Today's New York Times piece "Tough New Tactics by US Tighten Grip on Iraq Towns" is worth reading. http://tinyurl.com/y3p3
Looks like we're still destroying the village to save it.
The two hearts and minds quotes that grabbed me:
"With a heavy does of fear and violence, and a lot of money for projects, I think we can convince these people that we are here to help them," Col. Sassaman said. So now we're applying the GOP bludgeon and bribe strategy to Iraq?
"You have to understand the Arab mind," Capt. Todd Brown...said..."The only thing they understand is force - force, pride and saving face." Well, these humiliating tactics ought to go over really well then.
Is our military leadership irony-impaired or what?
Some news from Iraq really makes me more nervous and sad than others. This story is one of them.
*Apologies if the story has been previously discussed in the open threads. I didn't see a diary on it but hope I did not overlook one.