For seven years, U.S. and NATO forces have been bombing Afghanistan and rarely acknowledging any misfires. So when I opened Sunday’s Daily News and saw a photo of a U.S. Brigadier General hugging an aggrieved Afghan to offer condolences for an errant (and fatal) bombing, I was surprised, to say the least. When I saw the photo credit (U.S. Military) I nearly choked on my bagel. The Pentagon has acknowledged “collateral damage” and misguided incursions in the past, but rarely (if ever) has it taken the opportunity to show its softer side. Without taking away from the show of compassion, it’s worth pointing out that it was a brilliant PR move. The photo shows the world a powerful, yet contrite military commander from the U.S. owning up to a mistake on the battlefield. A news release noted that a combined team of Afghan National Army and coalition forces investigated the incident and inspected the site with international observers.
The military initially reported the strike killed 15 militants, but the probe found that only three were combatants, while 13 other casualties were civilians.
Brig. Gen. Michael Ryan met with victims' families and apologized, giving the world a chance to see, through a moving photo, how a powerful military should act.
(Photo: Defense Dept.)