Karzai: if NATO kills any more civilians, it must leave Afghanistan

(See Mencius Moldbug’s half-fantastical, half-serious prediction, below.)

Following the death of 14 Afghan civilians in a NATO bombing of a compound where Taliban were hiding, President Karzai has set conditions for combat that would make it impossible for NATO troops to defend themselves when fired upon, so long as the Taliban station themselves among civilians. But hey, why should we mind? Karsai’s rules of engagement are only marginally more insane than America’s.

Some excerpts from Diana West’s commentary:

Karzai had no rage or even sorrow left over to bemoan just the most recent spate of “rogue” Afghan security force shootings that have taken more lives of Western “partners”—US, German and Australian.

As Dear Leader might say, Let-me-be-clear: What Karzai is demanding is a free-fire zone for “insurgents.”

Why does an image of Bernie Madoff in Afghan uniform come to mind? Because this whole nation-building misadventure is a mirage, a dream that young Americans in the armed forces are paying to perpetuate with their blood, arms, legs, backs, and, whaddya know, their hearts and minds in a nightmare many will never awake from. Meanwhile, all the treasure that’s left in Fort Knox (or IOUs in Beijing) spills over the Afghan rubble and disappears.

I think what I fear most about Gen. Petraeus becoming CIA Director Petraeus is that he will skew intelligence to justify his COIN-powered nation-building disasters. Given his natural interest in his place in history, he should not be confirmed.

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Mencius Moldbug writes:

I wouldn’t be even slightly surprised if Karzai is thinking about some kind of uprising/auto-coup in which, without warning, he turns the full force of the Afghan “government” on the American “occupiers.” It’s virtually his only chance for long-term survival, and with the Pakistanis on his side it just might work. And all our weakness is inviting it. Even a poodle will turn into a predator if you behave like prey long and hard enough.

The result? Think Iran hostage crisis times 100. Abject humiliation and national disaster. Frankly, no less than our efforts deserve.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at May 31, 2011 05:08 PM | Send