The Arrogance of a Struggling Empire
General John Allen, commander of U.S. troops and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, apologized quickly, humbly and decisively for the burning of several copies of the Koran at a garbage dump at Bagram Air Base.
In contrast to his predecessor in such circumstances, he didn't hesitate; he clearly condemned the misconduct of his subordinates. But in the final analysis, it didn't help. After beginning peacefully and on a small scale with no fatalities, the protests spread to other cities on Wednesday with deadly consequences.
The protests continued to spread on Thursday, at which point General Allen tried to defuse the situation by announcing that all ISAF troops would henceforth receive intercultural instruction. That was intended to be good news as well as a gesture of respect toward Afghan religion and culture. As well-intentioned as Allen's actions were, they come years too late and therefore seem not particularly credible.
Instead, his actions reveal a disturbing arrogance and ignorance inherent in U.S. military involvement in the Hindu Kush thus far. American troops have been fighting there for more than 10 years, but it only dawns on their commanders at this late date that their troops don't yet know enough about local culture and religion. That's a victory for Taliban propaganda, which has always maintained that the U.S. invasion wasn't for the benefit of the Afghan people but rather to ensure Western dominance over their culture.
The Afghans have heard many promises from the U.S. military; after 10 years of intervention marked by numerous recurring mistakes, their patience is at an end. The thoughtlessness of some ignorant soldiers offers the Afghan people an opportunity to vent their pent-up anger.
Those opposed to U.S. intervention will now find it easy to cast the Koran burning as an attack on the religion and national identity of all Afghans and to mobilize armed opposition to it. The Karzai regime, currently trying to put a stop to the widespread violence, will be pictured as stooges of the United States and the voices of moderation in the country will be further weakened.
In contrast to his predecessor in such circumstances, he didn't hesitate; he clearly condemned the misconduct of his subordinates. But in the final analysis, it didn't help. After beginning peacefully and on a small scale with no fatalities, the protests spread to other cities on Wednesday with deadly consequences.
The protests continued to spread on Thursday, at which point General Allen tried to defuse the situation by announcing that all ISAF troops would henceforth receive intercultural instruction. That was intended to be good news as well as a gesture of respect toward Afghan religion and culture. As well-intentioned as Allen's actions were, they come years too late and therefore seem not particularly credible.
Instead, his actions reveal a disturbing arrogance and ignorance inherent in U.S. military involvement in the Hindu Kush thus far. American troops have been fighting there for more than 10 years, but it only dawns on their commanders at this late date that their troops don't yet know enough about local culture and religion. That's a victory for Taliban propaganda, which has always maintained that the U.S. invasion wasn't for the benefit of the Afghan people but rather to ensure Western dominance over their culture.
The Afghans have heard many promises from the U.S. military; after 10 years of intervention marked by numerous recurring mistakes, their patience is at an end. The thoughtlessness of some ignorant soldiers offers the Afghan people an opportunity to vent their pent-up anger.
Those opposed to U.S. intervention will now find it easy to cast the Koran burning as an attack on the religion and national identity of all Afghans and to mobilize armed opposition to it. The Karzai regime, currently trying to put a stop to the widespread violence, will be pictured as stooges of the United States and the voices of moderation in the country will be further weakened.
All US troops receive cultural training, quick translation guides, and updates on the region prior to arriving in country. Not sure how that shows arrogance or ignorance.
The fact that they are upset over the burning of the Quran does bring up an intriguing question. Can even 90+% of the Afghan population even point out a Quran on a shelf mixed in with bibles and various other books? The fact is, you could show a majority of them a Time magazine and call it the Quran and they wouldn’t know the difference.