'Belambai' is Afghanistan's 'My Lai' : Information Clearing House
March 23, 2012 "Al Jazeera" - - San Pedro, CA - I immediately thought of the My Lai Massacre when I heard the news of a US Army sergeant who murdered at least 16 civilians, including nine children and three women, burning most of their bodies after murdering them, in their homes near Belambai in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
As with My Lai - where 504 unarmed civilians were murdered on March 16, 1968 - it was a single bloody incident that seemed to epitomise the entire misbegotten war. Whatever illusions or delusions might have been harboured early on, had by then either faded or been violently stripped away. The massacre of innocents came as no real surprise, however much some might still pretend to be shocked or surprised.
Also like My Lai, Belambai is clearly a massacre after the war has already been lost, but before the generals and politicians are prepared to admit it.
To be honest, both Vietnam and Afghanistan were lost wars from the very beginning, as futile as they were immoral, begun by men abysmally ignorant of history, culture and geography, who might just as well have waged a war against the sky.
March 23, 2012 "Al Jazeera" - - San Pedro, CA - I immediately thought of the My Lai Massacre when I heard the news of a US Army sergeant who murdered at least 16 civilians, including nine children and three women, burning most of their bodies after murdering them, in their homes near Belambai in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
As with My Lai - where 504 unarmed civilians were murdered on March 16, 1968 - it was a single bloody incident that seemed to epitomise the entire misbegotten war. Whatever illusions or delusions might have been harboured early on, had by then either faded or been violently stripped away. The massacre of innocents came as no real surprise, however much some might still pretend to be shocked or surprised.
Also like My Lai, Belambai is clearly a massacre after the war has already been lost, but before the generals and politicians are prepared to admit it.
To be honest, both Vietnam and Afghanistan were lost wars from the very beginning, as futile as they were immoral, begun by men abysmally ignorant of history, culture and geography, who might just as well have waged a war against the sky.
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