In the early hours of Sunday, there was noise. “I told my son not to speak because the Americans are here,” an Afghan woman told the BBC. “They went next door and the first thing they did was shoot the dog. And then there was a muffled bang inside the room—but who could go and see?” A mother using the word “Americans” to scare her child into silence is alone cause for reflection. And “who could go and see”? Despite the dark and noise and confusion—was there more than one soldier? A helicopter?—some Afghans in the village saw something. Here is what another woman told the BBC: There was one man, and he dragged a woman by her hair and banged her head repeatedly against the wall. She didn’t say a word. And Mohammad Zahir, age twenty-six, to the AP: He was walking around taking up positions in the house—in two or three places like he was searching… He was on his knees when he shot my father…[My father] was not holding anything—not even a cup of tea. Abdul Hadi, age forty, to the Times. My father went out to find out what was happening, and he was killed… I was covered by the women in my family in my room, so that is why I survived. Gul Bashra, identified as a “mother,” on Al Jazeera (and the woman who told the BBC about the noises): They killed a child who was two years old. Was that child Taliban? Anar Gula, an elderly neighbor, to the Times: All the family members were killed, the dead put in a room, and blankets were put over the corpses and they were burned… We put out the fire. After that, there was plenty for the world to see: the back of a truck with a pile of bodies and worn-soft quilts; the corpse of a preschool-age boy curled up next to that of an old man; blood on the walls. General Allen talked about the need to “do right by the wounded, right by the families” and the resilience of “a deep relationship forged over years and years of combat.” But time in a forge can leave something twisted in a way that isn’t useful or true. Who is going to put out this fire?
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In the early hours of Sunday, there was noise. “I told my son not to speak because the Americans are here,” an Afghan woman told the BBC. “They went next door and the first thing they did was shoot the dog. And then there was a muffled bang inside the room—but who could go and see?”

A mother using the word “Americans” to scare her child into silence is alone cause for reflection. And “who could go and see”? Despite the dark and noise and confusion—was there more than one soldier? A helicopter?—some Afghans in the village saw something. Here is what another woman told the BBC:

There was one man, and he dragged a woman by her hair and banged her head repeatedly against the wall. She didn’t say a word.

And Mohammad Zahir, age twenty-six, to the AP:

He was walking around taking up positions in the house—in two or three places like he was searching… He was on his knees when he shot my father…[My father] was not holding anything—not even a cup of tea.

Abdul Hadi, age forty, to the Times.

My father went out to find out what was happening, and he was killed… I was covered by the women in my family in my room, so that is why I survived.

Gul Bashra, identified as a “mother,” on Al Jazeera (and the woman who told the BBC about the noises):

They killed a child who was two years old. Was that child Taliban?

Anar Gula, an elderly neighbor, to the Times:

All the family members were killed, the dead put in a room, and blankets were put over the corpses and they were burned… We put out the fire.

After that, there was plenty for the world to see: the back of a truck with a pile of bodies and worn-soft quilts; the corpse of a preschool-age boy curled up next to that of an old man; blood on the walls. General Allen talked about the need to “do right by the wounded, right by the families” and the resilience of “a deep relationship forged over years and years of combat.” But time in a forge can leave something twisted in a way that isn’t useful or true. Who is going to put out this fire?

Source: newyorker.com

175 Notes/ Hide

  1. seabluescylla reblogged this from watanafghanistan
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  3. naturallynocturnal reblogged this from watanafghanistan and added:
    this picture touches me so much.. watanafghanistan:
  4. lolalinying reblogged this from naturallynocturnal and added:
    this picture touches me so much… :
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  9. biglipscurvyhips reblogged this from watanafghanistan and added:
    This breaks my heart to see my people going through this, i hope this can be over soon..enough lives have been lost :(
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  11. uglyoldcreep reblogged this from frenchfrysweatshirt
  12. frenchfrysweatshirt reblogged this from iraya and added:
    oh my god i’m crying..this is absolutely heartbreaking….
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  14. sipmiau reblogged this from berseker
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  16. ohgodpleaseshutup reblogged this from watanafghanistan and added:
    my heart cries for the state of this planet
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  22. oceanofsuns reblogged this from summerbirds and added:
    People should know and judge matter of factly: which are the satans/the TRUE TERRORISTS and which are NOT. Please, this...
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  28. thechronicleofshe reblogged this from btgrrreat and added:
    This is fucking disgusting.
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