Sunday 4 December 2011

Night Raids Still A Sticking Point After Years of Carnage

This NY Times piece is 50% a US military press release but, for once, it platforms an Afghan perspective in the MSM in America.
'Afghans, however, complain that because night raids involve soldiers going into private homes and often seeing the women who live there, they deeply offend Afghan cultural sensitivities and have an alienating effect out of proportion to either their military value or their casualty rate.
“This has become a very sensitive issue for the Afghan people,” said Mr. Faizi, who made it clear that he was relating Mr. Karzai’s views on the subject. “In general, they are not against night raids if they are led by Afghan people.”
Mr. Faizi said the raids were the biggest complaints that Mr. Karzai heard when visitors from the provinces met with him.
“If one of the messages of the United States is to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people, then these night raids are totally against this,” he said. “People are becoming more and more against the international presence in Afghanistan.” Full article. 

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