Substantial Errors ... like murdering children?

Why are American military forces killing civilians in Afghanistan?

Can anybody explain this one?

... Wait! Before you formulate your patented jingoistic, Bible thumping, Fox News Channel, God Bless America answer ... just read the essay first. You might surprise yourself and end up with a slightly broader, more open mind.

Premise:
Associated Press story published June 3, 2009 by PAULINE JELINEK :

American troops made substantial errors and did not strictly follow rules for avoiding casualties during an air assault on Taliban fighters last month, a U.S. defense official said, underscoring a central quandary for President Barack Obama's new Afghan counterinsurgency campaign.

The defense official said Wednesday that a military investigation faulted some of the actions of American troops in air strikes May 4 that killed dozens of Afghan civilians in Farah province.

"Errors were made" in the attack, the official acknowledged on condition of anonymity, discussing one of the preliminary findings on an incident that has strained relations between Washington and Kabul and bred deep resentment among the Afghan people. Civilian deaths in Afghanistan have also enraged Muslims worldwide.

[Blah, blah, blah.

Blah, blah, blah. ... keep reading...]

... According to the U.S. military, the battle in Farah began a day after Taliban fighters entered two villages, demanded money from civilians and killed three former government employees. An Afghan force rushed in, only to be ambushed by as many as 300 insurgents.

The provincial governor asked for U.S. military help, and American ground troops joined the battle, the U.S. says.

Before the battle was over, troops called in F-18 fighter jet air strikes as well as help from a B-1 bomber ...

Let’s stop there. A B-1 bomber?!
Isn't that the literal version of killing a fly with an elephant gun?

Let me interpret some of this politically sanitized bullshit for you, starting with
"substantial errors" and "did not strictly follow the rules". You know when the military openly admits to making a mistake, they must have really screwed the pooch. And when they say "dozens" of civilians, you can bet it was probably hundreds. And when they say 300 insurgents, it was probably more like seventy-five. And hey ... all you 2nd Amendment gun-toters: Do you know what "insurgents" are? They are civilian militia (a lot like an Afghan version of you and a bunch of boys from the Army National Guard) trying to keep an invading army from killing any more of their wives and children. Do you know who the invading army is? Right. Us. Our sons and daughters. So, explain to me one more time: why are our sons and daughters killing someone else's children half way around the world?

Yeah. That’s it. Get mad and stop reading. That’ll definitely keep your conscience clear before God.

Would that sentence about our sons and daughters killing someone else’s children have been less offensive to you if I had asked, “Why are our sons and daughters dying half way around the world?” Why would it make any difference? Why should it? Are American’s sons and daughters any more precious than Afghani sons and daughters? Does God love us and our children more than he loves them and theirs? [I am desperately hoping that's a rhetorical question.]

Do you think if an Iranian or Chinese or North Korean bomber blew up your children and the children of all your neighbors tomorrow morning you would consider it more than a "substantial error"? Do you know what we would call that kind of "substantial error" if the shoe were on the other foot? Terrorism and murder.

This is not an indictment or criticism of the sons and daughters. It is an indictment against the military and civilian leaders (and I use the term "leaders" very loosely here).

One last time: Why are we murdering the children of Afghani mothers? What act of terrorism did those little boys and girls commit? How about that beautiful three year-old Afghani girl with the hazel eyes? Why is her sister's torso now hanging from a rock?

Now you definitely don't want to read any more. I'm making you angry now. If you didn't dislike me already, you're beginning to now, because ... because ... this is unnecessarily graphic ... not to mention subversive and unpatriotic!

Who cares about "collateral damage"?! Right? Too bad. Sucks to be you, Afghani children! They shouldn't have chosen to ... oh, wait ... they haven't chosen anything.
All right, you think to yourself, I'll concede that point. The children haven't done anything to deserve being blown to pieces and incinerated ... but it's still unpatriotic to make us think about the reality of war. If you make us think about all the children we're killing, we might lose the will to kill any more!
This is war, by God!

... Or is it a war not "by God"? Have you been assuming, like so many other bigoted Americans, that God is automatically "on our side" whenever we prosecute a war. Think about that for a minute ... or two, if you need more time. I'm pretty sure God is not an American. I'm also pretty sure he does not approve of murdering people's children.
If after thinking about that for a minute (or two), you don't realize how small-minded and bigoted and Biblically unsound your assumptions have been, then it won't matter what else I write. You can stop reading now and go back to eating Cheetos and watching American Idol.

Footnote: Do you know what I would like to see come out in American movie theaters this year. No, not Spider-Man IV. I'd like to see a movie that portrays the lives of families in Afghanistan, from their perspective. It would be a tragic, distressing, heart-breaking drama ... and it would end the war in Afghanistan.

Can you not see this (or any other war) from the "other" side?
Because if you can't, then you are neither as wise nor as compassionate as you think you are.