Comments on: More on Civilian Deaths in Shindand http://registan.net/index.php/2008/08/27/more-on-civilian-deaths-in-shindand/ All Central Asia, All The Time Fri, 25 May 2012 20:24:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Toaf http://registan.net/index.php/2008/08/27/more-on-civilian-deaths-in-shindand/comment-page-1/#comment-378113 Toaf Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:38:24 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2008/08/27/more-on-civilian-deaths-in-shindand/#comment-378113 I think it's time that the US government and military paused for long enough to reflect on the impact that this behaviour has on their legitimacy. In that other theatre of the the "war on terror", Somalia, when Islamist group Al-Shabaab accidentally kills a civilian, a meeting is held where the group apologies to the victim's family and community, and offers compensation. By contrast, the US military cannot even be bothered to arrange an investigation! Accidental deaths occur in wars; it's how you respond to them that matters. And so Al-Shabaab has legitimacy in the eyes of Somali people. I seriously doubt that the US has the same degree of legitimacy in Afghanistan, or in Somalia for that matter. I'm a new reader. Thanks for addressing this matter here. I think it’s time that the US government and military paused for long enough to reflect on the impact that this behaviour has on their legitimacy. In that other theatre of the the “war on terror”, Somalia, when Islamist group Al-Shabaab accidentally kills a civilian, a meeting is held where the group apologies to the victim’s family and community, and offers compensation. By contrast, the US military cannot even be bothered to arrange an investigation!

Accidental deaths occur in wars; it’s how you respond to them that matters. And so Al-Shabaab has legitimacy in the eyes of Somali people. I seriously doubt that the US has the same degree of legitimacy in Afghanistan, or in Somalia for that matter.

I’m a new reader. Thanks for addressing this matter here.

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