In Vietnam it was killing civilians, collecting ears, and smoking smack. In Afghanistan it would seem to be killing civilians, collecting fingers, and smoking hash. This is not politics. It’s not even pacifism. It’s just the seemingly inescapable observation that counter-insurgency drives those expected to implement it stone fucking crazy.
“WASHINGTON - The US Army holds its first hearing Monday in a grisly war crimes case that charges five soldiers with killing Afghan civilians for sport and plotting a cover-up. Authorities say the troops opened fire on the Afghan civilians in unprovoked assaults over several months in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, with some of the soldiers accused of mutilating corpses and removing bones. The case carries potentially explosive ramifications for the war effort as US-led forces try to win the trust of local Afghans and push back Taliban insurgents in the pivotal Kandahar battlefield. Monday's hearing focuses on Specialist Jeremy Morlock, 22, of Wasila, Alaska, who faces charges of premeditated murder in the deaths of three Afghans killed between January and May this year.” (Click here for more.)
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The secret words are My and Lai
What the hell's in the water up there in Wasila?
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