Posted on Sep 8, 2015
"Colonel: Soldiers Should Not 'Impose' On All Afghan Customs, Including Child Rape"
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From: Breitbart
United States soldiers should tolerate all Afghan customs, even if they go against American moral values, suggested Col. Steve Johnson, referring to a decorated Green Beret who has been reprimanded by the U.S. Army for “striking” a child rapist in Afghanistan back in September 2011.
“You cannot try to impose American values and American norms onto the Afghan culture because they’re completely different… We can report and we can encourage them,” Col. Johnson told The News Tribune. “We do not have any power or the ability to use our hands to compel them to be what we see as morally better.”
The practice of influential men using underage boys as their sexual patterns, known as “Bacha Bazi,” is an illegal but common custom in Afghanistan.
Sgt. First Class (SFC) Charles Martland, the Green Beret, is expected to be kicked out of the Army by November 1.
Johnson’s comments drew the ire of Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) who, along with severRep. Al Green (D-TX) Beret veterans, argues that the Army should not discharge Martland for standing up to the alleged rapist, identified as Afghan local police (ALP) commander Abdul Rahman.
The incident took place in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province.
Hunter, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, declared that the Army’s decision to dismiss Sgt. Martland shows the “moral decay” currently afflicting military leadership. Rep. Hunter told Breitbart News:
Martland’s experience shows the type of moral decay among certain aspects of military leadership—starting at the top. In fact, had he not intervened in my opinion, that should have been grounds for removal. At what point will Army leadership stand up for Martland for doing the right thing? Instead, they continue to hide behind a process that seems to makes most sense, in the case specifically, to an Afghan rapist who was happy to see Martland pulled from duty.
Rep. Hunter, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, has written three letters to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter asking him to intervene in the Army’s case against the Green Beret, for the purpose of granting him his wish to continue serving in the U.S. Army.
Sgt. Martland admitted “striking” the alleged rapist accused of kidnapping, chaining, and raping a 12-year-old boy and then beating his mother for pleading for help. The local police commander reportedly laughed about committing the crimes.
Rep. Duncan Hunter disagrees with Col. Johnson’s comments about U.S. soldiers having to tolerate all Afghan customs even if they go against American moral values.
“It is, in fact, a fundamental duty for our military to project American power, strength, and values,”wrote the congressman in the most recent letter addressed to Sec. Carter, dated September 1. “The ALP commander’s action was a human rights violations—and SFC Martland was right to step in and attempt to protect the child from further harm.”
Duncan also noted that Col. Johnson, in talking to The News Tribune, claimed the alleged rapist was “an inch from his death” after he was assaulted by Sgt. Martland and Quinn.
A cultural adviser and linguist who witnessed the incident contradicted those allegations, telling the office of Rep. Hunter, on condition of anonymity, that the rapist exaggerated the nature of his wounds, adding that the provincial police chief “strongly condemned” the alleged rapist and suggested that “he should be dismissed, arrested and put away.”
The police chief commended Sgt. Martland for confronting the Afghan police commander who allegedly laughed when approached by Martland.
Prior to the September 2011 incident, Col. Steve Johnson commanded Sgt. Charles Martland when he was the commander in the Army’s 1st Special Forces Group.
Johnson was in Afghanistan when Martland and Capt. Daniel Quinn, his Green Beret team leader, approached Rahman for allegedly kidnapping, chaining, and raping a 12-year-old boy and then beating his mother for reaching out to the Green Berets for help.
The Army reprimanded Martland and Quinn, relieving them from their duties in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province where the incident took place back in 2011.
Quinn has since taken a private sector job in New York. Sgt. Martland is fighting to stay in the military.
Sgt. Martland is now facing involuntary discharge from the Army.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Army and the public affairs office for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, citing the Privacy Act, told Breitbart News that the Army was unable to confirm whether or not the September 2011 incident is linked to its decision to remove Martland.
When Breitbart News asked for a comment on accusations that the Army had chosen to side with the rapist instead of Sgt. Martland, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said, “The Privacy Act prevents us from releasing any additional information about the administrative action taken regarding this topic.”
When the 2011 incident occurred, Sgt. Martland was serving with an elite Joint Base Lewis-McChord unit.
