Doing my Jerry Sienfeld impersonation, have you ever noticed that, when it comes to any good news in the GWOT, the media tries to go all fair and balanced in their reporting?
KABUL (Reuters) – U.S.-led troops killed more than two dozen insurgents in a battle in Afghanistan’s southern province of Helmand, without any civilian casualties, the U.S. military said on Monday.
A good start. That’s quite a few virgins that Allah will have to provide, eh?
However, a resident of the area told Reuters at least eight civilians died in Sunday’s battle in the province’s Musa Qala district.
In other words, "is the US military lying?"
Also on Sunday 14 Taliban were killed in a raid by Afghan police in the southern province of Zabul, the Afghan interior ministry said.
But the Taliban said it lost only four fighters, including a senior commander, and added it had inflicted heavy losses on the police.
Point/counterpoint. Where is Chevy Chase and Jane Curtin when you need them?
In fact, by my count, 4 of the 17 paragraphs were pro-military, while 10 were pro-"insurgent." One even mentions that al-Reuters tried to contact the Taliban, but were not successful. So glad they are taking the time to give a shout out to a brutal, murderous, terrorist supporting former government.
The final paragraph mentions the need for a political, not military solution. I am wondering, how? How do you have dialogue with a group like the Taliban, which simply wants brutal sharia law? I am sure I will keep wondering, because no one who suggests a political solution, whether in Afghanistan, Iraq, Darfur, or other area, has actually offered up an idea of how or what the political solution is, and I doubt they ever will. It is mostly just a way to get a quick sound-bite out there, usually to condemn Bush and/or the United States, rather then offer any sort of concrete ideas and plans.
well certainly it is possible that the military is mistaken
I have often wondered exactly how it is that a dead person is identified as a Taliban. Do they carry cards, you know like the communists did in the 50s ? I think it might help in removing doubts if the military also was able to give a count of the weapons that were recovered.