Monday, March 28, 2011
Obama's My Lai Moment
The Rolling Stone is out with a major piece from Mark Boal on the actions of 3rd Platoon Bravo Company of the 5th Stryker Brigade, the "Kill Team".
How long can we let this shitty little war destroy our values and our Army for nothing?
Early last year, after six hard months soldiering in Afghanistan, a group of American infantrymen reached a momentous decision: It was finally time to kill a haji.They are accused of a handful of murders but "the heat of the battle" had nothing to do with their actions, they killed for the thrill. And the Pentagon has begun throwing the enlisted men under the bus to protect the officers.
Among the men of Bravo Company, the notion of killing an Afghan civilian had been the subject of countless conversations, during lunchtime chats and late-night bull sessions. For weeks, they had weighed the ethics of bagging "savages" and debated the probability of getting caught. Some of them agonized over the idea; others were gung-ho from the start. But not long after the New Year, as winter descended on the arid plains of Kandahar Province, they agreed to stop talking and actually pull the trigger.
How long can we let this shitty little war destroy our values and our Army for nothing?
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