Acceptable civilian losses

[allan]

"The problem is that a lot of times people in areas of low culture carry weapons for self defence - how can anyone tell the difference between an armed mujahidin and a farmer? They wear the same kind of clothes, and they both carry hand guns. These farmers are likely to become civilian casualties, mis-identified by the soldiers."

Very true, but if I were a farmer and a war came to my area, I'd get the hell out of the way, go hide, not be seen! Unless, of course, I wanted to join in the fighting--but then I'd be accepting the risk of being fired upon, like any other armed man in the field.... I certainly wouldn't be out herding my sheep like nothing was happening, though--and I don't think your average Afghan farmer is that stupid either....

I have a feeling that LOTS of civilians in Afghanistan will be laying pretty low in the coming months, unless they want to fight for one side or other.

 

[Mikoyan]

I was writing to allan, since he said that it was legal to massacre in 'Nam', and G-Man, are you blind? Can't you see what your Army is doing to the palestinians who just want their own f*cking nation? You constantly kill innocent palestinians, because you like to take out your foolish revenge upon them, revenge for acts that fundamentalists from Lebanon perpetrated.

 

[G-Man]

1. Israel is willing to give the Palestinians their own country, but they've got to understand they can't get whatever they want. And they'll continue to fight Israel unless we give them everything. And when I say everything I don't mean just the west bank, I mean entire Israel.
2. There are innocent Palestinians killed by accident, but there are a lot more Israeli citizens killed - and not by accident. Israel isn't just revenging - we're fighting. Can you tell a soldier under fore not to shoot back? Do you think we use laser guided missiles and the best intelligence in the world in order to kill civilians? Think again
3. I didn't know Gaza, Rafiah, Hebron and Jenin were in Lebanon.

 

[allan]

"I was writing to allan, since he said that it was legal to massacre in 'Nam'"

Calm down--you misunderstood my English (I have to remember that it's not everyone's first language here ). I said, "THAT is murder, in the legal sense"--meaning, "That is murder, by definition of law" (legal sense="in the area of law", NOT "legal" vs. "illegal"). In other words, I said it was murder, and military law also looks at it that way. The My Lai officers were convicted of murder and sent to Leavenworth (military prison).

 

[willemvanoranje]

Though I voted 'none', I know there will be some....... :

 

[G-Man]

Originally posted by allan
"The problem is that a lot of times people in areas of low culture carry weapons for self defence - how can anyone tell the difference between an armed mujahidin and a farmer? They wear the same kind of clothes, and they both carry hand guns. These farmers are likely to become civilian casualties, mis-identified by the soldiers."

Very true, but if I were a farmer and a war came to my area, I'd get the hell out of the way, go hide, not be seen! Unless, of course, I wanted to join in the fighting--but then I'd be accepting the risk of being fired upon, like any other armed man in the field.... I certainly wouldn't be out herding my sheep like nothing was happening, though--and I don't think your average Afghan farmer is that stupid either....

I have a feeling that LOTS of civilians in Afghanistan will be laying pretty low in the coming months, unless they want to fight for one side or other.

I just thought of something else that can happen - What if the Afghan population will support Bin Laden, and they'll protest against the US - and while doing so some of them will shoot at US troops? It happens every day in Rafiah (I think in English it's called Rafah or something like that), and Israeli soldiers are forced to hide because any shooting back will kill dozens. Any idea what the US should do about things like that? And what about things like what happened in Lebanon, where the civilian population supported the terrorists? What do you think the US army should do if a terrorist will shoot rockets on an army base, run awa and hide in a village? Israel never found an answer to that... But I've heard that Israel and the US were developing a special laser weapon that can destroy small rockets before they hit their target.
[plasma] :rocket3: