Why can't the U.S. say, "We were wrong"?
"Our investigation found there was no intent to desecrate the remains, but only to dispose them for hygienic reasons," U.S.-led forces operational commander, Major General Jason Kamiya said.
This article about our troops in Afghanistan burning the dead bodies of Taliban guerillas infuriates me. While my present company (Christian ex-Tim, my biological father, and his girlfriend) would heartily be in support of these actions, I am not.
The ability of our forces to cover their butts is amazing. While the troops burned the bodies, taunts were broadcast over the loudspeaker: "You allowed your fighters to be laid down facing west and burned. You are too scared to retrieve their bodies. This just proves you are the lady boys we always believed you to be." These, however, were two separate incidents, says the official findings. We didn't burn the bodies in desecration, no, we burned them (a practice which I am inferring isn't typical) for hygenic reasons, and these other soldiers just so happened to simultaneously be taunting. I'm sure all the other soldiers were duly horrified, but somehow completely helpless to stop them.
See, that's the thing. Why aren't any of these people receving harsh reprimands and genuine disapproval, rather than the obligatory show of a slap on the wrist? Why is it that no one stopped these people from their actions? Because it is representative of the attitudes and feelings of many, if not the majority, of their comrades, and of many members of the public (like my present company) as well.
I understand I have not been in the soldiers' situations, in which emotions must run high. I'm sure it is much easier to comprehend "someone else's shoes" from the couch from where I sit. However, I can never approve of such ugly acts of anger and hatred. Our troops did a hideous thing, and I wish our military had the guts to admit it.
This article about our troops in Afghanistan burning the dead bodies of Taliban guerillas infuriates me. While my present company (Christian ex-Tim, my biological father, and his girlfriend) would heartily be in support of these actions, I am not.
The ability of our forces to cover their butts is amazing. While the troops burned the bodies, taunts were broadcast over the loudspeaker: "You allowed your fighters to be laid down facing west and burned. You are too scared to retrieve their bodies. This just proves you are the lady boys we always believed you to be." These, however, were two separate incidents, says the official findings. We didn't burn the bodies in desecration, no, we burned them (a practice which I am inferring isn't typical) for hygenic reasons, and these other soldiers just so happened to simultaneously be taunting. I'm sure all the other soldiers were duly horrified, but somehow completely helpless to stop them.
See, that's the thing. Why aren't any of these people receving harsh reprimands and genuine disapproval, rather than the obligatory show of a slap on the wrist? Why is it that no one stopped these people from their actions? Because it is representative of the attitudes and feelings of many, if not the majority, of their comrades, and of many members of the public (like my present company) as well.
I understand I have not been in the soldiers' situations, in which emotions must run high. I'm sure it is much easier to comprehend "someone else's shoes" from the couch from where I sit. However, I can never approve of such ugly acts of anger and hatred. Our troops did a hideous thing, and I wish our military had the guts to admit it.