We are very careful in using firepower in Afghanistan. But accidents happen.
So this is frustrating to read:
Afghans burned tires and chanted "Death to America" after U.S. troops fired Monday on a civilian bus near Kandahar, killing four people and wounding more than a dozen. Afghanistan's president accused NATO of violating its commitment to safeguard civilian lives.
The attack enraged Afghan officials and the public in Kandahar, the Taliban's birthplace, and dealt a blow to U.S. and NATO efforts to win popular support for a coming offensive to drive the insurgents from the biggest city in the south. NATO expressed regret for the loss of civilian lives and said it was investigating.
Nearly 200 Afghans blocked highway where the shooting occurred, burning tires, firing weapons and chanting "Death to America" and other slogans. They also called for the ouster of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, a Kandahar native who has been appealing for the people here to support the U.S.-led campaign against the Taliban.
"The Americans are constantly killing our civilians and the government is not demanding an explanation," protester Mohammad Razaq said. "We demand justice from the Karzai government and the punishment of those soldiers responsible."
It would be too easy for war supporters to just throw up our hands and say, "Ef them! They don't appreciate our sacrifice and want to complain? Have fun with your Taliban overlords. Bye. You're on your own."
But that neglects that we'd be reacting exactly the way our enemies want us to react.
Remember that these are generally mobs gathered by the Taliban with Taliban-bribed or -threatened journalists making the initial reports then picked up by "our" press.
One, the enemy wants to convince Afghans that we are the problem. Opinion polls show they are failing in that goal.
Two, the enemy wants to reassure our Left that we really are hated for our many so-called war crimes and so should get out. That's the easy objective and they did that. Heck, the Taliban had our Left at "hello." They had them at "hello." All the Taliban have to do is show them the atrocity--real or not doesn't matter.
But there is a third target--war supporters here in America who react as I initially laid out. Our enemy would like us to react that way. But don't. We have more support among Afghans than these well-publicized rent-a-mobs would indicate. Drive on. Carry out our plan to defeat the Taliban.
Ignore the jabs that get under your skin and provoke a reaction that gives the win to our enemies when they cannot achieve that on the battlefield against our troops.
