The Crazy Kabul Kabuki Dance

And Then the Trouble Started

Most people know that the troops in Afghanistan burned some Qur'an's, and they also know that the locals quickly became unhinged, predictably rioting and causing other acts of enraged "hijinx". Beyond that, the attention of those who know these two pertinent facts has long since been drawn away by such important things as the latest reality show episode or when the next unemployment check will arrive.

They may be peripherally aware that, to date, four American servicemen have been murdered by Afghans they have trained to fight alongside them, and they might be even somewhat aware that the United Nations is calling for the prosecution of the troops that have thus far survived the treachery suffered by their comrades. But they remain oblivious to any mitigating facts in the entire episode, and it is not completely due to selfish ignorance; it is because the mainstream media is not trumpeting those facts and defending those who make their profession possible.

It began on February 20th after NATO workers -- including Afghans -- burned some Qur'an's at the library at Bagram Air Field in the Parwan Province, used to detain Taliban captures. Shortly after the incident, which was initially reported as "an inadvertent act" on the part of the NATO workers, hundreds of protesters arrived. World news outlets were quick to report the ensuing violence, Muslim groups and their sympathizers were quick to condemn the actions of the international forces, and our troops' own Commander-in Chief was fast on his obsequious trigger, leaping at the opportunity to deliver yet another heartfelt apology to the Muslim world.

As our Secretary of State reinforced the President's claim that his apology "calmed things down" in Afghanistan -- despite the fact that two of our murdered soldiers were killed after said apology -- it is infuriating that neither high-level figure has demanded of the Afghan government an apology for the lives of those kids. And it might be noted with a modicum of pride and gratitude that, for the simple fact that average Americans are nothing like the mindless Islamists who will riot at the drop of a hat, we have not begun to demand the destruction of the entire region after learning that our troops may face Afghan trials for their "crimes".

This is where the entire affair may cause our neighbors to come similarly enraged as their Muslim counterparts. This is where the actual facts come to play.

On February 20th, the workers at the Bagram Library discovered that many of the books in the base library -- including Qur'ans --  were being used by Taliban detainees as message boards. As part of their "torture routines", as many so-called human rights activists might call them, detainees were permitted access to the base books for recreational use. They chose to write messages in them for their cohorts to read in an effort to coordinate future attacks on the NATO forces.

Among the books so desecrated by Muslim prisoners -- ostensibly required to kill those who desecrate the Qur'an -- were copies of... the Qur'an. In the Muslim tradition, the proper disposal of a Qur'an in a state of disrepair is burning. Still with me here? Muslim Afghans are burning and killing anything within reach because Americans, they believe, actually showed the ultimate respect for their Holy Book which was desecrated by their own brothers. And then our president, who reportedly studied Islam as a child in Indonesia, apologized for the alleged transgression.

To miss the sad irony in all of this would require being in a coma.

Lt. Col. Oliver North was a guest on Sean Hannity's radio show yesterday. North had just returned from Afghanistan, and he said that among all the damaged books that were burned at Bagram, four were the Qur'an, yet the mainstream media would have us believe that some soldiers cavalierly burned a whole pile of them.

Despite the fact that four of our soldiers have been murdered at the hands of their Afghan "partners" in the war -- that would be one for each Qur'an burned -- President Karzai is calling for those responsible for the book burning to be tried in an Afghan court. Shortly after Karzai made the demand, President Obama sent a three page letter, which stated, in part:

“I extend to you and the Afghan people my sincere apologies. We will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence, to include holding accountable those responsible.”

That is such a vague assurance from Obama, yet there has been no official denial from Washington that NATO has agreed to "hand over" the soldiers involved for trial. For an American Commander-in Chief to vacillate on a matter of such magnitude is unconscionable, for it would, in effect, allow American soldiers to be tried under Shar'ia Law, which requires death to those who desecrate the Qur'an.

Obama has allowed the opportunity to demand an apology for our murdered soldiers to pass unseized. There is still, however, time to firmly tell Karzai that we will not be turning our soldiers over to anyone for trial.

UPDATE: As of this writing, two more American soldiers have been murdered, bringing the number now to six. Rather than apologize and appease, perhaps the time is drawing nigh for Obama to unleash our troops to put a stop to this outrage immediately.

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No Time For Trivialities

On July 20th during the campaign in 2008, candidate Obama was clear on one thing; Afghanistan was "to be our central focus, the central front, on our battle against terrorism". Back then he didn't need to assess the situation, he didn't need to consider his judgement, he was adamant that President Bush messed up and that more troops were needed in Afghanistan right away.

On CBS' Face The Nation that Sunday more than a year ago, Obama the candidate was sure of himself and decisive, telling CBS that "I think one of the biggest mistakes we've made strategically after 9/11 was to fail to finish the job here, focus our attention here. We got distracted by Iraq". He went further, insisting that troop levels must increase in Afghanistan. Now, however, eight months into the job, it would appear that the president regards the Afghanistan situation as merely a nugatory nuisance. What has got him so distracted now?

There is a plethora of "more pressing issues" facing Obama, such as ramming an unwanted health care program down the throats of Americans, redistribution of the peoples' wealth, destroying our defenses and ignoring the proliferation of nuclear capabilities by the most dangerous elements on the planet. (It seems that he envisions a world where everyone has weapons but the U.S.).

For someone who claimed that Afghanistan would be his top priority, it should seem odd to any thinking individual that Obama has spoken with General Stanley McChrystal, the commander over there, only once since he assumed command in early July. (President Bush spoke with his commanders weekly). McChrystal has a report sitting on the president's desk that has not been looked at yet. In fact, the cleaning staff at the White House must venture into the Oval Office about once a week to do some light dusting. I'd wager the trash pails haven't needed emptying since the last occupant vacated.

So while General McChrystal awaits an answer on troop levels amid notifying sobbing parents that their soldier child has died, Obama has decided that it is of paramount importance to hurry to...Copenhagen. Certainly there must be some pending disaster in Denmark that needs the president's immediate attention. Yes, yes there is. The president is going to plead his case that Chicago should be awarded the 2016 Olympics, even though many Chicago area residents are against it. And in an ironic twist of fate, the site of the new Kyoto Convention will host both the president and the first lady, who happened to travel there on separate days...in separate planes, thus doubling their carbon footprint. Tsk, tsk...

In 2008, trying to sound authoritative, Obama said this:

"For at least a year now, I have called for two additional brigades, perhaps three. I think it's very important that we unify command more effectively to coordinate our military activities."

So in 2007 he was demanding more troops but now he has to secure the Olympics for his beloved Chicago first. That's just great. I guess it was easy to sound presidential when he wasn't actually the president. He told Rick Warren that answering a question on abortion was "above his pay grade".

Perhaps being the leader of the free world is above his intelligence grade. When asked before a trip with other senators in 2008 to Iraq and Afghanistan whether he planned to have tough talk for the leaders of Afghanistan and Iraq, he wimped out:

"I'm more interested in listening than doing a lot of talking. I think it is very important to recognize that I'm going over there as a U.S. senator. We have one president at a time, so it's the president's job to deliver those messages."

Good Lord, all he's done is talk, incessantly, while he tells his opposition to shut up and get out of the way. Memo to Barry: You're that guy now. This isn't community organizing, this is real. These are your decisions to make, not some czar's. You may have to actually go to work in the office on some days to address the real issues of the real world.

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