Date: December 17th 2008

Date: 17.12.08

No virgins for you, fellas. "IED kills three insurgents in Oruzgan," from Centcom, December 16 (thanks to Weasel Zippers):

KABUL, Afghanistan - Three insurgents attempted to plant an IED in Deh Rawod district, Oruzgan province, approximately 200 km southwest of Kabul, along a well traveled road when it detonated, killing two of the insurgents.

Local villagers reported an explosion to the ANSF, who discovered the dead and wounded.Afghan National Security Forces and Coalition forces provided medical attention and transported the wounded insurgent to a nearby Coalition forces medical facility for treatment, but he subsequently died of his injuries.

No ANSF, Coalition forces or civilian casualties were reported.

"The ANSF showed their compassion and professionalism by providing treatment to a wounded enemy," said Col. Gregory Julian, U.S. Forces Afghanistan spokesman.

Do you think that the ANSF won over any jihadist hearts and minds by doing that? Unfortunately, this is unlikely. The jihadists tend to see compassion only as weakness.

United States Forces Afghanistan's mission, in coordination with NATO's International Security Assistance Force, is to conduct operations to defeat terrorist networks and insurgents by developing effective governance and building the Afghan National Security Force. Effective security throughout the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan facilitates continued regional stability and increases economic development for the people of Afghanistan.

Oh, and Sharia, but who cares when you have "regional stability"?