Friday, February 24, 2012

More Apologies To The Barbarians

Barack Obama was beginning to get light-headed after going days without something to apologize for. But thank the Good Lord, someone in Afghanistan made a big mistake in disposing of some Islamic literature, including Korans, and the Apologizer-in-Chief stepped right up to apologize to the adherents of the religion of peace. Where is Brenda Lee when we need her? “I’m sorry. So sorry. That I was such a fool.”

In fact, it was a veritable orgy of apologies. General John Allen apologized to Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan where the incident occurred. As penance, he has ordered all the troops remaining in Afghanistan into sensitivity training, concentrating on the proper handling of religious materials. White House mouthpiece Jay Carney said that the incident does not reflect the deep respect our military has for the religious practices of the Afghan people. Not to be outdone, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called it deeply unfortunate and apologized for the inappropriate treatment of the material.

Obama sent US Ambassador Ryan Crocker, General Allen, and Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter to meet personally with Karzai to weep and wail, don sackcloth, and heap ashes on their heads. Others who have joined in the sorry-fest include State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland, who opined that the event was horrific, adding “desecration of religious articles is not in keeping with the standards of American tolerance, human rights practices, and freedom of religion (somebody forgot to tell her about the Obamacare mandates).” I’m still waiting for someone to cry “Oh, the humanity!”

So why did the Crusader troops burn the Korans so publicly and so insultingly? Well, they didn’t. The worst they can be accused of is sheer stupidity in making a spectacle of the destruction of dangerous materials. Am I saying the Koran is dangerous? Well, actually I would, but that’s a whole different debate. Assume that the Koran is actually a love poem to the rest of the world. It would make no difference in these circumstances. There was a lot more in that funeral pyre than Korans.

Reliable sources in Afghanistan report anonymously or “not for attribution” that the materials being burned were communications between terrorists, manuals and instructions for killing American troops, and generally all-around seriously dangerous materials. It’s understandable that the sources would remain anonymous, considering the pathological need of the Obama administration to take the blame on America's behalf for everything evil in the world, then apologizing for it.

It quickly becomes obvious that the few Korans actually burned were not the target of the burning. The target was what terrorists and Islamic plotters had written inside the Korans, attempting to get America to ignore troop welfare for the sake of religious sensitivity. At least General Allen was realistic enough to announce that “It was not a decision that was made with respect to the faith of Islam. It was a mistake. It was an error. The moment we found out about it we immediately stopped and we intervened.” OK, General Allen, there’s your statement and there’s your apology. Now stop, goddamit!

But my advice goes unheeded. The general and his minions are stupid enough to dispose of materials so publicly and so visibly that the locals know about it immediately. I can’t burn anything on my property without my neighbors knowing about it. I’m no military or CIA genius, and yet I can guarantee you that if I don’t want them to know what I’m burning, they won’t. I also don’t invite the neighbors to come over for a weenie and marshmallow roast every time I burn leaves and materials implicating me in terrorist activities (with the proper permit, of course). But it seems that the entire Afghan community is invited to witness the burning of terrorist materials. That’s stupid. That’s a mistake. We apologize. Are we done yet?

No, we’re not. In what seemed like mere minutes after the abject and humiliating apologies began to pour over the country like an oil slick, over 2000 Afghans showed up outside Bagram Air Force Base to accept the apologies and shout “die, die, foreigners, die!” The US embassy had to go on lockdown for the angry crowds outside. The scene is being repeated throughout Afghanistan and now other Islamic nations. TWINE (Taliban Wildly Indignant about Nearly Everything) is fomenting unrest and violence wherever they have a serious presence.

Somehow, the ridiculous apologies and mea culpas are having zero effect on people who kill other people for publishing cartoons of Mohammed. Imagine that! President Karzai is a big help. His statement, made shortly after the American ambassadors got finished groveling, was aimed at hastening the exit of Americans from Afghanistan in any capacity whatsoever. Even the Emperor of Japan and the Nazi hierarchy didn’t have that kind of chutzpah at the end of World War II. Karzai spoke of the burnings, which occurred at the Parwan Detention Facility: “The sooner you do the transfer of the prison, the fewer problems and unfortunate incidents you will have.” He demanded that General Allen conduct a swift investigation, and called the burning of the terrorists documents (uh, Korans) a “desecration.”

The result of the weakness of the American position, highlighted by the pathetic apologies, was as predictable as night following day. Dozens of deaths and serious injuries have already been reported. Property destruction is pandemic. And now it appears that at least two American personnel have died as a direct result of the “protests.” Given all that, here is my suggestion for all official apologies in the future: “Oops.”

