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"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence." 'Sapere aude'
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
Hm?
Jan Mohammed Khan - Wikipedia
In March 2006, President Karzai replaced Khan as governor with Abdul Hakim Munib. Khan took a senior position in the Ministry of Tribal & Border Affairs but continued to meddle in Oruzgan's politics, stirring instability, and seeking through his local allies to undermine the authority of Governor Munib. In August 2006, the Dutch (as part of NATO's ISAF mission) took over from the U.S. the military command of Oruzgan province. Through mid-2007, the Dutch troops had not made a significant impact on Taliban-generated instability in Oruzgan. This, coupled with the Dutch refusal to engage in anti-poppy programs to eradicate the province's enormous opium poppy crop, precluded success in stabilizing Oruzgan. As a result, some Dutch pundits and newspapers began calling for Jan Mohammed Khan's return as governor, hoping that despite his illiteracy, corruption, and violence, that he could forcibly stabilize the province and turn the Dutch mission into a success.
Doing the bidding of organised crime
Several analysts who have spent time on the ground in Oruzgan discerned a sharp policy difference between the Dutch and the Americans, more often than not backed by the Australians. The Dutch understood the need to map the conflict. "It's not a simple question of 'good' and 'evil'," one said. "But the Australians just want to go after 'bad' guys. "The Americans work with Jan Mohammed - they fight together and the US uses Jan's militia. The Dutch don't work with them. The Australians are not so nuanced - they seem to take their lead from Jan Mohammed on what are local problems and who is or isn't the Taliban. The Australians are a military force and that's how they see the conflict."
Several analysts who have spent time on the ground in Oruzgan discerned a sharp policy difference between the Dutch and the Americans, more often than not backed by the Australians. The Dutch understood the need to map the conflict. "It's not a simple question of 'good' and 'evil'," one said. "But the Australians just want to go after 'bad' guys.
"The Americans work with Jan Mohammed - they fight together and the US uses Jan's militia. The Dutch don't work with them. The Australians are not so nuanced - they seem to take their lead from Jan Mohammed on what are local problems and who is or isn't the Taliban. The Australians are a military force and that's how they see the conflict."
Then again, the article also claims:
Running with the local strongmen and failing to effectively reach out to the marginalised - a failure of Australians and Dutch in Oruzgan - misses the point of counter-insurgency mantra about protecting locals. All locals.
(This might have been a slip, however, the author might have meant Americans.) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
NATO Confronts Surprisingly Fierce Taliban - washingtonpost.com
Washington Post Foreign Service Tuesday, February 26, 2008 ...But the day after Rietdijk arrived in Afghanistan, his field officers reported hundreds of villagers suddenly fleeing parts of Deh Rawood. "Within a few weeks, everybody was gone," Rietdijk said. "We didn't understand why." Now the Dutch say they realize what happened. Even as the soldiers believed they had won the support of the local population, the Taliban had secretly returned to reclaim Deh Rawood, home district of the group's revered leader, Mohammad Omar. It took only a few months for the Taliban to undermine nearly six years of intelligence work by U.S. forces and almost two years of goodwill efforts by Dutch soldiers.
...But the day after Rietdijk arrived in Afghanistan, his field officers reported hundreds of villagers suddenly fleeing parts of Deh Rawood. "Within a few weeks, everybody was gone," Rietdijk said. "We didn't understand why."
Now the Dutch say they realize what happened. Even as the soldiers believed they had won the support of the local population, the Taliban had secretly returned to reclaim Deh Rawood, home district of the group's revered leader, Mohammad Omar. It took only a few months for the Taliban to undermine nearly six years of intelligence work by U.S. forces and almost two years of goodwill efforts by Dutch soldiers.
Australia Says Children Died in Skirmish With Taliban - NYTimes.com
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Five children were killed in predawn fighting on Thursday between Australian special operations troops and Taliban guerrillas in south central Afghanistan, the Australian military said, the latest episode of civilian casualties that have hurt support for American and NATO troops here. The skirmish, which occurred in darkness in a village called Sarmorghab in Oruzgan Province, north of the southern city of Kandahar, was condemned by the provincial governor, Assadullah Hamdam, who said it would have a "negative effect" on relations between Afghans and foreign troops in the country. He offered a different casualty toll, saying three children had been killed and four wounded after a sustained firefight. He said provincial officials had already pleaded with troops not to carry out raids where civilians were present.
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Five children were killed in predawn fighting on Thursday between Australian special operations troops and Taliban guerrillas in south central Afghanistan, the Australian military said, the latest episode of civilian casualties that have hurt support for American and NATO troops here.
The skirmish, which occurred in darkness in a village called Sarmorghab in Oruzgan Province, north of the southern city of Kandahar, was condemned by the provincial governor, Assadullah Hamdam, who said it would have a "negative effect" on relations between Afghans and foreign troops in the country. He offered a different casualty toll, saying three children had been killed and four wounded after a sustained firefight. He said provincial officials had already pleaded with troops not to carry out raids where civilians were present.
Yesterday's careless 'targeted' assassination of a civilian travelling group was in Uruzgan, too. With a black irony:
American Chronicle | Afghan cabinet condemns NATO air strike that killed civilians
This latest round of civilian deaths came just hours after Karzai stood in the Afghan parliament and demanded that his people stop dying from coalition fire. "We need to reach the point where there are no civilian casualties," he said. "Our effort and our criticism will continue until we reach that goal." A senior United Nations official echoed Karzai's plea. "In addition to the tragic loss of life, trust in the intentions of the international military forces in Afghanistan will suffer greatly if military forces do not take more care to protect Afghan lives," Canadian Robert Watkins, the deputy special representative of the secretary general, said in a statement. Indeed, as more civilians fall to NATO fire, so too does Afghans' support for the military mission meant to bring stability to the troubled country.
This latest round of civilian deaths came just hours after Karzai stood in the Afghan parliament and demanded that his people stop dying from coalition fire.
"We need to reach the point where there are no civilian casualties," he said.
"Our effort and our criticism will continue until we reach that goal."
A senior United Nations official echoed Karzai's plea.
"In addition to the tragic loss of life, trust in the intentions of the international military forces in Afghanistan will suffer greatly if military forces do not take more care to protect Afghan lives," Canadian Robert Watkins, the deputy special representative of the secretary general, said in a statement.
Indeed, as more civilians fall to NATO fire, so too does Afghans' support for the military mission meant to bring stability to the troubled country.
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