Analyst's note: Absolutely must read. Whatever the truth turns out to be it is a sad situation for all involved ... even if it did occur in a known Taliban hot-bed. I never agreed with the counterinsurgency (COIN) strategy being used in Afghanistan .... but for sure it is NOT going to work with this going on. Bring our troops home and then lets have an non-politically correct investigation into what our "leadership" was thinking as they supported for COIN.
We certainly don't want the COIN strategy to be used again with Muslim population. Just ask yourself this question: "If the Taliban truly aided Al Qaeda in the planning, equipping and carrying out the slaughter perpetrated on 9/11, why have we not destroyed every man associated with this evil Islamist force." The answer clearly demonstrates another failed strategy associated with the wrongful application of counterinsurgency (COIN) and bone-headed thinking in Washington.
We are observing here a stunning waste of American lives and treasure. For additional insight you will want to read "US - Taliban Talks Said to be at Critical Point ...Really?!" For well over two years now our friend and associate John Bernard and others, have been questioning the wisdom of conducting a Counter Insurgency effort in the center of an ideologically monolithic society. John has pointed out that this is all occurring, "In a land where acts of treachery are commonplace and even seen as signs of reverence for your deity [....]"
Mark my words, our nation will be required to fight the Islamist again in our lifetime. Will you or your son or daughter be sacrificed next? Semper Fidelis
"A parliamentary probe team on Thursday said up to 20 American troops were involved in Sunday's killing of 16 civilians in southern Kandahar province. The probing delegation includes lawmakers Hamidzai Lali, Abdul Rahim Ayubi, Shakiba Hashimi, Syed Mohammad Akhund and Bismillah Afghanmal, all representing Kandahar province at the Wolesi Jirga and Abdul Latif Padram, a lawmaker from northern Badakhshan province, Mirbat Mangal, Khost province, Muhammad Sarwar Usmani, Farah province.
The team spent two days in the province, interviewing the bereaved families, tribal elders and survivors and collecting evidence at the site in Panjwai district.
Hamizai Lali told Pajhwok Afghan News their investigation showed there were 15 to 20 American soldiers who executed the brutal killings. He added the attack lasted one hour involving two groups of American soldiers in the middle of the night on Sunday.
"The villages are one and a half kilometre from the American military base. We are convinced that one soldier cannot kill so many people in two villages within one hour at the same time, and the 16 civilians, most of them children and women, have been killed by the two groups."
Lali asked the Afghan government, the United Nations and the international community to ensure the perpetrators were punished in Afghanistan. He said the people they met had warned if the responsible troops were not punished, they would launch a movement against Afghans who had agreed to foreign troops' presence in Afghanistan under the first Bonn conference in 2001.
Meantime, a senior American official said Thursday that the American staff sergeant suspected of killing 16 Afghan villagers had been drinking alcohol — a violation of military rules in combat zones — and suffering from the stress related to his fourth combat tour and tensions with his wife about the deployments on the night of the massacre. [....]"
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