As U.S. Marines battled Sunday to consolidate their hold on the southern Afghanistan town of Marja, Western commanders reported the first serious setback of the 2-day-old offensive: the deaths of a dozen Afghan civilians in an errant rocket strike.
U.S. Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the commander of Western forces in Afghanistan, apologized to Afghan President Hamid Karzai for the deaths. The fatalities marked the first instance of large-scale civilian casualties since the start of fighting in Nad Ali, the district in central Helmand province where Marja lies.
Civilian casualties are among the most contentious issues between Karzai and his Western allies. A day earlier, as the assault on Marja began, Karzai had demanded “absolute caution” on the part of coalition troops to avoid hurting or killing noncombatants.
To the Western Forces, the deaths of innocent civilians are an extremely regrettable consequence of waging war. To islamic extremists they are strategic targets. There is the important difference.
With all the good things–as war goes–going on over there since the Marjah offensive began, it amazes me that this is the main headline about Afghanistan today. It’s regrettable, but also just exactly what the Taliban would like to be the main take-away. Not because they care a whit about civilian casualties. But, because priceless for propaganda.
It’s an important difference, No.1. I’d even go further and say that the Taliban and their friends are positively thrilled when there are civilian casualties. But the reality remains that these kinds of events are very much in the interests of the insurgents and, hence, have to be assiduously minimized and avoided. It doesn’t do us any good at all to say that we regret them or that the locals should make distinctions between our remorse and our enemies’ indifference to this kind of innocent suffering.