McChrystal and civilian casualties
The NY Times reports on the aggressive measures American forces are taking to show their concern for civilian casualties during the battle for Marja:
MARJA, Afghanistan — Twelve bodies — five children, five women and two men — were wrapped head to toe in woolen blankets, lying in a neat row on the floor of the only room remaining in a house that had been blasted to mud-brick rubble by at least one and possibly two 675-pound rockets.
A United States Marine Corps battalion commander, Lt. Col. Brian Christmas, stood in that room on Tuesday with a relative of the victims, a local elder named Hajji Mohammad Karim, and said what he could.
“I bring my deepest condolences and will provide all of my support,” the colonel told him…
After learning of their error, the Marines risked their own lives to help the situation.
After the Marines saw children stream out of the ruined house, the company commander immediately ordered a cease-fire. With Taliban snipers still trying to pick them off, his men raced across the flat, open expanse between their positions and the house, where medics rendered what first aid they could.They initially counted 11 dead, because one woman was still alive. Marine Corps medics worked to stabilize her condition, although she had lost three limbs. A helicopter came in to evacuate the wounded, but took so much Taliban ground fire that it had to lift off again before the wounded could be loaded on board. The woman died, making the death toll 12.
The risks did not end there.
In the mud-brick charnel house where the Afghans were killed, Hajji Karim, the local elder, took up Colonel Christmas’s offer of assistance on Tuesday.The victims had already been dead for more than two days. Muslims believe in prompt burial, but the family had no way to carry the bodies through the battlefield to the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, 17 miles away. Would the Americans take them?
Within hours, a Marine Corps Osprey, a transport aircraft that can take off and land like a helicopter, put down nearby, taking enemy fire as it came in, and the Marines grimly loaded the bodies aboard for the trip to the cemetery.
Cross-posted at Conventional Folly
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This is a f________ shame and I hope an investigation at least finds the cause and accesses punishment if warranted. Meantime, I assume the military has special people and procedures to do what ever we can to show genuine remorse to the families. (No, an apology is not enough.)
The mission was most likely planned appropriately by the USMC. Once engaging the enemy, I'd bet a heft portion of my pay that the Taliban forced the human-shield type of tactic. The local Elder knows this and, therefore, accepted the offer for help.
Although tragic, this is an overall success in the “hearts and minds” campaign. Although I do agree, Duck, that if there was negligence, it should be punished.
I see from the comment traffic how much the- how many angels can dance on a pinhead- crowd care about this kind of thing.
dduck I've started to comment a couple of times and am still not sure I can put together something coherent. I am proud of the Marines response to this tragedy and read the comments of the tribal alders, still it is hard for me to think we are winning hearts and minds by blowing up people's kids.
War is a huge cluster-F no matter who the commander-in-chief is, and events like this are inevitable. I still have severe doubts whether this Afghanistan war is winnable, and have a sinking feeling the deaths of these children as well as those of our troops may be in vain. I am still willing to give Obama and McChrystal the benefit of the doubt, but this tragedy reminds us how serious the decisions are that we discuss so lightly.
I'm with DaGoat here, dduck: what is there to say?
What I can say is O and McChrystal should do their best to employ every measure to ease the emotional and financial burden these innocents suffer. This is our stated policy and I agree. The politics are a separate issue and those get discussed here ad infinitum as you know.
“, still it is hard for me to think we are winning hearts and minds by blowing up people's kids.
War is a huge cluster-F no matter who the commander-in-chief is”
You could not be more right, DaGoat.
However…. The story you NEVER here is the day before the Marines arrive…..when the Taliban faithful have those same children with swords to their necks, promising the elders that no harm will come to them as long as they provide “aid to the cause”. Many times, when the Marines show up, the elders are very glad to see the “good guys” arrive.