entry of Marines into Marja and the timeline of the Taliban resistance, their ability to outflank the NATO forces and employment of a sniper as well.

The U.S. has also been talking to local leaders in an effort to get a government installed as quickly as possible when the shooting stops.  This extra step to the clear, hold, build paradigm may prove to be the crucial factor in restoring order and routing the Taliban.