Afghanistan: Top US General apologizes for “mistakes” pledges to study the Koran *update* Premature outrage?

by Infidelesto on April 10, 2009 · Comments

*Scroll down for an interesting response about this situation from a well respected colleague, Jeff Emanuel*

I was jaw dropped when I read this headline.  Is this seriously what it has come to? What’s next, begging the Taliban for mercy? Pleading with Al Qaeda to love us? This guy should be ashamed for showing this kind of pathetic weakness.

NY Times

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — The top U.S. general in Afghanistan reached out to influential Afghan tribesmen in regions where U.S. troops will soon deploy, apologizing for past mistakes and saying he is now studying the Quran, the Muslim holy book.

Gen. David McKiernan met with villagers in Helmand and Kandahar — two of Afghanistan’s most violent provinces — in an attempt to foster good will ahead of the U.S. troop surge that will send 21,000 more forces here this summer to stem an increasingly violent Taliban insurgency.

McKiernan said he wanted to show respect to tribal elders by traveling to Kandahar on Wednesday to explain some of the mistakes U.S. forces have made in the past — such as arresting people based on information taken from one side in a tribal fight, or killing civilians during operations.

”I’m trying to connect to the local population in a bottom-up way and try to explain what the new U.S. strategy means and why they’re going to see an increased force presence where they live,” McKiernan said during the trip to Kandahar aboard the seven passenger jet he flies in….

”I’m reading a very good book now about this part of the world. It’s written in English, but it’s all about you — it’s the Quran,” McKiernan said to applause. Moments later an Afghan man stood up and gave McKiernan a bright purple, red and green cloth in which to wrap the translated version of holy book….

“A Very Good book” ….WHAT???????

*Update*

Jeff Emanuel has changed my opinion on this.  He responded to me on twitter and made some great points about why our military leaders do what they do over in Afghanistan to win the hearts and minds of the Afghani people.  It’s easy to be outraged by an article like this and makes it all the more depressing if it were actually true.  It’s also important to understand how difficult a task it is in winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people in order for them to assist in the rebuilding of the Afghan state and defeating the Taliban over there.  I have to give credit where credit is due.  Here is Jeff’s response which can also be seen down in the comments:

John, as outrageous as the title of the post and the lede in the NYT article are, there’s really nothing to be outraged about. With the attempt to focus on counterinsurgency in the more volatile areas of Afghanistan comes a greater US troop presence within the towns and villages in the region.

This means it will take a great deal of effort on the parts of those soldiers and Marines to win the trust, hearts, and minds of those villagers who have (a) very little direct experience with Americans or American soldiers, and (b) been fed gobs of propaganda by the Islamists who largely run the region.

A large part of this means making sure that we (a) take the edge off their legitimate anger at us by making amends for what has been seen as slights or mistakes in the past, and (b) show that we have their interests at heart in our work there — in fact, that their interests and ours dovetail in a workable, sustainable way.

A chief way to gain a man’s trust is by acknowledging his religion; trust me, I can tell you this from field experience. Gen McKiernan isn’t an idiot, and he certainly isn’t a “pansy,” as one commenter here referred to him. Further, the general looking over McKiernan’s shoulder — a fella by the name of David Petraeus — isn’t a pansy, either, and has done a bit of this whole defeating-terrorists and employing-counterinsurgency thing before.

In brief: there’s plenty to get outraged about these days, with the president bowing to a Saudi king and going on an Old-Europe-Aplology-Tour while trying to find a “peaceful solution” to a rag-tag band of Somali pirates (with automatic weapons they barely know how to use) that had the gall to attack a US-flagged ship for the first time since President Jefferson, clearly far more of a man than the current POTUS despite his myriad weaknesses, used the USMC to beat the daylights out of the Barbary pirates.

By the way, you can read my ongoing review of President Obama’s (naive, unworkable) Afghan strategery over at RedState: http://www.redstate.com/index.php?tag=examining-obamas-afghan-plan/

Related posts:

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  2. Winning Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan
  3. American Soldier captured in Afghanistan *update* “sold” to local insurgents; video to be released soon
  4. Afghan General: “Obama and I have spoken once in 6 months” *update* Video: Senator responds
  5. Afghanistan: Jihadis storm university, behead one student, take another hostage
  6. Afghanistan: Six Taliban killed by US coalition troops
  7. Obama decides to put Afghanistan surge on hold
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  9. More Than 17,000 Troops Headed to Afghanistan
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  • JEWHAWK
    The Koran is far more dangerous than Hitler's MEIN KAMPFF...
    What's written in the Koran is so damning that U.S. troops
    will have several excuses to claim much more "collateral damages"
    around this primitive place.
  • SirWilhelm
    It was bad enough he bowed to the Saudi King, now he's trying to lie about it. I've looked at the video a few times, and I can see what he's saying about holding the king's hands with both of his hands, but it looks like me like he's trying to kiss his hands, or his ring. His upper body is at almost a 90 degree angle to his waist, with his right knee bent, and his right foot back. That's not just a bow, it's close to a grovel. I'm wondering why he didn't bow to the English Queen and still bowed to the Saudi King, is there a hidden message here? A muslim man would never bow to any woman, but might feel compelled to bow to muslim royalty.

