This is Tarok Kolache , a low settlement in Afghanistan ’s Arghandab River Valley . Or at least , it used to be , until the Taliban and the U.S. military got to it .
What find to Tarok Kolache , and why?In a military post on pundit Tom Rick ’s Foreign Policy blog , military writer and West Point alumna Pamela Broadwell write that the Taliban “ had conducted an intimidation campaign to go after the villager out . ” The Taliban fighters and their “ heavy pattern[s ] ” of IEDs “ terrified ” the Combined Joint Task Force 1 - 320th , which sustained heavy loss in two endeavor to empty the Greenwich Village , and eventually Lt . Col . David Flynn decide the only elbow room to maintain momentum was to blow it to mo :
The plan was for one team to brighten a 600 - metre way of life with MICLICs from one of his fight outposts to Tarok Kalache . “ It was the only way I could give the men authority to go back out . ”
On October 6 , Flynn ’s building block okay economic consumption of HIMARS , B-1 , and A-10s to drop 49,200 lbs . of ordnance on the Taliban tactical base of Tarok Kalache , leave in NO CIVCAS . Their headroom of Babur , Khosrow Sofla , Charqolba Sofla , and other villages commenced October 7 , aided by USSF , ABP , and an additional infantry ship’s company from B/1 - 22 IN .
“ NO CIVCAS ” mean “ no civilian casualties . ” But , as Wired ’s Spencer Ackerman — who flag Broadwell ’s postin an excellent post of his own — wonders :
It seems difficult to understand how Broadwell or the 1 - 320th can be so positive they did n’t accidentally kill civilian after subjecting Tarok Kolache to intimately 25 tons worth of bombs and rockets . The rockets alone have a fire wheel spoke of about 50 meters [ 164 foundation ] , so the potential for hitting bystanders is high with every strike .
As she clarify in a debate on her Facebook bulwark , “ In the commander ’s judgment , the deserted village was not worth discharge . If you lost several KIA and you might feel the same . ” But without enter Tarok Kolache to enlighten it , how could U.S. or Afghani force know it was altogether devoid of civilian ?
Indeed ! Even if there were rightfully no civilian casualties , at least one Afghan villager was n’t particularly proud of — he charge Flynn of “ ruin his life after the destruction . ” He likely was n’t the only one , and there is n’t a muckle of room to spare when it comes to Afghan impressions of NATO force in Arghandab , where topical anesthetic entrust the Taliban over Karzai .
Luckily , Gen. Petraeus has apparently authorise up to $ 1 million for reconstruction , and Flynn and his men are rushing to rebuild the village — so as to get out in front of the Taliban ’s “ data operations gun . ” But you have to wonder how diverting so many resource to rebuilding a Greenwich Village you just blew up assist the “ momentum ” earlier sought .
And they might be too late anyway . An independent analyst interviewed by Ackerman expresses exchangeable concern , say him that the destruction of Tarok Kolache in all likelihood tumble whatever good will U.S. troops had built up — as Ackerman drily puts it , “ it ’s not received procedure for U.S.-led scout group to destroy whole villages . ” seem at those picture , it ’s not backbreaking to see why .
[ Wired;Foreign Policy ]
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