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The Pentagon and U.S. leaders need to be honest with the
American people about the war in Afghanistan.
This past weekend, a U.S. F-14 fighter jet dropped two 500-pound
bombs over a residential neighborhood northwest of Kabul, and an
F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet dropped a 1000-pound bomb that landed in
a field near a senior citizens home in the western city of
Herat.
The Pentagon said it had “no information” on whether
or not civilian casualties were involved in either of the two
missions.
This comes as no surprise, since President George W. Bush and
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld publicly stated that many of the
war efforts would remain secret ““ even in victory. However,
the Pentagon and U.S. leaders should disclose what’s
happening in Afghanistan so U.S. citizens can decide for themselves
whether or not they agree with the current war and what promises to
be an extended military engagement.
While nobody expects Bush and Rumsfeld to lay out their tactical
plans for each air mission, Americans must expect the U.S. to hold
itself accountable for all it’s military actions ““
particularly its mistakes.
The American public can’t expect a war without casualties,
and our leaders have an obligation to show its citizens the bloody
side of war.
Hiding the reality of war in an effort to preserve favorable
public opinion is an outrageous insult to the intelligence and
patriotic resolve of the American people.
Our country’s public opinion has become a major presence
in our leaders’ decision-making, and it now serves as the
only check and balance that stands between our leaders and a free
reign of terror in Afghanistan.
The trouble is, without the truth provided by the Pentagon and
our leaders, Americans can’t fully form an opinion for
themselves. The media is largely dependent on conferences and press
releases for the information they relay to the public. Bush and
Rumsfeld know this ““ in fact, they prefer it be this way.
It’s unfortunate that our leaders hold America’s
public opinion in such high regard that they would do almost
anything to maintain their current state of approval ““ even
if that means insulting their citizens by editing out damaging
truths of the war in Afghanistan.
Food drops, $1 donations to the American Red Cross and the
possibility of halting air strikes during the holy month of Ramadan
may be the only compassionate gestures the U.S. can undertake
during the military campaign, but they also provide an opportunity
to maintain popularity in the public’s eye.
America must look past the spin and secrecy and demand the
unedited truth from our leaders.