Impressive correction

ARTICLE: U.S. Troops Erred in Fight With Taliban That Killed Dozens of Civilians, By Karen DeYoung, Washington Post, June 9, 2009

It is both amazing and a credit to our military that we can so swiftly (just a month) and so readily admit serious operational mistakes in the field.

Some people--most actually--read this story and see only the screw-up. But the correction is impressive, despite the mistake.

Don't believe me? Imagine the same from the Chinese or Indian or Russian militaries.

Comments

[Seth]

I hate these articles,not because they point out military mistakes but because they are so poorly written. The headline implies that the mistakes made caused the civilian deaths but take this paragraph from the article- "But Morrell said that there was "no indication" that the targeting gap itself "resulted in civilian casualties," adding that it was just "one of the problems associated with these events." "

Later in the article another unnamed official says that the CAS did cause the civilian deaths. There are also confusion in the article about how many civilians were killed, was is 140 or was it 30?

I agree with the idea that killing civilians drives a wedge between U.S., Afghan forces and the Afghan civilians but if we expect zero civilian casualties in a fight that takes place in a city or town then we might as well pack-up and go home. The Taliban encourage and exaggerate civilian deaths to win the population and we seem to play right into their hands by not send a clear signal that we do everything we can to avoid it but that it does happen.

[Lt Col Eric Jorgensen]

Gen. McChrystal: "You're going to have to convince people, not kill them."

Civilian casualties, when they happen, are mistakes. New modus operandi in keeping with encouraging globalization's advance? Convince rather than kill even the combatants - if and when you can.

Wall Street Journal - June 12, 2009, pg. 6

Commander Maps New Course In Afghan War

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124476295460908195.html

U.S. Gen. McChrystal Departs From Special-Ops World With Focus on Diplomacy; 'Decapitation Strategies Don't Work'

By Peter Spiegel

WASHINGTON -- Gen. Stanley McChrystal, in his first interview since being named the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, said his front-row seat for the wars there and in Iraq has altered the view of combat he has held since training as a Green Beret to kill enemies quickly and stealthily.

After watching the U.S. try and fail for years to put down insurgencies in both countries, Gen. McChrystal said he believes that to win in Afghanistan, "You're going to have to convince people, not kill them.

"Since 9/11, I have watched as America tried to first put out this fire with a hammer, and it doesn't work," he said last week at his home at Fort McNair in Washington. "Decapitation strategies don't work."