It’s Not the Number of Militants Killed…

I have to say I was wrong.  I should have seen this coming, but I didn’t think Obama would stoop quite so low as to either order or allow something like this.

Do they really think breaking contact when enemies enter a civilian dwelling is going to help somehow?

From USA Today:

By Jason Straziuso, Associated Press Writer

KABUL — The top U.S. general in Afghanistan will soon formally order U.S. and NATO forces to break away from fights with militants hiding in Afghan houses so the battles do not kill civilians, a U.S. official said Monday.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who took command of international forces in Afghanistan this month, has said his measure of effectiveness will be the “number of Afghans shielded from violence,” and not the number of militants killed.

I can’t speak for the civilians in Afghanistan, but I can say how I’d feel in a similar situation and give my opinion on this decision.

If I were one of those civilians, I’d feel like I was being abandoned.  It’s not like the enemies we’re fighting over there don’t kill civilians anyway.

My further opionion on this idea is that it’s about as good an idea as a screen door on a submarine.  We’re publicly giving our enemies a perfect way to defend against us.  We’re giving them a way to escape.

Personally, I’m fond of the idea of killing the enemy.  Call me crazy, but that’s what I thougt we were supposed to do.  After all, if all we wanted to do was to “shield Afghans from violence,” why not just leave?  Then they wouldn’t have to worry about us at all…

Hat tip to Stop the ACLU and Weasel Zippers