Micah Zenko is a public commentator who appears to have compassion -- a rare thing. But in their chattering to themselves, these talking heads -- even the ones with compassion -- appear to get lost.
No where is that more clear than in his column for THE NEW YORK TIMES entitled "Why Is the US Killing So Many Civilians in Syria and Iraq?" online and "Facing Civilian Casualties" in print.
He goes over the fact that that populated areas are now being bmobed more, he goes over the claims of relaxed guidelines for bombings (and the denial), he goes over Donald Trump's farming out decision making to the military.
It's a hand wringing column.
It's also one where they talk to themselves and accept things as normal which are not, in any way, shape or form, normal.
First off, it is not normal to be dropping bombs in populated areas.
In many cases, that is a War Crime.
Second, note the second sentence:
Also, more strikes have occurred in populated areas, like Mosul, the Islamic State’s last stronghold in Iraq. A 500-pound bomb aimed at two snipers there detonated stored explosives, which collapsed a building and killed 105 Iraqi civilians on March 17, according to Centcom.
Anyone making it to the end of that second sentence will read the sotto voiced "according to Centcom," yes. And that's rather cheesy.
But that's not my point here.
2 snipers.
A five under-pound bomb.
For two snipers.
(For the sake of argument, let's accept that claim that the were two snipers and that they were the target.)
For two snipers -- in a densely populated area -- you drop a 500 pound bomb?
In the dank hall where the chattering faces use their own fingers to pull their deaths masks back into a perverse grin while they speak their own coded language, a 500 pound bomb is seen as normal, something that just is.
There is nothing normal about dropping a 500 pound bomb on populated area.
Membership in the chattering class requires crushing your own soul.
AFP reports, "Iraqi authorities have dropped leaflets over Mosul warning civilians to stay inside and are telling jihadists to 'surrender or die' after launching an assault to retake the Old City."
Day 243 of The Mosul Slog.
And when it finally ends, the war drags on.
EU considers security mission to help stabilise Iraq after Mosul falls http://ow.ly/W3V730cHG6m
And US troops will not be leaving.
In other news . . .
Welcome today's landmark visit by #Iraq PM @HaiderAlAbadi and accompanying ministerial delegation to #SaudiArabia.
#Iraq PM @HaiderAlAbadi arrived in Saudi Arabia after receiving an official invitation from @KingSalman.
مراسيم استقبال رسمية في مطار الملك عبدالعزيز لدى وصول العبادي
This is big news. Iraq shares a border (southern border) with Saudi Arabia. Under Nouri al-Maliki, "diplomacy" with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia was making threats and verbal attacks.
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