Petraeus vows to keep civilian deaths to minimum - AP

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

The last line is the most hilarious.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110602/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan – The top NATO commander in Afghanistan said Thursday that he is committed to reducing the loss of innocent lives to an absolute minimum.

The statement marked Gen. David Petraeus' latest attempt to ease President Hamid Karzai's anger over civilian casualties. Karzai exploded in rage after a recent air attack that killed at least nine civilians in Helmand province in the south.

After that attack, Karzai ordered the U.S.-led coalition to stop bombing homes because too many civilians were being killed. It was Karzai's strongest-ever statement against NATO alliance airstrikes and further complicated a difficult relationship with the Obama administration as it prepares a troop drawdown in the increasingly unpopular war.

In a visit to Khost province in eastern Afghanistan along the Pakistan border, Petraeus expressed his "absolute commitment to reducing to the absolute minimum the loss of innocent, civilian lives" during operations targeting insurgents.

"We share President Karzai's emotion about this," Petraeus said. "We are here to protect the people, to safeguard them, not to harm them or their property."

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. What more can you ask?

:shrug:

Not killing any is out of the question!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. The ingrates don't understand we're killing them for their own good.

Not to mention there's an election coming up and our guy has to look tough.

[Marblehead]

3. we must kill them

to save them...

[xchrom]

4. ...

:eyes:

[RC]

5. Has anyone thought of pulling out and coming home?

That should save lives on both sides. To say nothing of the money it is costing.

[indepat]

8. Such radical nam-by pam-by ideas will never fly

:patriot:

[GreenTea]

6. Right- they now have the Super-Duper Smart bombs - kills everyone in sight and...

leaves no remains of anyone to report on.

[Ignis]

7. "We share President Karzai's emotion about this."

That, at least, is true. After all, we paid enough for Karzai; the least he can do is provide us moral cover when we bomb civilians.

[gratuitous]

9. Words ≠ Actions

There seems to be a disconnect here, but if The Man Called Petraeus says it, well . . .

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. Was " a minimum" defined?

"Sorry your baby sister was turned into instant hamburger, but she was in the *minimum* group"