NATO policy in Afghanistan: Kill 'em all, let Allah sort them out

The NATO Commander-in-Chief is, well, pissed, about the leaking (pissed, leaking, get it?) of his operational directives to NATO commanders in the field to kill Afghan drug dealers, pretty much on sight:

Yesterday we reported on the “guidance” of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander for Europe General John Craddock, which ordered NATO soldiers in Afghanistan to kill anyone involved in the drug industry, even if there was no evidence they were insurgents.

The story has caused no shortage of outrage since the German magazine Der Spiegel initially broke it. NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer is riled up too, but not in the way you’d figure. He’s not so much upset at the general for ordering troops which are already losing ground to the insurgency to waste their time killing random opium dealers: he’s mad at whoever leaked the report.

“The secretary-general considers it is unacceptable that confidential documents have been leaked,” according to spokesman James Appathurai, “he is calling for an immediate investigation into the matter, which will be pursued vigorously.”

I'm waiting for the Obama administration reaction to a directive to kill anyone involved in the drug industry, even if there was no evidence they were insurgents.

This, unfortunately, is what happens when you engage in imperialism cloaked in the disguises of a war on terror or nation-building.

Comments

tom said…

No doubt they privately wish they could give the DEA and domestic police departments similar orders.

January 30, 2009 at 6:09 PM

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