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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We cannot "force" our value and belief system on a foreign country any more than we should allow the Israelis, Russians, English, or Saudi to do it to us. Now the moment we take our value system and force it on someone we wind up where we are now, and troops are left hanging in the winds for believing in what IS right, but is actually wrong. In regards to the whole Afgan Chomo thing, I knew it was happening, my Joes, knew it, and if we knew it, don't think that ANY flag officer who was in charge of anything over there didn't also. We didn't like it, and outside of reporting it up the chain, there is nothing we can/should do about it. That SF NCO would be the bottom of the food chain if they allowed us to exercise our beliefs through the use of 5.56, 7.62, 25mm or everyone's favorite the BRRRRRTTTTT machine. But they don't in an effort not to offend the host nations beliefs yet sacrifice ours.
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SSG Warren Swan
CPT Toby Forbes - Sir we can intervene for the family. We should. But when it pushes our moral compass to that point, we need to step back and maybe let someone else of cooler minds prevail. Had the child been in immediate life or limb danger, then by all means deal with the situation. There's a lot to this that isn't out, but we cannot assault someone just because they piss us off. We're professionals with feelings. But professionalism comes first.
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SSG Warren Swan
CPT Toby Forbes - Ummm CPT I DID know this was happening as did many others up and down the food chain. It was NOT UNCOMMON knowledge in the Stan. If anything I said remotely states I condone it or even like it, maybe it's not me with the problem. If this people in this nation ran around reacting to everything violently, we'd have ten people left; five of that ten would be waiting for a reason to kill the other five. And it would keep going till there is one left. We investigate what happens. That's professionalism. We report things that happen that's professionalism. We intervene when nessicary. That's professionalism. We don't act out or lash out based off feelings. That's not professional.If YOU think for one second you'd do anything different than what I said, you're sorely mistaken and won't be in the Army for long. You'll do exactly as I said, as many others have done, and as your Soldiers will do under you. Receive info, report info, investigate info if need be, report results of said investigation, and Charlie Mike as ordered. But if you think or believe that you'll continue your career with your current rank just operating off feelings go right ahead. I did my job based off the regulations made by those above me (no feelings), I enforced the standards made by those above me (no feelings even when I didn't like it), and when my feelings made me question what I was doing or should be doing, I talked to a SNCO or my team leader for clarification. Business never personal. I got my feelings when I came home.
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SSgt (Join to see)
SSG Warren Swan - No you cannot watch this and remain stoic because regardless you imagine what you would feel like. We are not talking about pets and that is wrong too but this is a human.. Looking away is a crime.
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SSG Warren Swan
SSgt (Join to see) - You are absolutely right. I wouldn't IF I SAW it. If I SAW it, Inmate McQueen (the Ft. Hood pimp) would have company (me) in his cell. If I saw it on the streets, a certain level of unspoken justice there would be required. If the only thing I got was TOLD about it, yes I could remain stoic because I'd want to make sure I'm correct before I do something that is wrong, and doesn't protect or help anyone. I know of many "rumors", but they don't require anything more of me than me being alert to the situation. But once those rumors become facts, then the level of alertness changes and so would the actions I'd take to protect myself or those affected by that truth. In the Stan I HEARD of lil and teenage boys being used as sex objects. I even knew of "man love Thursdays", I knew the unspoken rule of NEVER drinking Chai with an Afghan man alone. but knowing about them, and being witness to them are two different things and afford me the ability to think, report, investigate, report new findings, and take appropriate actions as required or directed. I'm not going to get into an internet "tough guy" thing when I know I'm not. I know what I'd do and I know my breaking points; harm to kids and women would break me down to no end as with any MAN on this site. So me saying I'll kill, main, hurt, or do anything as a Monday QB serves no good. But us talking about how we all knew or know this is happening is the right thing to do because there are still those who have not been over there and don't know what we already do.
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Yes I think it is a shame that American Service men and women can be punished for disobeying UNLAWFUL orders TSgt Dan Sawn.
Hopefully those who issue UNLAWFUL orders will have justice meted out to them.
Hopefully those who issue UNLAWFUL orders will have justice meted out to them.
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Where is the written policy directing us to look the other way? Written by whom, when? Disturbing information any way you look at it.
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I have to seriously question that child rape is an Afghan cultural thing.
I think we as Americans take the higher moral ground and we cannot stand by as some scumbag decides to sexually violate a woman or child no matter if that scumbag is Afghan, Chinese, American or whatever.
I can see where we don't put our morals on someone about their eating habits, such as Filipinos who eat with their hands instead of using utensils, or Middle Eastern women wearing various stages of facial and body covering to be in accordance with their upbringing and religious beliefs.
But never, ever try to condone rape or assaults as a cultural matter, that's beyond ignorant and to hear that from a full Colonel makes you wonder about his moral character.
I think we as Americans take the higher moral ground and we cannot stand by as some scumbag decides to sexually violate a woman or child no matter if that scumbag is Afghan, Chinese, American or whatever.
I can see where we don't put our morals on someone about their eating habits, such as Filipinos who eat with their hands instead of using utensils, or Middle Eastern women wearing various stages of facial and body covering to be in accordance with their upbringing and religious beliefs.
But never, ever try to condone rape or assaults as a cultural matter, that's beyond ignorant and to hear that from a full Colonel makes you wonder about his moral character.
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CPO Andy Carrillo, MS
That Colonel enjoys the full support of his CIC. We can also thank the Pakistanis for introducing bacha bazi to the Afghanis, an "ancient practice" (euphemism for perversion) during their jihad against the Russians and which is universally prohibited, even in Islam:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/dancingboys/view/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/dancingboys/view/
Watch The Full Program | The Dancing Boys Of Afghanistan | FRONTLINE | PBS
FRONTLINE investigates the accusations of criminality and corruption that have surrounded Vladimir Putin’s reign in Russia.
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CPO Andy Carrillo, MS
As the documentary indicated, this practice was introduced to the mujahedeen by Pakistanis, and adopted by a few powerful warlords, police, and those of means. Otherwise the child's Afghani mother would not have risked so much to complain.
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When you say tolerate you must mean in the sense of food and culture, but wrong things are wrong rape is by far way feel in the wrong. If you where talking about vocabulary customs dress code I can understand but not that
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So if that is the case, why were we battling the Taliban for as long as we have been? I thought it was to create a better way of life for those who could not defend themselves (does this sound even remotely familiar).
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CPO Andy Carrillo, MS
Somewhere we lost our moral compass, and therefore our way. No wonder we're despised by so many as we stand by and allow evil to wreak havoc on women and children...
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COL. JOHNSON is/was wrong. The fight against terrorism is as much a fight againt ideology as it is agaist terror itself... that boy would always remember the American who came to his defense as would his mother. That is how you win allies. Americans should always stand for what is morally right, defend the weak and innocent. As Americans we have a soft spot for Children and Dogs... we should defend vigorously, as much as possible, those people being repressed and brutalized!
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