"Newsweek quotes one Afghan officer who says he understands why "our men are shooting U.S. and NATO soldiers."
"I have been personally hurt by the way American forces behave toward my soldiers, our villagers, our religion and culture. Too many of them are racist, arrogant and simply don't respect us," he said.
U.S. soldiers are watching their backs against Afghan soldiers for fear of insider attacks. Once cordial relations and visits to each other's quarters have stopped. Some Afghan soldiers are Taliban guerrillas ordered to false-flag volunteer to kill U.S. advisers." de Borchgrave
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"Too many of them are racist, arrogant and simply don't respect us," he said.
I believe it. In the time before 9/11, US military relations with the Muslim World were a matter of military attaches, training missions, Green Beret missions, etc., The personnel requirements of ths work were quite small and could be "covered' with specialists who liked workig with foreigners, were adaptable, felt deep respect for people of alien culture and wanted a life of high adventure.
Since 9/11 the main forces of the Army and USMC are directly exposed to such alien populations. The US arned forces are reflective of the collective thoughts, feelings and biases of the various US populations. They have been taught by thei whole lives to believe that the USA represents the future of mankind and that any foreigner with any sense wants to be an American and that local customs, religion, and folkways are inhrently backward and something that the "natives" will abandon when they see the American model available for imitation.
No number of "shake and bake" courses and classes given to soldiers on the subject of cultural sensitivity will change the collective mentality of men and women who think they have been sent to Afghanistan or wherever to "save" the natives from themselves.
We were better off when working with "the natives' was left to those who enjoyed the work. pl