So some unthinking troops burned terrorist materials, incidentally including a few annotated Korans. Big freaking deal. Islamists burn Christian churches, preferably with the congregants still inside. I'm waiting for their apologies.

For you whippersnappers who are too young to know who Brenda Lee is, here’s a link to the song from 1960: I'm Sorry.

35 comments:

Tennessee Jed said...

This is yet another amazing example of stupidity by this administration. You analysis, naturally, hits the nail on the head. It is o.k. to acknowledge that the burning of Korans was lamentable, and on it's face appear insensitive to practitioners of Islam. What we should have done is acknowledged that while fully disclosing the reasons, thereby NOT apologizing for what we did and the reasons behind it.

Joel Farnham said...

Burning Korans? We are apologizing for that? What a maroon!

T-Rav said...

I hope you weren't thinking of me when you mentioned "whippersnappers who have never heard of Brenda Lee." (Which I have, I just haven't listened to her music.)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a provision in Islamic law somewhere that if the Koran has been defaced with messages such as these terrorists were writing, burning the entire thing is actually required?

Unknown said...

Tennessee: Agreed. We could even have apologized for making a mistake in burning them without "proper" ceremony, I suppose. But that's about it. It's possible to apologize for making a simple mistake without groveling. In any event, it doesn't matter because these primitives are looking for excuses to commit murder. Mistaken or intentional, they're going to riot.

Unknown said...

Joel: It isn't high on my list of mortal sins, but it wasn't exactly the smartest thing we could have done either.

Unknown said...

T-Rav: I have to admit you crossed my mind. But after I did the link I realized how many people probably have never heard of her. That song came out when I was sixteen and Brenda was fifteen. That was shortly after the invention of electricity and indoor plumbing. LOL

T-Rav said...

LawHawk, you laugh, but my mother (born 1955) had an outhouse for at least the first few years of her life. We also didn't have paved roads in my hometown until sometime in the mid-'60s. We're just that backwards.

Unknown said...

T-Rav: The last two miles to my home in Caliente is dirt road, and between my place and my daughter's place farther into the mountains, it's all dirt road. But at least I have electricity. She has to use generators. Southern California Edison will run a line to her place and her neighbors' homes, and they only need to pony up $30,000 for the privilege. I suggested we run an extension cord from my place to hers, but she didn't think that was a practical solution. LOL

tryanmax said...

T-Rav, I too am only one generation removed from outhouses and dirt roads.

Back to burning Korans, if I can expect anything from our military, shouldn't it be that they can destroy things properly? Were these Nomex® Korans? Like you said, LawHawk, how hard is it to make sure something burns? For crying out loud!

No, the apologizing and groveling is totally uncalled for, but the individuals put to the task of burning sure must've done something wrong. Good grief, it's enough to make me want to enlist (and I am not military material) just to have the chance of a crack at the dunderheads who can't put a match to paper properly!

Nomex® is a registered trademark of Du Pont

Unknown said...

tryanmax: And I'm wondering why any burning of sensitive documents is being done for all the world to see. I see this more as a major boondoggle rather than an apology-inducing tragedy. Like you, when I want something to burn--completely--it will burn. My little Franklin stove reduces everything to ash, including metalized paper.

Tennessee Jed said...

Hawk - there is a striking similarity between this issue and your post of yesterday. Basically, it is a message that says we have be over the top sensitive to "certain groups classified as victims." Thus, it is understandable for these groups to over-react, and is alright to maintain a double standard when it comes to things such as racism or religious tolerance. We get villified for taking degrading pictures of a few enemy combatants, while they can hack off our heads with impunity.

T-Rav - don't forget Connie Francis or Leslie Gore.

T-Rav said...

Sarah Palin had a great question the other day about this: to wit, "When is Karzai going to apologize for the Afghan rioters that killed two of our soldiers?" My guess: Probably never.

BevfromNYC said...

All I can say is...stop burning Christians and we'll stop burning Korans. I know, I know. That doesn't help and the person or persons who did this for all eyes to see in our new transparent world were stupid.

I really feel the need to download a Koran on my IPad, just so I can delete it publicly.

AndrewPrice said...

This is the kind of thing that really pisses me off. It's time we stopped apologizing for everything that offends them and started demanding apologies for the things they are doing to us.

Unknown said...

Tennessee: That parallel was in the back of my mind. And in both cases, it simply doesn't matter how hard you try to be "sensitive," both groups will manage to find offense, usually enough offense to provoke violence.

The Islamic world erupted over the Abu Ghraib pictures, which were not much worse than drunken fraternity pranks, but we're expected to remain calm and deliberative over pictures of American civilians being hanged from lampposts and bridges in Jihadistan.

