Speaking today at Fort Benning, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta urges US troops to watch their behavior during occupation duty, admonishing them not to make headlines with embarrassing behavior.
US military occupations and attacks across the globe have been full of headline-grabbing fiascoes stemming from policy as it is, but recently it has been troops, whether massacring civilians, taking video of urinating on corpses, or collecting human fingerbones, which have gained most of the attention.
“A few who lack judgment, lack professionalism, lack leadership can hurt all of us, and can hurt all of those men and women who serve this country,” Panetta noted. Officials say Army and Marine Corps leadership have been pushing a similar message recently, an effort to raise awareness of just how embarrassing such incidents are.
Yet at their core, such admonitions are just a rebranded version of the “hearts and minds” refrain, reflecting the assumption that somehow a bloody, endless occupation can be sanitized enough that the resistance will settle down. Whether Afghans are angry at the US for burning the Quran, for urinating on the dead, or for killing many civilians in a drone strike, the anger is going to endure.
First, they hated us for what our government did.
Then, they hated us for what our government was doing and supporting what our government was doing.
Now, they hate us for what we are – a people who have adapted the ways of the Soviet Union.
It must be much worse than suspected when the Secretary of Defense himself has to remind the troops not to do these things. "Y'all boys behave, now, y'hear?"
What's disgusting is that the military leaders aren't mad because the soldiers actually did what they did. They're just worried about 'how it looks." Forget about the root cause of the problem. Don't reassess the strategy. Just tell them not to "embarrass" the military. What a bunch of totally corrupt douchebags these military "leaders"–from Panetta to the President–are.
Any time a bigwig says stuff like this, it really means "Don't get caught." Like the Army's recruiter stand-down in 2005 after the revelations of massive lying, forgery, etc. The biggest procedural change was a media blackout.
So, what is wrong with such behavior is that it puts troups in danger — presumably by revenge seeking natives, and that it gives bad reputation to the mission. Isn't the entire issue here the issue of war crimes and crimes against humanity?
Kinda curious, was the picture of Panetta taken while giving the speach at Ft. Benning and is Ft. Benning in Georgia? Ya know, Georgia, USA? If it hasn't been moved, why is there an Israeli flag flanking the Stars and Stripes? Or does Jason Ditz feel having the photo accompanying this article give the illusion, or lack thereof, of who we're really fighting for?
Is that picture of Panetta from Fort Benning…? Why the hell is there an Israeli flag behind him?
Panetta is a real corporate tool in the worst Nixonian sense of the phrase. Was the photo of Panetta on this page take at Ft. Benning? If so, why is there an Israeli flag in the background?!
Note to Leon: you can't leave troops in the field indefinitely, and the US is way past the maximum now. BRING 'EM HOME ALREADY.
What's with the Israeli flag in the background? Have we been officially taken over now?
Yes.
So if Uncle Leon is preaching at Fort Benning (which is in Georgia I do believe), what the hell is he doing standing in front of an Israeli flag?
Do you really have to ask?
I agree! WTF???? Ft. Benning??? Puhleeez.
(Good catch, skulz.)
And please explain to me why there is an Israeli flag behind him during said speech?
Better yet, "Why is there an American flag behind him?"
Why is an Israeli flag flying next to the starts and stripes at Frt Benning? A show of who owns whom ?
So, somebody give a reasonable explanation:WHY is that isreali flag there?
Kind of a generic photo of Uncle Leo.
The photo was taken during a press conference with Israel's DM Ehud Barak last fall during Panetta's first visit to Israel on becoming Defense Secretary.
I think the point is this…the press release was with the israeli flag in the superior position, on the right. It sure shows you who controls the perception management. This is a crap pie in the face of every present and former soldier. Another thing I've noticed one thing in dealing with these psychotic jackals and that is a total lack or remorse on their part; for anything.
We need to run a polite and gentlemanly blood-soaked terror occupation. Does this moron have any clue what occupations are about?