Photos risk igniting U.S., Afghan tensions

[doodle]

http://theweek.com/article/index/213402/a-us-kill-teams-trophy-photos-more-damaging-than-abu-ghraib
http://www.ajc.com/news/photos-risk-igniting-u-881445.html

[acptulsa]

Because God knows that if anyone deserves your best efforts at political correctness, it's the people you've been kicking the snot out of for the last decade or so.

[RM918]

I'd rather we ignite the psychopathic assholes who were posing with the corpses.

[doodle]

Some of the Strykers - who took death souvenirs including fingers of their victims - reportedly relied on Army medications and drugs to endure the rigors of Afghanistan war.

In his taped interview with investigators, Morlock emotionlessly recounted how Gibbs directed Morlock and Winfield to shoot a noncombatant after Gibbs lobbed a grenade towards him:

"He kind of placed me and Winfield off over here so we had a clean line of sight for this guy and, you know, he pulled out one of his grenades, an American grenade, popped it, throws the grenade, and tells me and Winfield: 'All right, wax this guy. Kill this guy, kill this guy,' " And they did...then happily posing with the corpse.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2011/03/jeremy_morlock_accused_wartime.php

[acptulsa]

From the second link in the OP:

'The release of explicit photographs of U.S. soldiers apparently engaged in atrocities against Afghan civilians threatens to ignite tensions between the Afghan and U.S. governments and provide fodder for the Taliban’s efforts to convince Afghans that the foreign troops fighting here are a malevolent force.'

They need Der Spiegel for that? Something tells me that evidence of our malevolence is far easier to come by in Afghanistan than Der Spiegel is. If you want to win their hearts and minds, stop perforating the same with hot lead.

[JCLibertarian]

From the second link in the OP:

'The release of explicit photographs of U.S. soldiers apparently engaged in atrocities against Afghan civilians threatens to ignite tensions between the Afghan and U.S. governments and provide fodder for the Taliban’s efforts to convince Afghans that the foreign troops fighting here are a malevolent force.'

They need Der Spiegel for that? Something tells me that evidence of or malevolence is far easier to come by in Afghanistan than Der Spiegel is. If you want to win their hearts and minds, stop perforating the same with hot lead.
I doubt the average Afghan reads Der Spiegel, maybe I am reaching though. I think they are pissed because this probably goes on more than reported, and seeing something like this in person happening to your own countrymen will enrage you regardless of whether it is published in some Western news publication.

[doodle]

Bit off topic, Karzai had asked foreign forces to leave right after his cousin was killed "by mistake" in a botched NATO raid.


12/03/2011
Karzai tells NATO to 'stop their operations' in Afghanistan

President Hamid Karzai has urged international troops to stop their operations in Afghanistan, saying that his tolerance had run out after a string of high-profile accidental civilian casualties.

http://www.france24.com/en/20110312-karzai-nato-stop-operations-civilian-casuaties-afghanistan-pakistan-war-usa





They need Der Spiegel for that? Something tells me that evidence of or malevolence is far easier to come by in Afghanistan than Der Spiegel is. If you want to win their hearts and minds, stop perforating the same with hot lead.

Seems that way. When father one of the soldiers had contacted Army way back while this was going on, he was ignored. Photos seems to take things much farther.


One can only wonder if other accused war criminals like Illario Pontano and Allen West will be free today had there been photos showing what they had been accused of doing by their fellow soldiers.

[acptulsa]

Seems that way. When father one of the soldiers had contacted Army way back while this was going on, he was ignored. Photos seems to take things much farther.

Good find on the Karzai story, thanks.

But that isn't what I meant. The articles above are seemingly saying that the Afghanis wouldn't know this crap was going down if it weren't for some German language media outlet. When, of course, they know exactly for whom the bell tolls because it's their ears that are ringing. And after all these years I am extraordinarily tired of having my intelligence insulted by these articles claiming in no uncertain terms, but for no logical reason, that censorship is good for me and I should like it.

[acptulsa]

Duplicate

[doodle]

Good find on the Karzai story, thanks.

But that isn't what I meant. The articles above are seemingly saying that the Afghanis wouldn't know this crap was going down if it weren't for some German language media outlet. When, of course, they know exactly for whom the bell tolls because it's their ears that are ringing. And after all these years I am extraordinarily tired of having my intelligence insulted by these articles claiming in no uncertain terms, but for no logical reason, that censorship is good for me and I should like it.


I completely agree, I misread part of that post in hurry. Photos will only "outrage" reality devoid masses fed sanitized version of what goes on in war, people there have actual dead bodies to see and don't need photos to be outraged.

[RonPaulRocksMyWorld]

Good find on the Karzai story, thanks.

But that isn't what I meant. The articles above are seemingly saying that the Afghanis wouldn't know this crap was going down if it weren't for some German language media outlet. When, of course, they know exactly for whom the bell tolls because it's their ears that are ringing. And after all these years I am extraordinarily tired of having my intelligence insulted by these articles claiming in no uncertain terms, but for no logical reason, that censorship is good for me and I should like it.

/\ Fantastic response. +1 Rep