General David Petraeus is set to testify before Congress today, and he’s expected to again try to put a positive spin on a war effort that’s utterly failing to meet the goals set by its backers. While intelligence assessments show that tactical moves on the ground in Afghanistan have failed to fundamentally weaken the growing [...]
Posts Tagged ‘civilian casualties’
Petraeus, McCain Continue Afghanistan War Spin, But No One Buys It (Nor Should They)
Posted: March 15, 2011 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Brave New Foundation, civilian casualties, Congress, counterinsurgency, insurgency, McCain, Petraeus, propaganda, Rethink Afghanistan, spin, Taliban
0
Pentagon Assertions of “Progress” In Afghanistan Are a Bad Joke
Posted: March 9, 2011 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, civilian casualties, civilian deaths, COIN, counterinsurgency, escalation, Gates, insurgents, Obama, Pentagon, Petraeus, propaganda, Rethink Afghanistan, Robert Gates, spin, Taliban, targeted killings, troop increase
The Pentagon wants you to ignore some inconvenient facts about the failure of the escalation strategy in Afghanistan. The latest Petraeus/Gates media tour is under way in preparation for the general’s testimony to Congress next week, and they’re trotting out the same, tired spin they’ve been using since McChrystal was replaced in disgrace last year. [...]
Afghanistan War Not Worth the Burning of Children and Treasure
Posted: March 4, 2011 in UncategorizedTags: #RethinkAfghanistan, Afghanistan, Afghanistan war, civilian casualties, cost of war, defense spending, fraud, fuel theft, insurgency, insurgents, Meetup, Obama, Petraeus, Rethink Afghanistan, Taliban, tankers, war in Afghanistan, war profiteering
Fresh from the reported killing of more than 60 civilians, U.S. forces in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, killed nine boys gathering firewood in Afghanistan. General Petraeus says he’s sorry. “We are deeply sorry for this tragedy and apologize to the members of the Afghan government, the people of Afghanistan and, most importantly, the surviving family members [...]
2010: Worst Year for Civilian Deaths of the Afghanistan War
Posted: February 2, 2011 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Afghanistan Rights Monitor, Afghanistan war, civilian casualties, IEDs, ISAF, NATO, Obama, Rethink Afghanistan, war in Afghanistan
Last year was the worst year for civilian deaths in the war so far, and irregular armed groups backed by the U.S. and by the Afghan government are preying on the population while recruiting and abusing children. Go team. I’m almost numb from continually relaying reports like this, but every time I get an email [...]
Failure, Not Progress, in Afghanistan
Posted: December 15, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Afghanistan war, Brave New Foundation, civilian casualties, counterinsurgency, December Review, Holbrooke, Obama, Petraeus, Rethink Afghanistan, troop deaths, war in Afghanistan
On Thursday, December 16, 2010, the White House will use its December review to try to spin the disastrous Afghanistan War plan by citing “progress” in the military campaign, but the available facts paint a picture of a war that’s not making us safer and that’s not worth the cost. Let’s take a look at [...]
We Bought Thoreau This Straw Pony for His Birthday
Posted: July 12, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, civilian casualties, civilian killings, COIN, counterinsurgency, Petraeus civilian deaths, ponies, Rethink Afghanistan, Spencer Ackerman
Spencer Ackerman wants you to meet him halfway between his house and the straw man: Here’s where those who base their opposition to the war its promotion of human suffering have to meet halfway as well. If the U.S. stops prosecuting its end of the war, civilian casualties will not end. What will end is [...]
Before the COINdinistas Start Spinning the UN Report…
Posted: June 19, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, civilian casualties, COIN, COINdinistas, counterinsurgency, insurgent, ISAF, NATO, Rethink Afghanistan, Taliban
You’re going to hear a lot of crowing about the reduction in NATO-caused civilian casualties in Afghanistan during the last few months compared to the same time last year. (Read the full report here in PDF format.) This reduction took place in the context of a massive spike in overall violence and a continually degrading [...]
Pretentious Brutality
Posted: April 16, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Afghanistan war, civilian casualties, civilian deaths, COIN, counterinsurgency, McChrystal, special operations forces, Spencer Ackerman, UNAMA, war in Afghanistan
I usually don’t do this, but I have to take my friend Spencer Ackerman out for a ride. (In my defense, brother, just keep in mind that I’m taking you out for a ride for a blog post in which you took your friend out for a ride. Just sayin’.) And, I want to say [...]
Special Ops Killing Civilians in Afghanistan: A Pattern of Brutality, Denial, Outrage and Violence
Posted: April 12, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Brave New Foundation, civilian casualties, civilian deaths, civilian killings, Gardez, night raids, Paktia, Paktiya, Rethink Afghanistan, special forces, special operations, special operations forces, special ops
Here’s my latest video created for Rethink Afghanistan. You can find the accompanying blog post here.
