In this interesting NPR piece a SEAL recounts how his unit was ambushed by the Taliban and he is the only one that survives. He notes that they were ambushed because they let some goat-herders go instead of tying them up or killing them. He notes that they let them go because he is Christian as well as a soldier. However, he also argues that soldiers need to be able to do what they have to on the battlefield, while at the same time distinguishing civilians from combatants. It is interesting to read that a soldier/SEAL questions how they (rule bound soldiers) are supposed to fight guerrillas. He notes that over time the SEALs have adopted more guerrilla like tactics, which has decreased their wounded and killed. Upon reading his account, it is apparent why Iraqi fear the Americans. However, from the soldiers' perspective, it is what they have to do to live. It is a difficult one to argue as both the soldiers and the civilians have legitimate claims. Perhaps a fund to fix broken doors and houses would help alleviate the Iraqi fears and resentment and enable the soldiers to continue to conduct their more guerrilla-like tactics.
The second interesting point made is that money buys the SEALs a great portion of their useful on the spot intelligence. He notes that if the guy is particularly stubborn he is sent to interrogation headquarters, but it sounds like money works more often than not. I thought this relevant as a result of our class discussions about the (in)effectiveness of torture.
The second interesting point made is that money buys the SEALs a great portion of their useful on the spot intelligence. He notes that if the guy is particularly stubborn he is sent to interrogation headquarters, but it sounds like money works more often than not. I thought this relevant as a result of our class discussions about the (in)effectiveness of torture.
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I find it interesting how this SEAL says that he knew in his soul he should have killed those goat herders and how he's sure they went on to reveal their location, but his Christian soul won the internal debate and he chose to let them live. But then after he was wounded and was approached by some villagers he almost killed them, but they then saved his life. I think those two incidents epitomize why there are rules of armed conflict. When you're scared and don't know exactly who's friend or foe, you might make a hasty decision and kill the wrong person. But then guerrilla warfare is very different and it's not so clear cut. So how do you survive but also not kill innocents who are also just trying to survive? What kind of revised training session for soldiers would that look like?
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