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/09/02/colonel-u-s-soldiers-should-not-impose-on-all-afghan-customs-including-child-rape/
United States soldiers should tolerate all Afghan customs, even if they go against American moral values, suggested Col. Steve Johnson, referring to a decorated Green Beret who has been reprimanded by the U.S. Army for “striking” a child rapist in Afghanistan back in September 2011.
“You cannot try to impose American values and American norms onto the Afghan culture because they’re completely different… We can report and we can encourage them,” Col. Johnson told The News Tribune. “We do not have any power or the ability to use our hands to compel them to be what we see as morally better.”
The practice of influential men using underage boys as their sexual patterns, known as “Bacha Bazi,” is an illegal but common custom in Afghanistan.
Sgt. First Class (SFC) Charles Martland, the Green Beret, is expected to be kicked out of the Army by November 1.
Johnson’s comments drew the ire of Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) who, along with severRep. Al Green (D-TX) Beret veterans, argues that the Army should not discharge Martland for standing up to the alleged rapist, identified as Afghan local police (ALP) commander Abdul Rahman.
The incident took place in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province.
Hunter, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, declared that the Army’s decision to dismiss Sgt. Martland shows the “moral decay” currently afflicting military leadership. Rep. Hunter told Breitbart News:
Martland’s experience shows the type of moral decay among certain aspects of military leadership—starting at the top. In fact, had he not intervened in my opinion, that should have been grounds for removal. At what point will Army leadership stand up for Martland for doing the right thing? Instead, they continue to hide behind a process that seems to makes most sense, in the case specifically, to an Afghan rapist who was happy to see Martland pulled from duty.
Rep. Hunter, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, has written three letters to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter asking him to intervene in the Army’s case against the Green Beret, for the purpose of granting him his wish to continue serving in the U.S. Army.
Sgt. Martland admitted “striking” the alleged rapist accused of kidnapping, chaining, and raping a 12-year-old boy and then beating his mother for pleading for help. The local police commander reportedly laughed about committing the crimes.
Rep. Duncan Hunter disagrees with Col. Johnson’s comments about U.S. soldiers having to tolerate all Afghan customs even if they go against American moral values.
“It is, in fact, a fundamental duty for our military to project American power, strength, and values,”wrote the congressman in the most recent letter addressed to Sec. Carter, dated September 1. “The ALP commander’s action was a human rights violations—and SFC Martland was right to step in and attempt to protect the child from further harm.”
Duncan also noted that Col. Johnson, in talking to The News Tribune, claimed the alleged rapist was “an inch from his death” after he was assaulted by Sgt. Martland and Quinn.
A cultural adviser and linguist who witnessed the incident contradicted those allegations, telling the office of Rep. Hunter, on condition of anonymity, that the rapist exaggerated the nature of his wounds, adding that the provincial police chief “strongly condemned” the alleged rapist and suggested that “he should be dismissed, arrested and put away.”
The police chief commended Sgt. Martland for confronting the Afghan police commander who allegedly laughed when approached by Martland.
Prior to the September 2011 incident, Col. Steve Johnson commanded Sgt. Charles Martland when he was the commander in the Army’s 1st Special Forces Group.
Johnson was in Afghanistan when Martland and Capt. Daniel Quinn, his Green Beret team leader, approached Rahman for allegedly kidnapping, chaining, and raping a 12-year-old boy and then beating his mother for reaching out to the Green Berets for help.
The Army reprimanded Martland and Quinn, relieving them from their duties in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province where the incident took place back in 2011.
Quinn has since taken a private sector job in New York. Sgt. Martland is fighting to stay in the military.
Sgt. Martland is now facing involuntary discharge from the Army.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Army and the public affairs office for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, citing the Privacy Act, told Breitbart News that the Army was unable to confirm whether or not the September 2011 incident is linked to its decision to remove Martland.
When Breitbart News asked for a comment on accusations that the Army had chosen to side with the rapist instead of Sgt. Martland, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said, “The Privacy Act prevents us from releasing any additional information about the administrative action taken regarding this topic.”
When the 2011 incident occurred, Sgt. Martland was serving with an elite Joint Base Lewis-McChord unit.
