The Taliban issued yet another statement condemning the killing of 16 Afghans by a rogue US soldier in Panjwai, Kandahar. In the latest statement, released at Voice of Jihad [large portions are reproduced below] and signed by the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” the Taliban said they would “cut off the heads of your murderous sadistic troops in every corner of the country in revenge for the martyrdom of every single Afghan and we shall not desist from utilizing any means for this purpose.”
Keep in mind that the Taliban are issuing such statements designed to escalate violence (as they did in the latest Koran-burning incident) while the US is hoping to negotiate a peace deal with them. In fact, even as the Taliban issue statements such as the one below, the US is more than prepared to release five senior Taliban leaders who have deep links with al Qaeda. An Afghan delegation visited Guantanamo Bay last week and said the five Taliban prisoners would accept a release to Qatari custody. The US has asked for nothing in return, not even the release of Bowe Bergdahl, the only US soldier in Taliban custody. And once it releases the five Taliban prisoners, the US will get nothing in return from the Taliban, with the exception of statements like the one released today or another mocking the US’s peace efforts.
From the Taliban’s latest statement, at Voice of Jihad:
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan issued an official statement in the initial phases of this atrocity but deems it necessary to elucidate its position after the unjustifiable explanations and interpretations conjured by the Americans:
- The American invaders are claiming that a single mentally-ill soldier was the perpetrator of this unambiguous crime and consider it as an individual transgression and unintentional action in order to protect themselves from legal action. But according to witnesses and the scale of the crime scene, it becomes clear that this was not act of a deranged individual but rather the actions of a group which was intentional and pre-planned. All the cautionary military steps were also taken including the use of air-power. Therefore all the international right groups and judicial organs should treat them as war criminals and they should be handed over to the heirs of the martyrs for Qisas Bil-misl (death for killing/life for life) in accordance with criminal law.
- The occupying Americans claim that there were only 16 people killed in this massacre but according to witnesses and the number of observed funerals, that number is far exceeded, the heirs of whom demand justice for their dead from the murderers.
- The American invaders once again extended empty apologies to relieve themselves of this crime and for it to be forgotten. Instead of seeking forgiveness from the families of the victims, it sent apologies to its puppet Karzai which in itself is a crime and which will not be accepted by the Afghan people in any circumstance.
- Karzai, his stooge regime’s insensate members and the puppet provincial officials, as the defenders of the American invaders, are shedding crocodile tears as sign of sympathy with the victims and on the other hand, are brushing off this crime as an ordinary incident with a few empty words. They have even banned the courageous people of Kandahar and the country from taking to the streets which clearly demonstrates their utter hypocrisy besides it being considered as rubbing salt on the victim’s wounds.
- The Islamic Emirate, as the defenders of the legitimate rights of the oppressed Afghan people, once again warns the American savages that its Mujahideen will not be content except by avenging its oppressed countrymen. With the divine help of Allah Almighty, we shall cut off the heads of your murderous sadistic troops in every corner of the country in revenge for the martyrdom of every single Afghan and we shall not desist from utilizing any means for this purpose.
- Similarly, the Islamic Emirate would like to remind the people of America and its allies including NATO that this unforgiving crime of your soldiers depicts a very clear picture of your human rights and human sympathy to the Afghans and the entire world!!! It clearly shows your anti-human conduct against defenseless Afghans from afar. You must understand that with such crimes, you have played the role of the true inheritors of the Nazi’s and not that of peace-keepers but pay strict attention, if you do not control your stubborn governments then such actions will cost you a very hefty price.
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12 Comments
I’d be curious to see the classified report/investigation of this so called atrocity. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised that the families murdered by Staff Sergeant _____ were complicit in multiple ‘events’ targeting ISAF, ANA, civilians sympathetic to the Afghan Gov’t, etc., with murder & mayhem.
@mike merlo –
How is a child complicit? Because 9 of the victims were children, some younger than six years old.
Take it for what it is: A deranged member of our otherwise exemplary armed forces committed an attrocity.
Mike Merlo,
I wouldn’t make any attempt to justify this act or assume anything about the victoms. Unless you have a shred of evidence it’s not a position that can be defended.
How many Mosques have these guys blown up. I guess you have to have scruples to be a hypocrite.
re:Spooky
Children are routinely used for various tasks & missions. It is well documented & nothing new. You’re welcome ‘take it’ any way you want I on the other ‘hand’ choose to take nothing for granted.
re:Neo
*see above* Chase all the smoke you want. It’s well documented children are used as look outs, couriers, suicide bombers, ‘planters’ of booby traps, assassins etc.,. Welcome to the unsanitized truth of warfare.
Do me a favor & save your ‘let’s play pretend patois’ for the comic book or fictionalized version(s) of warfare. Last time I checked neither myself nor anybody else on this planet make’s the rules that govern warfare.
