Afghan Insurgents Cross-Dress To Escape U.S. Marines

CNN:

(CNN) -- Insurgents locked in a standoff with U.S. Marines tricked them by dressing up as women to escape, a task force spokesman said Monday.

Women and children had been caught in the standoff between the armed groups, but some of the women were not what they seemed, according to task force spokesman Capt. William Pelletier.

Read the whole story: CNN

Comments

[gbrooks]

Great. We cause all this strife, we don't allow other countries their sovereignty, then we do things that make people resort to guerrilla tactics that put women and children at risk.

I am so sick of this.

[apexfork]

Yes, it's all the fault of the US. It couldn't possibly be the barbarian Taliban ideology that would use women and children to advance their power, it must be the one country in the world that has done more than any other to advance personal freedom.

[bismillah001]

"the one country in the world that has done more than any other to advance personal freedom"

Do you really believe that? By "personal freedom", might you mean neoliberal economic policy? Or strategic dictatorships? Or the Taliban itself?

[FrozenNorthObserver]

lor dy lor dy, you need to do a little checking into history my friend. Over the years the U*S has deposed of many many "demo craticaly" elected govts around the world to only impose brutal dictatorships that would follow US wishes. Iran is just one of a very very long list. It's the main reason the U*S is so disliked in so many places around the globe.

[marco01]

Personal freedom. This coming from someone advocating genocide.

[gbrooks]

Apex, you are deluded if you think these wars are about preserving freedom for the coomon person, so deluded.

The protesters on the streets in Iran are preserving and fighting for freedom. The revolutionary war was fought for freedom. The Civil war (depending on your viewpoint) was fought for freedom.

Afghanistan war? Not for freedom, it started as retaliation. Now it's just a war of fear and strategic placement in the Middle East.

The Iraq war? You seriously don't want to argue in favor of that as "advancement to personal freedom," do you?

There are no wars by a government for freedom anymore, no wars for Democracy. It's all a sham and only the gullible or the completely unaware buy that. Please tell me how a drone hitting a funeral in Pakistan protects the Bill of Rights. Be specific.

[NoSillyName]

Exactly what I said about the French wanting to ban that head-to-toe covering:

You never know who is under there!

Or what they may be carrying.

Dangerous.

[apexfork]

Your President wants to punish you.

From his speech in Cairo: "That's why the United States government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab and to punish those who would deny it."

[Paula Ann]

Hijab is the head scarf
Nikab is facial covering
Burka is the all encompassing "beekeeper" get up with facial netting.

Don't make this about President Obama

[bismillah001]

Yeah I guess that makes a lot of sense in light of France's recent problems with Taliban insurgents masquerading as burqa-ed women.

It's all coming together now.

[stephanemot]

one more reason to ban the burqa
http://e-blogules.blogspot.com/2009/06/france-secularism-and-burqa-political.html

[jamesmac10]

Yes, ban the burqa. It is oppressive.

[weatherwaxx]

So if they noticed all these broad-shouldered, hairy-footed women, why didn't they stop them? Surely they didn't think there were giant hobbits in those slipcovers!

[marco01]

No, they didn't notice at the time.

“Apparently these were tall, rather broad-shouldered women with hairy feet,” Pelletier said.

[notconfindtweenhatnboots]

Do you suppose this is how ObL escapes detection for so long. Was no one suspicious of a 6'6" "woman" in this area?

[HFR]

In the sixties western women burned the bra, now in the 21st century Muslim women need to burn the burka!

[bismillah001]

Thankfully, western feminism has evolved beyond such a simplistic contrarian stance. That was also a period where feminists largely aspired to simply emulate masculine ideals by proving that women can do "masculine" things. It was still playing into a scheme where which still privileged the masculine as the supreme ideal. "Traditional" femininity (signified by symbols such as the bra) was shunned.

More recently, many feminists have been fighting not to simply prove that they, too can imitate the masculine ideal, but rather to reexamine the "traditional" feminine roles and give it equal valuation with the traditional masculine roles. One example is the call for economic analysis to recognize the value of domestic work, which long has been ignored in favor of the "bread-winning" male activities.

Muslim feminism is alive and well these days, and I am thrilled to see it blossoming in places like Iran and Morocco. It really is a fascinating thing to watch. Let's give Muslim women their credit. They need not disown the burqa outright - something which many women choose to wear as a personal commitment to their faith - in order to speak out against patriarchical abuse within Muslim communities. They have their own approach.

[bismillah001]

ughhhh too much revising = sloppy grammar.. sorry

[empress of green]

this could be true. but this could also be propaganda to garner support for the forced unveiling of Muslim women.

[PAposter]

...you mean like the forced unshackling of slaves?

[maudefrickert]

Today's BEST RIPOSTE IN THE WORLD!!!!!

[empress of green]

many women choose to wear the burqa. I understand that women in Taliban controlled areas dont. But many women go from wearing a hijab, to the niqab, to the burqa and it is there choice for many Muslimas. I actually spent an entire day watching documentaries by Muslimas about the different head coverings and THEIR thoughts about it, on youtube. its very interesting

[bismillah001]

Actually, you are absolutely correct.

