NATO’s proposed ‘Courageous Restraint’ medal – another victory for our enemies
The military’s rules of engagement (ROE) in Afghanistan have become so emasculated that commanders are now considering the creation of a medal awarded for not using lethal force during war.
NATO Commander General Stanley McChrystal is currently reviewing the “Courageous Restraint” medal, which was suggested by British Maj. Gen. Nick Carter following an incident where U.S. soldiers fired on a bus carrying Afghan civilians.
“The idea is being reviewed at Headquarters [International Security Force Afghanistan],” said Lt. Col. Edward Sholtis, the spokesman for Gen. McChrystal. “The idea is consistent with our approach. Our young men and women display remarkable courage every day, including situations where they refrain from using lethal force, even at risk to themselves, in order to prevent possible harm to civilians. … That restraint is an act of discipline and courage not much different than those seen in combat actions.”
However, restraint hasn’t translated into progress on the battlefield. A recent report from the Pentagon revealed that violence in Afghanistan is increasing – up 87% from last year – and that more districts support the Taliban than did six months ago (none of the 92 districts surveyed actively support the Karzai government while 42 are sympathetic to the Taliban).
While our forces build infrastructure, provide medical care, and show restraint on the battlefield, the Taliban acts like barbarians – intimidating, raping, and murdering. Yet when our troops act in self-defense, Afghans gather in protest, chanting “Death to America.”
In April, a bus approached a convoy of engineers in Kandahar City at a high rate of speed, ignoring multiple attempts to get the driver to slow down. Due to poor visibility conditions, and the high threat of vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices in the district, the soldiers opened fire, killing four passengers and wounding 18.
In: Articles, Military · Tagged with: Afghanistan, NATO, Rules of Engagement, Stanley McChrystal
Misplaced Anger
On August 21, NATO and Afghan ground forces in the western Afghanistan village of Nawabad called in an airstrike. The US casualty figures were listed as thirty killed, including their target, the high-ranking Taliban leader Mullah Siddiq. Five more were detained, and a cache of weapons and ammunition were discovered in the compound. Seven or eight houses were destroyed as a result, and several others were damaged.
Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry spokesman, Gen. Mohammad Zaher Azimi, later added that five of the thirty were civilians. Then it got even more interesting when the Afghan Interior Ministry called the attack a “mistake.” The ministry claimed 76 killed, including 19 women and 50 children under 15.
Although the US military is launching an investigation, they are still standing behind their figures. US military spokeswoman, Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green said, “We stand by our account and our reports and what we know and I can’t reconcile why (the Interior Ministry) would have a different figure.”
In: Military, terrorism · Tagged with: Afghanistan, NATO, Taliban, UN
