I just read an Army report of an attack on Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. The attacking force numbered 30-40 “insurgents.” Sixteen were killed and 5 detained after the response team consisting of Afghan and US troops plus US helicopters responded. One US contractor was killed and several troops were wounded; also a building received some damage.
This is a normal day in Afghanistan. Our troops and the Afghan troops routinely do their job and do it well; I’m proud of them. What bugs me is that there is no doubt that the bad guys who attacked the airfield were enemy soldiers—they were acting like soldiers and doing what soldiers do. Why do we call them “insurgents” and why do we “detain” the ones we captured. We should kill enemy soldiers in a fight and the ones we capture become Prisoners of War. Why can’t we name and identify the enemy? Why, according to the Administration, are we at war with no one—except Fox news?
Insurgents and Detainees
Further reading
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