Finished watching Restrepo (2010) earlier tonight, which is a documentary about the USA forces (Second Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (airborne) of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in the Korangal valley), going into Afghanistan to win the battle for the "Hearts and Minds" of the population.
It was pretty interesting and showed the effects war has on it's participants, but the main thing l was bothered about was the way the troops treated the Afghan elders.
There was an incident when a cow was killed (and then eaten by the troops). The elder (or farmer) wanted compensation for it, which he quoted as about 400/500 (not sure if this was dollars). This was then turned down, and he was offered sugar/tea etc but he then seemed to go away pretty dissatisfied. Don't the troops realise how much bad feeling this will provoke, probably costing extra lives in the future. The way the elders were spoken to was also out of order, with lots of swearing and a lack of respect. That is no way to win hearts and minds. The troops could also do with learning a few simple phrases such as "sit down", "come here" and "thank you".
My own view is the troops should have just launched a propaganda war, dropping information leaflets, medicines and supplies to the population. That would have been a lot cheaper in the long run, and it is the only way of winning the Afghans over. The war will turn out to be unsustainable or winnable and the troops will eventually pull out, leaving the region to go back to how it was. What a waste of lives.
This war is not like The Second World War (or The First). These people do not feel as though they are being rescued, and will have a lot of resentment against the Americans (and other troops), especially when innocent family members have been killed. This will just encourage the Afghan youngsters to continue the fight (and so on, and so on..).
As I stated before..what a waste.
toodle pip
No comments:
Post a Comment