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/09/02/colonel-u-s-soldiers-should-not-impose-on-all-afghan-customs-including-child-rape/
Army
Afghanistan
Customs and Courtesies
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 151
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I remember sitting through quite a few uncomfortable pre-deployment briefs instructing us to not interfere with these types of issues, unless rape and assault were used as a weapon for war. And even then, it would be a gray area and best to let the Chain of Command resolve the issue. To this day, I still don't understand it fully nor have I ever found any policy regarding the matter. The general guideline was that we were not to upset our allies by influencing our cultural views upon theirs. Sorry, but forced sexual contact is a no-go in my book and when the victim is a child, I will deliver that perpetrator to the gates of hell. I get it, its not our culture, but that still doesn't make it right to look away.
I wonder what the higher ups would think about this Look Away mindset if perhaps a U.S. diplomat or military brass for some reason had brought their own child over there and then find their child as one of the 'play toys.' I seriously doubt even a high ranking General would turn the other cheek in that situation.
I wonder what the higher ups would think about this Look Away mindset if perhaps a U.S. diplomat or military brass for some reason had brought their own child over there and then find their child as one of the 'play toys.' I seriously doubt even a high ranking General would turn the other cheek in that situation.
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Many have toiled to change that ancient society but the most the West can do is set a positive example in the hope the Afghans will realize how barbaric some of their customs truly are.
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CPO Andy Carrillo, MS
Forget not that the Afghanis learned this practice from the Pakistanis: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/dancingboys/view/
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The US needs to leave these monsters alone. Raping children and beating women is part of their culture . The Afgan people are not worth saving.
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CPO Andy Carrillo, MS
Some of the men may not be worth saving, but defenseless women and powerless children who are treated as chattel deserve a chance. To think the women and children are monsters is the other side of that perverse coin.
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i was hoping this and Ash Carter's "Secret Sauce" were from the Duffel Blog
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While I completely disagree with the action the Army is taking against SFC Martland, I can see how this is an issue, although a very, very complicated one. First of all let me say I probably would have done the same thing in that situation, but I was also just a dumb grunt. Being SF means knowing about cultural norms and having a better understanding of how to handle situations like this. It sounds like if they had just gone to this guys boss he would have taken care of it (and if anyone else has ever seen the Afghans dispense their own brand of justice, you know this guy probably got off light having his ass kicked by Americans). And while we have been projecting American norms and values onto the countries and populations we invade, that is not what we should be there for. It is unfortunately not our job to tell people what is moral, even if the Police Chief's action violate the basic laws of human dignity. Also, as SF soldiers, American soldiers, and in the hopes of bringing about lasting change in Afghanistan this kind of vigilantism (though warranted) violates the rule of law, something we are working very hard to implement in Afghanistan. We have to lead by example, even in the face of despicable people.
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Suspended Profile
cultural norm have nothing to do with human dignity and someone behaving no better than predator, albeit sexual one. I see nothing wrong that Sgt Maartland did, except for not cutting that guy's dick off after performing thorough beating, especially when that guy is cop and abusing his position to sodomize little boys. How would anyone anywhere enjoy having Pedophile cop patrolling their streets regardless of the country?
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CPT Ahmed Faried
@SGT James Elphick it seems they reported him but he was given a slap on the wrist.
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We had fights with locals in several countries in the middle east
For various reasons. I do not see the problem.
For various reasons. I do not see the problem.
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"United States soldiers should tolerate all Afghan customs, even if they go against American moral values"....I'm going to wait and see where we didn't go and "offer" American influence in Afghani ways. This Soldier isn't a hero in what he did, but he shows the values many of us (myself included) share and hold dear. In the end, the fact he "assaulted" this "cop" was wrong. I don't think it went down the way it's being portrayed, but if the Army was to let him get away with it, what are you saying to the rest of the service? That alone could lead to some serious humanitarian and legal issues that we're not ready to face. I'm sorry SFC and you are falling on your sword with this, but in the end, it's for a greater good so no one else has to do the same thing you did. I'd hope this "noble" deed serves the purpose I described and isn't used as another means to thin the forces.
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Suspended Profile
He assaulted the child rapist who just beat up his mother because she called SF on him? If I was there I would of shot him with M203 and gladly stood at the tribunal for murder. He should of got the medal for beating the shit out of pedophile who will never stop sodomizing kids since thanks to the glorious Top Brass, it is apparently ok with people raping little boys. People like that "Police Officer" need to be killed off without mercy because they abuse their position of power. How would anyone liked to have pedophile cop patrolling their streets? Either way the pedophile cop is happily patrolling Afghan streets and by this point probably already raped more boys, while the person who stood up to such evil is being drum headed.
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