Muslims call themselves God's "slaves". By forcibly disrupting a religious practice for reasons of purely subjective symbolic interpretation and speculation, the state would be encroaching on the religious freedoms of Muslim women who would opt to wear a niqab or burqa. It would be leading the "forced unshackling of [God's] slaves".

[weatherwaxx]

Oh, for heaven's sake -- there are FEMALE SOLDIERS in the middle east. Why not assign them to screening detail in this sort of situation?

[marco01]

Brilliant. That would fire up support for the Taliban bigtime.

[PAposter]

When I made these comments in response to Sarkosy's decision to ban burqas, most people did not agree with me:

Should members of ter.ror!st cells be allowed to wear burqas...how does one determine if there is a woman under a burqa...it ain't exactly form-fitting!

posted Jun 22, 2009 at 13:55:06

[x004Ronin]

Exactly, if Sarkozy bans the burqa, this will help our soldiers in Afghanistan because......

[PAposter]

Burqas should be banned period...they are a security risk and a human rights violation.

[PAposter]

Hit post before I pasted...another comment in response to Sarkozy's ban on burqas...

It's a human rights issue...and I would argue a security issue...how does anyone know there's a Muslim woman under that burqa?

posted Jun 22, 2009 at 13:49:53

[maudefrickert]

I shared your minority view and took some flack for my comment too:

"Sarkozy: Burqas Are 'Not Welcome' In France

They deserve to be outlawed simply for reasons of security. Jeebus only knows WHAT else might be locked and loaded under all those folds of fabric.

posted Jun 22, 2009 at 18:12:33"

[marco01]

Super easy. Female soldiers can inspect them at checkpoints.

Wow that was hard.

[SparkyAdams]

There aren't that many of those.

[MED1025]

At least you could post your comments. Mine were scrubbed clean.

[x004Ronin]

Well, I'm sure they would wear body armor if they could afford it.

During the Revolutionary War, American colonists wore brown to blend in with the surroundings (they fought battles mainly in the countryside), and used the fact that the Brits wore bright red against them.
Likewise, these guys are dressing up as civilians to blend in with the surroundings (they're fighting battles near towns) and are using the fact that the Americans wear battle armor against them.

It's an insurgency tactic. Of course it's not honorable, but not surprising either.

[Paula Ann]

burka or bagram prison? burka or bagram prison? what ever shall I do?

[dteg]

Not sure if this is even true since there is so much propaganda in war. War has long since lost its honor. No one fights basically one on one man against man anymore.

[Pleneras]

Who was it that complained on France for banning this NOT MUSLIM outfit?

[x004Ronin]

Yes...if only France had banned this outfit, the Marines would have caught these people!

[PAposter]

Try to see the forest created by the trees!

[iridium53]

So, change the rules of engagement.
If Muslims want to use their religion to hide behind, then it is time to be less sensitive of their religion - since they aren't.
Women should be searched.
Mosques should no longer be a place of refuge.

Stop endangering our Marines to protect their sensibilities that don't really exist.

[empress of green]

lol "it is time". we've BEEN devaluing Islam

[apexfork]

19 hijackers devalued Islam.

[marco01]

That's a great way to get more Marines killed because it will INFURIATE these ultra religious, traditional people and therefore fuel support for the Taliban.

Get it?

[apexfork]

Seriously, anyone who believes that god will be insulted by a woman without a sheet over her head is insane and needs to be confronted and mocked.

If they are so close to the edge that calling out their primitive method of worship will infuriate them to the point of violence, let's go ahead and infuriate them to the point of violence. We're better at violence than they are.

[slaxx]

you must be unaware that the big part of the mission is winning over the people and getting them to go against the insurgents/taliban.

[Bitsko]

This kind of thing happens all the time.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/3408852681_d66fff7acf_o.jpg

[smchp]

This can goes both ways. It would be a good way for special forces guys to move in on these guys un-noticed.

[marco01]

Nice. Maybe they're already doing it.

[Paula Ann]

If they aren't "military intelligence" is a joke. Urban camoflague has been going on for some time.

[Hayduke1969]

Is that photo on the Huffpo page from the stoning scene in Life of Brian? That "lady" on the right sure looks like Michael Palan.

[sibster]

Good to see they follow the don't ask don't tell policy as well, lol

[solopico]

Why is it now - finally, during the Presidency of a Democrat, that this kind of story is being picked up by the MSM?

This kind of thing happened during the years our Armed Forces spent in both in Afghanistan and in Iraq while George W. Bush was in office, but for some unfathomable reason, "news" outlets could not bring this information to Americans during that time.

The only stories we were given during Bush's tenure were those about how terrible Americans were for invading these nations.

Sad.

[smchp]

eh.....I'm ok with it. I remember seeing a video a couple years back where they caught a couple Taliban guys doing this after a drive by shooting.

[x004Ronin]

This has been reported repeatedly in the past. Stop pretending you're privy to information no one else is.