Written by MAJ JF Sucher, MD
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It’s also easy to just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Taliban have no rules of engagement (ROE) and they certainly have no regard for life, no matter how young, innocent or precious. The young girl above (approximately 8 years old) and the young boy below (approximately 6 years old) were playing near coalition soldiers that were dismounted in a local village just outside FOB Shank, Logar Province. Someone in the village tossed a grenade over the mud wall sending grenade fragments into these young children. (note: no-one knows their age in rural Afghanistan - they guesstimate based on the crop cycles)
Despite having been injured by a grenade, neither of these two children cried. The girl had a large grenade fragment embedded into her ankle. The boy had a fragment penetrate his abdomen, causing life-threatening injuries.
Both children required multiple operations due to their injuries. Dr. Bruce and I explored the abdomen of the young boy, repairing the damage done. Dr. Baier operated on the young girl, removing the grenade fragment and cleaning the fractured bone and soft tissues.
The children are recovering well as I type this post. The young boy will require at least 7-12 days of hospital care. He will recover fully and be playing in a matter of weeks. The young girl’s recovery will be longer, as the grenade fragments injured the bones of her ankle. She will be able to walk well, but will have permanent difficulty with running.
The 909th FST, along with the “Charlie Med” team of the 173rd will hold on to these children until they have completely recovered. There is nowhere else for them to go and get this level of medical care. They are the now the Prince and Princess of Logar.
Princess Salerno recovered from her broken leg and became a favorite memory of the 909th after their return home in 2003. There is no way of knowing what has become of her over the ensuing 7 years. The team would rather just simply think of her just as she remains in these photos. A beautiful, innocent, princess child.
This is the Afghanistan that we should focus upon. The children are growing up under generations of war. It is no wonder why it is so easy for them to be turned into radical Islamists. They are indoctrinated via the madrassas that had exploded in numbers during the 1980s through 1990s. This country has been manipulated into this radical culture from outside influences. In my humble opinion, if we are to win the battle against radical Islam and terrorism, then we will need to invest in multiple generations. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Anything less than this full, long-term effort will only result in what we have now. History will repeat itself.
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Comments
In reply to your earler comment, Most afghans have blue, green, or some very light shade of eyes.
To Maj Sucher, the other doctors, nurses and medical tech's I say, "Bless you all". Your job is the most important in not only bringing modern medical miracles to that retched place, but also educating the people around the world to realities of the American spirit and what it means to be a true American in every sense!
Thank you Michael.
This is another one of your always admiring reports.
TO peace....
SALMA
It's my understanding from reading elsewhere (LWJ, NYT) that the madrassas and their radical ideology are financed by Saudi Arabia. True?
B.
the states. so where were the Micheal Yons from that era??????
And thanks, Michael, for bringing these stories to us. God bless America.
These acts of kindness will not be lost on the Afghans, they have long memories.
Islamists believe the world is divided into Dar al-Harb (House of War) and Dar al-Islam (House of Islam) - there is no middle ground or respect for man made constructs, governments, or laws. To think the Afghan people will give up their Islam for our freedom, liberty, and democracy is wishful thinking and frankly an arrogant attitude - I know because I used to think the same way.
For an individual Muslim to leave Islam for any faith or no faith at all is Apostasy to the State and Allah. That individual is viewed as a traitor to Islam and the State. The 4 top schools of Islamic jurisprudence both (Shia and Sunni) agree on at least one thing, the punishment for apostasy is death. If a Muslim blasphemes the prophet Muhammad the penalty is death. That leaves very few options for the Islamist individual especially when the Qur'an teaches the family, clan, or tribal community has an obligation to Allah to carry the death punishments out without fear of retribution.
Now if you know of a way to change that legal, cultural, and governmental structure called Political Islam - I'd love to hear it. I don't think we would have beat the Nazis with your mindset as articulated in your last paragraph Mike.
America Akbar
www.RadioJihad.org
Thank you for providing this article, and giving an articulate service member a voice. Your perspective is incredible, but there is so much more to tell than one man possibly can. Thank you, and especially MAJ Sucher.
The comments in the article are all mine, not Michael's. They are simply and solely my personal opinions. I have great respect for all religions, including that of Islam. I believe that I am trying my best to separate "radical" Islam that infiltrated Afghanistan during the 1980s from "peaceful" Islam. I draw my opinions from reading "Afghanistan" by Stephen Tanner, "In Afghanistan: Two Hundred Years of British, Russion and American Occupation" by David Lyon and "Ghost Wars" by Steve Coll.
Respectfully,
JF Sucher
Thanks for the service that you are providing with getting these great articles out to the public!
People keep comparing the current war in Afghanistan with Alexander the Great, and the British Empire when they tried to conquer and occupy Afghanistan. This is a poor comparison since the US has no intentions of conquering nor occupying the country.
Joseph Patrick Meissner at meissnerjoseph@ yahoo.com
In today paper there is a story about Karzai meeting with the Taliban as a step toward "national reconciliation" of the two groups in Afghanistan. The story goes on to say Karzai's plan is to provide economic incentives to lure low to mid-level Taliban off the battlefield. Historically buying off your enemy from the bottom up has not been successful. Especially when we just read about the horrific medical care Afghani children from their government infrastructure tasked with providing those services.
JF - This discussion has drifted off point from the original story - however very interesting and I would love to continue the conversation with you and anyone else from this board.
Go to www.RadioJihad.com and click on the comment section
America Akbar
Unfortunately, where girls become chattel before they are women, the future for most any girl in rural Afghanistan remains bleak.
Also, note that there is danger in the admission into a base, and transporting around of "family members." At least some of them are there to gather intelligence. Its an old ruse they've used for decades. Find a sick or crippled child and bundle them off with a elder Taliban to a base's front door.
Our charity, seen as a weakness by many, is being used against us.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLU-43
It was really a powerful moment for me to see Princess Salerno with a stuffed animal -- it brought back a lot of memories, though one not so good.
During my time flying missions, from the height of the Soviet war era and into the draw down afterward, we had to advise our USAF Aeromedical Squadron nurses against offering stuffed animals to the children on flights. In the most poignant testimony of the brutality of the Soviets, the very sight of a stuffed animal could create a near riot on a medevac flight. The Soviets would airdrop stuffed animals loaded with bombs on fields in the rural areas and many of the children lost both hands when they picked up a cuddly toy like that.
Today, as shown in the eyes of Princess Salerno, the stuffed animal is no longer a weapon of war and terror. With the fading of that memory among Afghans, and the passing of the Soviet Union into the darkest shadows of history, the world is a better place.
And for those who wish to compare the US and ISAF forces with the Soviets, I can only say this -- you know nothing of history. Afghanistan is and will be a better place because of the hard work and sacrifices of America and Europe, through ISAF. It will take time, but the final chapters of the history of this war will be something about which we can all be proud.
Thomas.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/04/02/slapping_friends_105025.html
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/04/02/slapping_friend s_105025.html
that's
...politics.com/articles/2010/04/02/slapping_friend s_105025...
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