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By Mufid Abdulla:
In November 2005, four marine convoys were patrolling in the city of Haditha, north of Baghdad, when they were caught by an IED explosion, killing one marine and injuring four. In reaction to this an American marine started shooting at three nearby houses and a passing taxi, killing 24 women, children and old people. At a press conference the next day Donald Rumsfeld could not answer questions from journalists, essentially because the whole war had been prosecuted on the basis of lies and deceit. At his court martial, the US marine killer said: “I have been trained to shoot: two in the heart and one in the head”. He was sentenced to three months in jail and to pay compensation of $2500 to the families, which they refused to accept.
The brutality of the killings in Haditha was symbolic of a failure of American strategy in Iraq. It showed that the Americans were making the same blunders as in Vietnam, albeit in a more sophisticated way. What makes matters worse in any organization, including the military, is a failure to listen to and read the minds of the middle and lower ranks. American war-makers in Iraq refused to listen to Gen Eric Shinseki, John Abbasid and many other loyally critical voices. “The result of barriers to communication can be catastrophic” ( Harford, 2012).
What the American marine did in Kandahar last week is similar to what happened in Haditha seven years ago. 17 women and children were killed. This cruel massacre is a product of the absurdity of the conditions experienced by these marines. Why don’t they have any idea of their mission, goal and strategy in Afghanistan?
The similarities – as well as the contrasts – between Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan are striking. American failure is obvious to all observers and strategists. If they leave in 2014, Afghanistan will go back to where it was in 2001, before the US invasion. American forces have failed to win the hearts and mind of ordinary people for the simple reason that they lack clear strategies.
Harford, T ‘Unconventional strategy: Listen to the bearers of bad news, the benchmark for business’, Harvard Business Review, 28, February 2012
If Afghan war is still in limbo, it is mainly because the White House does not listen to military generals notions on how to conduct and conclude the war.
i don’t think its about listening to what Gen or a White House say. many of these marines have been deployed more than three times, they are exhausted and just want to go home. these marines are human and have emotion just like the rest of us; therefore, don’t expect them to act like a robot. don’t get me confused; im in no way justifying the brutal killing but why? is it hate? I simply don’t think so! Again, why it happened?
if i have two things to educate those soldiers it will be teaching them on how to accept the differences of culture, behavior and religion of other nations and how utilize those differences to their advantages. And second, how to be patient because I think many of those soldiers on the ground already run out of patient. at the end, I think Afghan war is the lost war of the U.S and it should get out of it ASAP.