Merovingian: Oh my god Persephone, how could you do this? You betrayed me.
Persephone: Cause and Effect, my love.
Merovingian: Cause? There is no cause for this. What cause?
Persephone: What cause? How about the lipstick you're still wearing?
Merovingian: Lipstick? Lipstick? Heh, what craziness are you talking about woman? There is no lipstick.
[checks his face]
Persephone: She wasn't kissing your face, my love.
(Movie quote Matrix Reloaded - 2003)
I read a typical news report yesterday in Yahoo. I have posted only the first 8 paragraph of the news report. Click below for the full report.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_afghanistan
NATO commander makes televised apology to Afghans
KABUL – The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan went on national television Tuesday to apologize for a deadly airstrike, an extraordinary attempt to regain Afghans' trust while a mass offensive continues against the Taliban in the south.
Two U.S. Marine battalions, accompanied by Afghan troops, pushing from the north and south of the insurgent stronghold of Marjah finally linked up after more than a week, creating a direct route across the town that allows convoys to supply ammunition and reinforcements.
In a video translated into the Afghan languages of Dari and Pashto and broadcast on Afghan television, a stern Gen. Stanley McChrystal apologized for the strike in central Uruzgan province that Afghan officials say killed at least 21 people. The video was also posted on a NATO Web site.
"I pledge to strengthen our efforts to regain your trust to build a brighter future for all Afghans," McChrystal said in the video. "I have instituted a thorough investigation to prevent this from happening again."
Sunday's attack by NATO jets on a convoy of cars was the deadliest attack on civilians in six months and prompted a sharp rebuke from the Afghan government. McChrystal apologized directly to President Hamid Karzai shortly after the incident. The video is another sign of the military coalition's intense campaign to win public backing for the Marjah offensive with a strategy that involves taking all precautions possible to protect civilians.
NATO said McChrystal made a similar apology via video this past fall when U.S. pilots bombed two hijacked fuel tankers near the northern town of Kunduz. Afghan leaders estimated that 30 to 40 civilians were killed.
The civilian deaths occurred as 15,000 NATO, U.S. and Afghan soldiers were in their 10th day of fighting insurgents in the town in Helmand province. A Romanian soldier was killed Tuesday and another was wounded in a bombing in southern Afghanistan unrelated to the offensive, Romanian officials said.
At least 919 U.S. service members have died in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001, according to an Associated Press count. The figure does not include Americans based in other countries in support of the Afghan mission who did not die as a result of combat.
It is very hard for the western military and politician to UNDERSTAND the context of cause and effect. It basically concerns about why things happen.
Causing collateral damage and killing civilians is only an EFFECT and somehow the CAUSES remained obscure from scrutiny in all of the US military, politics and media. With all their fancy degrees and experience, they choose to remain quiet of the underlying causes why their exploits in Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan and now Iraq failed miserably. I have long ago treat US news media especially CNN as lazy account of the true facts.
They hate our democracy, they hate our women, they hate our institution and more importantly, they hate our freedom...this is what been fed by the politicians to quell dissent at home and make families of US servicemen whom died find solace in 'The War against Terror' rhetoric.
Granted, the 3000 people whom died in the World Trade Centre did not deserve their cruel fate but the hundreds of thousands whom died in Afhanistan and Iraq as a direct consequence of the War on Terror did not deserve their fate either. Especially in Iraq, where the premise of the war is to punish Saddam for his involvement in the WTC attack now proved false and only used as a justification for USA to control the flow of oil in the region.
Killing begets killing, hatred will be met with hatred and the viscous cycle of revenge will continue. Winning the hearts and mind does not work if you equate the killing of a child as mere collateral damage.
Persephone: Cause and Effect, my love.
Merovingian: Cause? There is no cause for this. What cause?
Persephone: What cause? How about the lipstick you're still wearing?
Merovingian: Lipstick? Lipstick? Heh, what craziness are you talking about woman? There is no lipstick.
[checks his face]
Persephone: She wasn't kissing your face, my love.
(Movie quote Matrix Reloaded - 2003)
I read a typical news report yesterday in Yahoo. I have posted only the first 8 paragraph of the news report. Click below for the full report.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_afghanistan
NATO commander makes televised apology to Afghans
KABUL – The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan went on national television Tuesday to apologize for a deadly airstrike, an extraordinary attempt to regain Afghans' trust while a mass offensive continues against the Taliban in the south.
Two U.S. Marine battalions, accompanied by Afghan troops, pushing from the north and south of the insurgent stronghold of Marjah finally linked up after more than a week, creating a direct route across the town that allows convoys to supply ammunition and reinforcements.
In a video translated into the Afghan languages of Dari and Pashto and broadcast on Afghan television, a stern Gen. Stanley McChrystal apologized for the strike in central Uruzgan province that Afghan officials say killed at least 21 people. The video was also posted on a NATO Web site.
"I pledge to strengthen our efforts to regain your trust to build a brighter future for all Afghans," McChrystal said in the video. "I have instituted a thorough investigation to prevent this from happening again."
Sunday's attack by NATO jets on a convoy of cars was the deadliest attack on civilians in six months and prompted a sharp rebuke from the Afghan government. McChrystal apologized directly to President Hamid Karzai shortly after the incident. The video is another sign of the military coalition's intense campaign to win public backing for the Marjah offensive with a strategy that involves taking all precautions possible to protect civilians.
NATO said McChrystal made a similar apology via video this past fall when U.S. pilots bombed two hijacked fuel tankers near the northern town of Kunduz. Afghan leaders estimated that 30 to 40 civilians were killed.
The civilian deaths occurred as 15,000 NATO, U.S. and Afghan soldiers were in their 10th day of fighting insurgents in the town in Helmand province. A Romanian soldier was killed Tuesday and another was wounded in a bombing in southern Afghanistan unrelated to the offensive, Romanian officials said.
At least 919 U.S. service members have died in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001, according to an Associated Press count. The figure does not include Americans based in other countries in support of the Afghan mission who did not die as a result of combat.
It is very hard for the western military and politician to UNDERSTAND the context of cause and effect. It basically concerns about why things happen.
Causing collateral damage and killing civilians is only an EFFECT and somehow the CAUSES remained obscure from scrutiny in all of the US military, politics and media. With all their fancy degrees and experience, they choose to remain quiet of the underlying causes why their exploits in Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan and now Iraq failed miserably. I have long ago treat US news media especially CNN as lazy account of the true facts.
They hate our democracy, they hate our women, they hate our institution and more importantly, they hate our freedom...this is what been fed by the politicians to quell dissent at home and make families of US servicemen whom died find solace in 'The War against Terror' rhetoric.
Granted, the 3000 people whom died in the World Trade Centre did not deserve their cruel fate but the hundreds of thousands whom died in Afhanistan and Iraq as a direct consequence of the War on Terror did not deserve their fate either. Especially in Iraq, where the premise of the war is to punish Saddam for his involvement in the WTC attack now proved false and only used as a justification for USA to control the flow of oil in the region.
Killing begets killing, hatred will be met with hatred and the viscous cycle of revenge will continue. Winning the hearts and mind does not work if you equate the killing of a child as mere collateral damage.
