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Humor : Über Serious
 |  Subject: Get This Bullshit Pentagon Propaganda: Winning the War, 30 Taliban at a Time  Wed Dec 30, 2009 5:06 am | |
| Just how often has the U.S. and NATO killed the Taliban in groups of 30 during 2009? The answer may surprise you:
- Adnkronos,
12/07/2009: “Up to 30 suspected militants were killed in a NATO
airstrike on a Taliban hideout in eastern Afghanistan close to the
Pakistani border on Monday. The airstrike targeted the village of
Sangar Dara in the mountainous Watapur district of Kunar province , the
NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.”
- SF Chronicle,
12/04/2009: “Air strikes in two areas of the Mohmand border region
killed 30 suspected militants, a military statement said. It said the
strikes were “highly successful” but provided no further details,
including whether any civilians were hurt.”
- Xinhua,
11/04/2009: “The military said that the troops have killed 30 more
militants during the last 24 hours, bringing the total fatalities to
400, as the operation in the country’s tribal area steadily progressed
towards the Taliban strongholds in South Waziristan.”
- Xinhua,
08/31/2009: “At least 30 bodies of suspected Taliban fighters were
recovered in northwest Pakistan’s insurgency-hit Swat valley on Monday,
witnesses said. The Pakistani army said they were killed in fighting
with the security forces.”
- Calgary Times,
07/04/2009: “The attack included an attempted suicide truck bombing of
the base in the Zirok district of southeastern Paktika province, local
officials said. As many as 30 Taliban insurgents might have been killed
when troops called in air strikes, they said.”
- Khaleej Times,
06/24/2009: “Thirty Taliban militants were killed in clashes with NATO
and Afghan forces in separate incidents in southern Afghanistan,
officials said Wednesday.”
- Straits Times,
06/15/2009: “Security officials in the region said that about 30
militants were killed in Mohmand agency, close to the provincial
capital Peshawar.”
- Monsters and Critics,
05/28/2009: “In another incident, the Afghan Defence Ministry said
Thursday that its troops, backed by international forces, killed 30
suspected militants in neighbouring Khost province Wednesday after the
militants attacked their joint base.”
- Monsters and Critics,
05/14/2009: “At least 30 Taliban fighters were killed Thursday when
government artillery fire destroyed their hideout in north-west
Pakistan, residents and officials said, as concerns about the fate of
thousands of refugees in the region grew amid an escalating
humanitarian crisis. Up to 30 suspected militants were in the compound
when it was hit, and the Taliban have moved the dead and injured to an
undisclosed location, he said.”
- Reuters,
01 April 2009: “U.S. and Afghan forces have killed 30 Taliban fighters,
including a local commander, in an operation in Afghanistan’s southern
province of Helmand, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.”
- IRNA,
02/17/2009: “Suspected US drone fired missiles on a training camp of
Taliban militants in a Pakistani tribal region on Monday, killing
around 30 people, witnesses and official sources said.”
- New York Times,
01/01/2009: “On Wednesday, the Taliban came for revenge. A group of
about 30 Taliban fighters swooped in on Mullah Salam’s house and opened
fire. They killed at least 20 of his bodyguards, Afghan officials said.
The Taliban claimed that they killed 32. Two of the attackers died.”
Alright, okay, you get the point. Just in case you thought this was limited to Afghanistan and Pakistan:
- Reuters,
02/03/2009: “[Yemeni President Ali Abdullah] Saleh urged the leaders
not to give refuge to militants and help the state’s fight against
al-Qaeda by turning them in. A security official told Reuters
authorities had detained 30 suspected militants in a renewed campaign.”
Oh yes, it’s the same Yemen.
But look, hopping onto Google News and typing “30 Taliban” or “30
suspected militants” brings up literally dozens of stories each year,
stretching back at least to 2005. Indeed, thirty seems to be the magic
number when it comes to arresting or killing off Taliban and other
militant fighters in Afghanistan.
The Security Crank is not the first one to notice this: mad props for the idea go to Moon of Alabama.
But the much more important point remains: how could we possibly
have any idea how the war is going, here or anywhere else, when the bad
guys seem only to die in groups of 30? The sheer ubiquity of that
number in fatality and casualty counts is astounding, to the point
where I don’t even pay attention to a story anymore when they use that
magic number 30. It is an indicator either of ignorance or deliberate
spin… but no matter the case, whenever you see the number 30 used in
reference to the Taliban, you should probably close the tab and move
onto something else, because you just won’t get a good sense of what
happened there.
Oh, and shame to all you news agencies — all of you, since you’re
all guilty — for playing along with such an obvious bit of number
fudging. And weren’t we supposed to stop doing body counts anyway? That
took all of a minute to reverse.
Update: Use ctrl-f (or CMD if you’re a mac-head) and search for “30″ or “thirty” on this 2009 timeline of events for Pakistan. It’s unreal.
http://securitycrank.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/winning-the-war-30-taliban-at-a-time/
_________________
Anarcho-Capitalist, AnCaps Forum, Ancapolis, OZschwitz Contraband
“The state calls its own violence law, but that of the individual, crime.”-- Max Stirner
"Remember: Evil exists because good men don't kill the government officials committing it." -- Kurt Hofmann |
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