We'll wait for hell to freeze over before we get an apology for the two murdered American soldiers shot by an Islamist wearing an Afghan army uniform. Over a stinking book being improperly disposed of.

Unknown said...

T-Rav: I just gave my answer to that question in my response to Tennessee. And as I mentioned, it wasn't just faceless rioters, it was a man wearing an Afghan army uniform.

Unknown said...

Bev: And while you're at it, publicly burn a Bible and see how many enraged Christians and Jews arrive with torches and weapons to kill you for the offense.

Unknown said...

Andrew: You're not holding your breath, are you?

Unknown said...

T-Rav: Connie Francis was even bigger than Brenda Lee, though her career ended somewhat tragically. Leslie Gore did some very catchy tunes, then disappeared from the music scene (although I've heard she still performs in smaller forums). Gore was best-known for her pop tunes It's My Party (And I'll Cry If I Want To) and You Don't Own Me.

LL said...

The frigging savages outside the gates of the base are SUPPOSED to be the reason that we're there...

Unknown said...

LL: This administration seems to have forgotten that. The inmates have taken over the asylum. We've snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, and now it's time to apologize for our very existence.

Unknown said...

Here's the Taliban's "official" response to President Obama's tearful three page letter of apology to Hamid Karzai:

“We should not be satisfied with mere protests and empty slogans but the military bases of the invaders, their military convoys and their troops should become a target of our courageous attacks,” spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement directed to Taliban fighters and the “zealous and faithful people of Afghanistan.”

“Kill them, beat them, take them as prisoners and teach them such a lesson that they never summon the courage to abuse the Holy Qur’an again,” he said.

wahsatchmo said...

Has anyone thought to apologize to Al Sharpton yet? I'm pretty sure that's a requirement, nowadays.

rlaWTX said...

can we just make a parking lot out of Afghanistan yet?

Unknown said...

wahsatchmo: I'm drafting a letter of apology right now. Always prepared. Now all I need is for you to remind me which earth-shattering failure I'm apologizing for (as if that matters).

Unknown said...

rlaWTX: Don't forget that this was the "right war." So we can't pave it over quite yet.

BevfromNYC said...

"Now all I need is for you to remind me which earth-shattering failure I'm apologizing for (as if that matters)."

LawHawk, just make it look like one of those endless government forms and we can fill in the earth shattering failures as they come up.

But for the first form - fill in "electing or causing to be elected Barack Obama to be President of the United States of America" "

Unknown said...

Bev: Excellent suggestion.

T-Rav said...

rla, the "deep thinkers" have told us since October 2001 how Afghanistan was a pit that eventually conquered all its invaders or something like that. So logic would suggest we head that outcome off by just leveling the whole thing. Maybe we could repopulate it with our own undesirables.

Unknown said...

T-Rav: I was thinking that with all that sand, a few carefully-aimed H-bombs could turn the whole place to pretty glass. And speaking of apologies, if a couple of them landed on Iran at the same time, well, "oops."

rlaWTX said...

Hawk, that's exactly the kind of parking lot I meant

T-Rav, I think that you are right and history demands this action to save the children of the future from another "land-war in Asia". And the "re-population" project sounds like a great plan too...

Unknown said...

T-Rav: Occam's razor. In a multitude of possible answers, the simplest is likely to be the right one. Your answer to the problem is simple, and it's probably right.

Individualist said...

Hawk

There is another way to look at this. I beleive that it is the Usnited States of America and especially the Army and these individuals that were inadvertantly fooled into destroying Korans.

These Islamic militants purposely kept Korans in a pile of literature dedicated to warefare and death. Even if they beleived their cause to be just they should have had respect for the tome that is the word of God to keep it separate and in a holy place.


Instead they brought it to the battlefield where there would be less chance to keep them safe. And on top of that mixed them in with literature on terrorism that the enemy would have to destroy. An enemy that not being Muslim might not even recognize a Koran for what it was.

How dare these despicable opportunists use the Word of God as a ploy in Warfare. Have they no honor whatsoever.

The American Generals should make the claim (in Arabic and on Alk Jazeera) in the Middle East that this incident is uncontravertable proof that every member of Al Quaeda is an apostate that has no caring for safekeeping the Word of God.

That should be our military and our diplomatic response to this incident.

Unknown said...

rlaWTX: It could be the world's largest roller rink.

Unknown said...

Indi: I really like your train of thought. Maybe when we have an American government again we can use it. Meanwhile, why explain, educate and/or justify when you can just apologize, apologize, apologize?

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