In comments aimed at defending the long-standing US policy of launching night raids on civilian homes in Afghanistan, US Special Operations commander Admiral McRaven shrugged off Afghan government complaints, insisting the policy is very valuable.
McRaven claimed that a surprisingly large number of the night raids ended without firing a shot, though he did not indicate how often they actually ended with capturing someone they intended to capture. He also claimed only about one percent of the raids ended in civilian casualties, which he apparently thought was a selling point.
Of course those figures could be disputed based on the definition of “civilian,” since several incidents of deaths in night raids have ended with NATO terming them “suspects” and promising investigations, which rarely end with conclusive results.
The issue of night raids has been a particular hot-button issue in Afghanistan, where the notion of foreign occupation forces storming into houses unannounced in the middle of the night and dragging everyone off in chains is considered somewhat taboo. The Loya Jirga, which was summoned by President Karzai to rubber stamp the US occupation through at least 2024, sought to predicate its continuation on the end of the night raids, but it does not appear that the US refusal to stop raiding will necessarily mean anything to the efforts at keeping the decade-long occupation open-ended.
Well if the Aghans ever kick them out he can always come home and join the local SWAT team and terrorize Americans.
The American Gestapo — running a gulag on which the sun never sets. Can't last forever. And won't.
All that is worthy about America has been dismantled by the last two administrations. We are now just a vicious empire on the way out. The constitution and bill of rights have been flushed down the toilet by people sworn to protect and defend them. May they rot in hell.
A US Marine died Saturday, Dec. 10 of wounds from combat in Helmand province on Dec. 7. Approximately 400 US soldiers have died in Afghanistan so far in 2011.
You see – they will never learn.
These people are hopeless – they will fight to the last drop of someone elses blood.
Get this Admiral in the frontline and his views will quickly change.
He wont last long enough to change his views. I'd wager your typical rear echelon type would:
A. Step on an IED
B. Get sniped
Or the most likely scenario:
C: Several Soldiers and dozens of civilians killed trying to keep his dumb ass alive long enough to get him back to the rear.