Afghan Civilians (those who are able) Flee Impending NATO Bombing Attack on Marjah

[bigtree]

guardian.co.uk, Friday 5 February 2010

TENS of thousands of Afghan civilians are abandoning an area of central Helmland where UK and US forces are set to launch one of the biggest operations of the year.

The evacuation of most civilians from the town of Marjah and surrounding areas will give commanders greater leeway to use mortars-and-air-to ground missiles which have enraged Afghans in the past when responsible for civilian deaths.

However, some civilians had remained because they could not afford to leave.


The counterinsurgency plan pushed by Stanley McChrystal, the US commander of all Nato forces in Afghanistan, aims not to alienate the population. But a Marjah resident, an elder reached by phone, who was not prepared to give his name, said he had evacuated his family a week ago because he feared "the worst attack ever".

"Always when they storm a village the foreign troops never care about civilian casualties at all. And at the end of the day they report the deaths of women and children as the deaths of Taliban," he said.

A spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force, as the Nato troops are known, said that the main reason for publicity for the operation was to encourage insurgents to leave, but if civilians were also encouraged to evacuate that would be "helpful".

read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/05/afghanistan-nato-strike-helmand


related:

New war plan: Crush the Taliban, then talk peace
http://www.sltrib.com/nationworld/ci_14343452

Why are U.S. allies telling Taliban about coming offensive?
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/1465681.html

[rgbecker]

1. Didn't we do something like this in Viet Nam? Just relocate everyone...

and say its all under control.

One thing, at least if any civilians are killed, they'll be the poor ones.....:sarcasm:

[bigtree]

2. those killed will be initially labeled by our military as 'insurgent', 'militant, or 'combatant'

. . . if the past is prologue.

[riverbendviewgal]

3. Read the book..STONES INTO SCHOOLS

You will get a bigger picture of the Afghan people, their land , their government (useless) and finally the military is starting to realize that bombs and bullets will not win hearts and minds. The book also does describe the Taliban, who don't care about the people at all.

Greg Mortenson is the author and he also wrote THREE CUPS OF TEA, which is now required reading in the Pentagon and also for those in command going to Afghanistan.

I just finished STONES INTO SCHOOLS and it did educate me on Afghanistan.

The people just thirst for education, especially for girls and women.

I have always felt that we need to change tactics...I hope this attack on the Taliban will break them. but we must all help these people get the supplies, food and education that they need. The Taliban was there during the 2005 earthquake aftermath with aid, food AND SCHOOLS....no one else was there......The Afghan government is not at all reliable or caring for most of their citizens. so the Taliban is actually aided by the ineptitude of the present Afghanistan government.

Read the books.

[rgbecker]

4. Here's another, "The places in between" by Rory Stewart. (sp?)

[Gregorian]

10. I've heard about that. The man worked with the Taliban to accomplish good.

My dad was the one who has been exclaiming just how fantastic this is. He brings it up every time I mention how we really have an interest in keeping our military "business" alive. In general we don't want peace. But despite my blabbing, I need to read the book just to find out how he managed to work with the Taliban.

It doesn't take a genius. We're all pretty much the same. Humans. We sleep, and eat. America has a machine that needs to die. The killing and lies. And much of it comes back to the people. But that's another story.

[slipslidingaway]

5. knr nt

[Robb]

6. That entire article is worth reading.

Couple of gems in there for the cultural relativists among us to chew on:

..."People know they cannot protect everything, and they are more concerned about saving their lives than their houses. The people cannot protect their country from the infidels, so how can we protect our houses?"...

...The fraught security in Lashkar Gah was highlighted yesterday when a motorbike packed with explosives detonated close to a crowd gathered on the city outskirts to watch a dog fight; it killed at least three people and injured at least 26, including seven children.

[G_j]

7. and where are they supposed to go exactly?

whatever, they were warned,
Time for some killing!


:mad:

[DCBob]

8. I think they were told to stay in their homes...

but probably a wise move to get the heck out there before the fighting starts. I suspect it will be fast operation. The Taliban are probably heading for hills if not there already.

[leftstreet]

9. K&R