The Taliban: fanatics yes, but cowards - hardly
"The Taliban is a bunch of cowards," says Brigadier-General David Fraser, the Canadian commander in southern Afghanistan, responding to a bicycle-riding suicide bomber who killed four Canadian soldiers this morning.Cowards? The guy blew himself up for heaven's sake! Fanatical yes, deluded maybe, but cowardly, I think not. He offered up his life, not risked it as our soldiers do, but offered it up. It doesn't get any gutsier - or crazier - than that.
The Taliban are fighting the most high-tech army the world has ever seen with minimal resources. They confront artillery, helicopter gun ships, predator drones, tanks, soldiers decked out in body armour, the whole panoply of modern military weaponry, with little more than rifles, grenade launchers and home-made bombs on bicycles.
I understand the general's distress, and of course he has to maintain his men's morale, but his enemy is anything but "a bunch of cowards."
posted by Bill Longstaff @ 1:31 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
An instantaneous and painless death riding a bicycle among children? That's hardly courage.
Those who fight our troops and risk painful injury or an agonizing death may be courageous - for that takes determination in the face of fear.
But a "one way trip to paradise" is hardly deserving of anyone's praise.
Besides, have you not thought beyond the general's words to the intent behind them? Call a man a coward, and he may be inclined to come out and fight, instead of skulking in the shadows like vermin.
It is a tactical ploy to try to get them to fight en-mass, it won't work, but it has in the past, especially curing the civil war. Generals would sit and bad mouth each other in the pub and then meet on the battle field.
I wonder if the suicide bomber was pissed when the wife wouldn't let him take the car.....
Careful, remember what happened to Bill Mahr when he dared say such a thing.
Damian, I would suggest that the suicide bombers may be cowards as you suggest, but the Taliban do more than suicide bombings and theyfight very well. They have litterally had years to practice.
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