‘Why I Flattened Three Afghan Villages’

[n2doc]

By Spencer Ackerman February 1, 2011



When the day began for Lt. Col. David Flynn on Oct. 6, Taliban insurgents were using three southern Afghanistan hamlets as bomb factories. By the time the next day ended, Tarok Kolache, Khosrow Sofla and Lower Babur had been eradicated from the valley where they once stood.

Flynn had ordered tens of thousands of pounds of bombs to rain down on the villages. Tarok Kolache was completely flattened, and there wasn’t much left of the other two.

Flynn says that he had little choice but to take the extreme step. The Taliban had rigged bombs all through the compounds in the villages, and placed tons of explosives in the vegetated fields nearby.

Efforts at clearing the villages of homemade bombs during the previous three months had failed. The fighters had evicted the villagers from their land, telling them, “you can’t get to the fields this year,” in preparation for the U.S. troop surge. Few residents still retained hope that they’d ever get to move back home.

“We never went in with the mindset that we’re going to flatten the villages,” Flynn tells Danger Room. “I have friends in this community now. The last thing I’m trying to do is wreck my friends’ lives.”

more

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/02/i-flattened-afghan-villages/

[WinkyDink]

1. Hearts and minds.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. I sure hope people born after 1960 have seen that movie.

[msongs]

3. who still needs to know why obama will not pursue war crimes charges against bush? nt

[n2doc]

4. kick n/t

[DCKit]

5. Vietnam: "We had to destroy the village, to save the village."

Yeah, they're gonna love U.S. long time.