Comments on: A New Nadir in Tribal Relations* http://registan.net/index.php/2008/09/15/a-new-nadir-in-tribal-relations/ Central Asia News -- All Central Asia, All The Time Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:53:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: fnord http://registan.net/index.php/2008/09/15/a-new-nadir-in-tribal-relations/comment-page-1/#comment-378441 fnord Wed, 17 Sep 2008 06:56:59 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2008/09/15/a-new-nadir-in-tribal-relations/#comment-378441 It seems Mullen is on the case, at least: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-pakistan-usa.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Also, new groundrules for NATO came into place yesterday as well: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/17/world/asia/17gates.html?ref=asia Patrick Lang reported that the Pakistanis held all NATO resupply convoys as hostages a couple of days ago, causing the NATO to fork up 230 mill in unpaid roadtolls. (What is it with the US and the inability to pay bills on time, anyway?) So there may have been yet another interesting powerplay going on in the court of the pasha, sorry, the US administration. It seems Mullen is on the case, at least: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-pakistan-usa.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Also, new groundrules for NATO came into place yesterday as well: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/17/world/asia/17gates.html?ref=asia

Patrick Lang reported that the Pakistanis held all NATO resupply convoys as hostages a couple of days ago, causing the NATO to fork up 230 mill in unpaid roadtolls. (What is it with the US and the inability to pay bills on time, anyway?) So there may have been yet another interesting powerplay going on in the court of the pasha, sorry, the US administration.

]]> By: Helena Cobban http://registan.net/index.php/2008/09/15/a-new-nadir-in-tribal-relations/comment-page-1/#comment-378438 Helena Cobban Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:16:20 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2008/09/15/a-new-nadir-in-tribal-relations/#comment-378438 I agree with Kao that when you kill people expressing condolence to those thereby bereaved and apologies for the deaths is NEVER inappropriate. Much better than continuing in heartless denial... At a broader level, though, regardless of the 'ground truth' of what happened in Azizabad, the fact that Karzai's people are claiming the victims as their loyalists means that the incident both reveals and exacerbates an extremely serious political problem for the US military in Afghanistan. (And regarding the 'ground truth', couldn't someone get another read-out on this from the British mercenary company involved?) I agree with Kao that when you kill people expressing condolence to those thereby bereaved and apologies for the deaths is NEVER inappropriate. Much better than continuing in heartless denial…

At a broader level, though, regardless of the ‘ground truth’ of what happened in Azizabad, the fact that Karzai’s people are claiming the victims as their loyalists means that the incident both reveals and exacerbates an extremely serious political problem for the US military in Afghanistan.

(And regarding the ‘ground truth’, couldn’t someone get another read-out on this from the British mercenary company involved?)

]]> By: kao_hsien_chih http://registan.net/index.php/2008/09/15/a-new-nadir-in-tribal-relations/comment-page-1/#comment-378428 kao_hsien_chih Tue, 16 Sep 2008 03:42:32 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2008/09/15/a-new-nadir-in-tribal-relations/#comment-378428 Well, seriously, though...whoever the dead "really" are, it wouldn't really matter much. As far as many Afghans--and many others in Pakistan and elsewhere--are concerned, they are innocent villagers--and no amount of evidence will convince them otherwise. Knowing this, is there a good option from the US side? If US does not acknowledge the deaths at all, that's bad. If US does acknowledge the deaths but insists that they are militants--which may or may not be true--that'll seem like blatant lying to the audiences in the region. If US does acknowledge that they may be innocent civilians, then US looks incompetent at best or malicious and murderous at worst. Still, I tend to think the 3rd is probably the best of all options. Apologies, whether the dead "really" deserve it or not, don't cost much. If they were indeed militants, they are still dead, whether one apologizes or not. Well, seriously, though…whoever the dead “really” are, it wouldn’t really matter much. As far as many Afghans–and many others in Pakistan and elsewhere–are concerned, they are innocent villagers–and no amount of evidence will convince them otherwise. Knowing this, is there a good option from the US side? If US does not acknowledge the deaths at all, that’s bad. If US does acknowledge the deaths but insists that they are militants–which may or may not be true–that’ll seem like blatant lying to the audiences in the region. If US does acknowledge that they may be innocent civilians, then US looks incompetent at best or malicious and murderous at worst. Still, I tend to think the 3rd is probably the best of all options. Apologies, whether the dead “really” deserve it or not, don’t cost much. If they were indeed militants, they are still dead, whether one apologizes or not.

]]> By: Joshua Foust http://registan.net/index.php/2008/09/15/a-new-nadir-in-tribal-relations/comment-page-1/#comment-378425 Joshua Foust Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:30:52 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2008/09/15/a-new-nadir-in-tribal-relations/#comment-378425 The feud begins... NOW. The feud begins… NOW.

]]> By: Christian http://registan.net/index.php/2008/09/15/a-new-nadir-in-tribal-relations/comment-page-1/#comment-378424 Christian Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:15:44 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2008/09/15/a-new-nadir-in-tribal-relations/#comment-378424 Its more that I was thanking people like you for discussing the communications aspect of this incident so that I don't have to. Anyways, massive blogger feud starts now. ;) Its more that I was thanking people like you for discussing the communications aspect of this incident so that I don’t have to.

Anyways, massive blogger feud starts now. ;)

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