Look, one bad apple doesen’t mean the whole barrell is bad. This soldier committed a crime, he will be punished appropriately..end of story. As for the Taliban “cutting the heads off of US soldiers”…they already try to do that, but they get killed before they get the chance, and that’s how it will contiue to be. The biggest mistake the Taliban could make is to try and portray themselves as the “good guys” when they go about blowing innocent women and children to pieces and hacking off thier limbs and heads for “spying” on a regular basis. The Taliban are NOT the defenders of the Afghani people. And any revenge they try to take will be met with overwhelming force and death at the hands of all of our REAL soldiers.
mike merlo:
“Children are routinely used for various tasks & missions.”
mike, ‘abused’ would be the correct word to describe this situation, not ‘used’.
i’m fairly and squarely with spooky.
“…suicide bombers, ‘planters’ of booby traps, assassins etc…”
I for one would be interested in any documented evidence of any 6 year old suicide bombers, planters of booby traps, or assassins in Afpak.
“The rules of warfare” that govern the actions of the United States armed forces, don’t even come close to allowing your sentiments. The fact that this guy went off base for hostile extracurriculars is a giant red flag, even before you consider the slaughter of civilians. This guy went awol and shot his way through part of a village. I see I’m not the only one around here that is a bit nutty.
re: any & all out of touch with reality, my sentiments aside
http://foreignpolicyblogs.com/2011/07/02/child-suicide-bombers-2/
http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/15/10411931-us-general-taliban-use-of-child-suicide-bombers-utterly-despicable
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/27/world/asia/27afghanistan.html?_r=1
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20110515/taliban-child-bombers-110515/
Of the various categories within the rubric of Limited War Insurgent Warfare is probably the most nuanced. Pacification efforts are incredibly complex & multiple times throughout a 24 hour cycle run the risk of misdiagnosis and or deleterious application of force.
Counter Insurgent Warfare is confronted with a broad spectrum permutation’s any of which can shift, morph or transition into another category unbeknownst even to the insurgent ‘itself. Spanning the gamut from partisan warfare(an organic whole encompassing the breadth of a ‘society’) to the individual whose action(s) exist within ‘twilight’ of nihilist(*see Nechayev*)/criminal & all ‘that’ in between presents a kaleidoscope of scenario’s many of which oft time’s overlap. Each of which require a specific set of ‘approaches.’
Initially the Taliban(byproducts of the Madrassa system) were conceived as a response to the criminal & lawless behavior(s) resulting from the fallout accompanying the withdrawal of the Soviet Union. At first welcomed ‘it’ soon degenerated into resentment. *Note* ‘witness the rapidity in the decline of the Taliban & lack of local support following US invasion.’
Over the course of the last ‘decade’ much of the insurgency has devolved along patterns of kinship significantly altering its CinC structure. The extended Family(relatives, clan/village, tribe) have now acquired parity with competing CinC hierarchies within the overall Insurgency Infrastructure(Haqqani Network being exhibit A).
Individuals & ‘groups’ tasked to monitor, interact, infiltrate, intervene etc., with the various ‘cells’ & ‘threads’ comprising the ‘sum parts’ of the insurgency often find themselves having to ‘surgically’ wrest embedded component parts(insurgents) from their ‘kinship’ infrastructure(s).
While I in no way condone the cold blooded murder of noncombatants I can certainly appreciate even the best of trained can have mental breakdowns. I’m sure many would have preferred Staff Sergeant _____ committed suicide.
Having to stare through a sniper scope for extended periods of time observing a child or group of children what at first appears to be an innocuous act can easily jolt the senses. Especially when such activity upon their dispersal is soon followed by the detonation of an IED in the midst of one’s comrades on patrol.
Even the random act of a child can result in deadly consequences as evidenced by the idiot who placed his ‘concealed’ gun underneath the drivers seat of his car.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/year-kills-gun-car-wash-15917669#.T2IkScU7Xzg
re:neo
1st rule of warfare; there are no rules! Enjoy your bit of nutty per chance you find yourself blown up or shot by a child
re:gman, Spooky
*see above articles* try doing some research before making some pseudo lunge for the moral high ground
re:villiger
abused, used etc., frame it however you see fit.
‘Just because you return the money doesn’t you didn’t rob the bank.’
Talking about “intentional acts” and “war crimes”: How many children have the Taliban killed? How many civilian Muslims / Afghans have they killed? How many mosques, and how many schools have they burned down? And approximately how many Korans were burnt to ashes in these intentional acts? Have the Taliban ever apologized the families of the victims?
Can anyone make a rough estimate of these numbers? Would be very useful to know next time the Taliban talks.
If they behead one of our Troops, I would start using B-52s to strike the terrorists hideout. You take your kid gloves off,so do we!