    And I thought that captain held hostage by the pirates would be released 5 minutes after our ships showed up. Where are they going to go in that little boat? Could it be our Commander-in Chief is afraid of 4 men in a boat?
    All they have to do is make it clear if they kill the hostage, they die too, and they're going nowhere fast, so give it up.

    I read the review on redstate and I agree with his assesment. And Obama's strategy has already received a blow since he got no help from the Europeans on his trip. Let's see how long his own party supports his strategy.
  • There is plenty to be outraged about today...intolerance for example, which usually outrages me. Why is seeking understanding seen as a weakness? It seems to me that it is the surest way to peace. Understanding doesn't imply acquiescence. Nor does it imply agreement. It simply makes space to honor many views. Nothing implies that one government, one person, or one ideology holds a singular key to the truth.
  • Beejj
    Mimi, I wholeheartedly agree with your fine sentiments, but we are faced with a terrible problem: Islam. While those of noble ideals are willing to accommodate other points of view, Islam is not. Its followers are convinced their beliefs are the only ones of merit and that their duty in life is to supplant others' beliefs with their own. Thus, they engage in a creeping attack upon the rest of the world and will not rest until their conquest is complete. Of course, they, too desire an understanding of the non-Islamic world, but only to use it as a weapon for further advances of their faith. You use the phrase "honour many views", thereby expressing a worthy ideal, but I repeat: Islam honours Islam and nothing else. It would be pleasant to think that Muslims, upon seeing the "opposition" behaving in such a mature manner might mend their ways, but it is not going to happen. For what it is worth, and it might be worth sweet fanny adams, the relatively recent phenomenon of the march of Islam (Sharia courts in Britain!) is the greatest threat to what I'll term "the West" I have seen in a fairly long life, and with each passing day it grows. I feel myself in danger of becoming an alarmist, but the brainless acquiescence of Europe and the antics of Obama drive me to sleeplessness. Would that Muslims took your view of the world!
  • John, as outrageous as the title of the post and the lede in the NYT article are, there's really nothing to be outraged about. With the attempt to focus on counterinsurgency in the more volatile areas of Afghanistan comes a greater US troop presence within the towns and villages in the region.

    This means it will take a great deal of effort on the parts of those soldiers and Marines to win the trust, hearts, and minds of those villagers who have (a) very little direct experience with Americans or American soldiers, and (b) been fed gobs of propaganda by the Islamists who largely run the region.

    A large part of this means making sure that we (a) take the edge off their legitimate anger at us by making amends for what has been seen as slights or mistakes in the past, and (b) show that we have their interests at heart in our work there -- in fact, that their interests and ours dovetail in a workable, sustainable way.

    A chief way to gain a man's trust is by acknowledging his religion; trust me, I can tell you this from field experience. Gen McKiernan isn't an idiot, and he certainly isn't a "pansy," as one commenter here referred to him. Further, the general looking over McKiernan's shoulder -- a fella by the name of David Petraeus -- isn't a pansy, either, and has done a bit of this whole defeating-terrorists and employing-counterinsurgency thing before.

    In brief: there's plenty to get outraged about these days, with the president bowing to a Saudi king and going on an Old-Europe-Aplology-Tour while trying to find a "peaceful solution" to a rag-tag band of Somali pirates (with automatic weapons they barely know how to use) that had the gall to attack a US-flagged ship for the first time since President Jefferson, clearly far more of a man than the current POTUS despite his myriad weaknesses, used the USMC to beat the daylights out of the Barbary pirates.

    By the way, you can read my ongoing review of President Obama's (naive, unworkable) Afghan strategery over at RedState: http://www.redstate.com/index.php?tag=examining...
  • I highly respect your opinion on this matter Jeff. I've read and followed your work for some time. Thanks for clearing it up. From the outset, it did seem a bit outrageous that our military commander would do and say such things, but it's always good to have a little insight coming from a guy in the field such as yourself.

    We appreciate the insight. I think I better understand what he was trying to do. It's a tough job what you guys do over there, and it's easy to form opinions based on headlines, but sometimes it's good to step back and take the advice of those who have a much better insight as to what goes on in military strategy.
  • It doesn't help matters when the NYT's lede is written in such a way as to (purposely, in my view) stir up outrage. The story was far more accurate than the lede, I'd say, but regardless, something like this can easily ping the radar of folks here who are rightly concerned about what our Eternally Apologetic President will have the administration and the military do next.

    JE
  • What's next ? Our Presdient bowing before a Muslim King ?

    OH WAIT.......
  • LMAO!
  • Couldn't resist that Infidelesto, I just couldn't .....

    :) :) :)
  • mark
    Best book you can read McKiernan is "Sword of the Prophet" by Serge Trifkovic.......check it out. And stop being a pansy......what would Patton say if he could see you groveling now?
  • G
    Pro-Taliban cleric pulls out of peace deal

    http://iblowminds.com/2009/04/10/pro-taliban-cl...
  • eucher
    I thought the Koran was never, ever translated????
  • Beejj
    Eucher, there are indeed translations of the Koran. The trouble is, however, that if one quotes a verse from a translated version with a view to taking Islam to task Muslims smartly jump to the defence that it is a mistranslation. Try it and see what happens.
  • Reading the koran backwards is like listening to a country song backwards.
    You get the wife back, the dog and the house / Country back.
    Not to mention we all get to live :)
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