Get some counselling... or forget.

The number of Afghan civilians killed in air strikes carried out by the US and its allies has risen 330% since 2017, a US study says.

In 2019 alone, around 700 civilians were killed, the Costs of War Project at Brown University says. 

It is the highest figure since the first years of the US invasion following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

The group attribute the rising figures to the US relaxing its rules of engagement in 2017. 

Researchers say the increase in air strikes was partly because there are fewer US troops on the ground, but also seemed to have the aim of putting more pressure on the Taliban to negotiate peace. 

The US pulled back on air strikes after reaching a deal with the Taliban in February 2020. It has also promised to reduce the number of troops in the country.

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But the Costs of War Project found that the the Afghan military has stepped up its own aerial attacks in the months since the US-Taliban agreement was made, as the government in Kabul remains in talks with the militant group.

Read more:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55225827

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Recently the Chief of the Defence Force, General Angus Campbell, won the inaugural Khaki Shulztie. The award is named after Sergeant Shultz (“I know nuuuthing!”) from the TV show Hogan’s Heroes. The award recognised General Campbell’s ignorance about Afghanistan in the face of overwhelming information that was or could have been at his disposal.

This week the Khaki Shultzie is shared by more than 30 men who commanded at the highest levels during the war in Afghanistan. I speak specifically of the rotating commanders of the Special Operations Task Groups on the ground in Afghanistan, of the Commanding Officers of the SAS Regiment and 2 Commando Regiment, the SOCAUSTs (Supreme Operational Commanders Australia), the Chiefs of Army and finally the Chiefs of the Defence Force. More than 30 men who want us to believe they saw no evil, heard no evil. What monkeys they must think we all are.

Take the esteemed David Hurley. He was Chief of the Defence Force with direct command over Brereton’s bad boys. His command distance from these boys is a reality not an escape door. As CDF he could ask any question, call in any soldier, read any report, issue any order. I suspect Hurley is an honourable man. But he could also have been a man of inaction.

Some of Brereton’s bad boys had a way with words, unlike their strategically taciturn commanders like Hurley. The senior SAS patrol commander who allegedly murdered Haji Sardar was overheard telling one colleague “How good is this! When I’m not in Afghanistan hunting people I am in Canada hunting bears”!  One of his mates was heard to say on another occasion “I have two command priorities this year: Proxy wars and smashing whores.” Positively Shakespearean!

Read more:

https://johnmenadue.com/and-the-third-khaki-shultzie-goes-to/

According to Dad's Army, "Khaki" is a word from one of the languages in India, that means "DIRT"... Corporal Jones explained that the "Red Coats" of the English army there, were easy targets due to the high visibility of their proud uniforms. Thus someone had the idea of using dirt on the red coats to become more invisible... and the rest is history. Of course this could be a legend in Jones the Butcher's mind...

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