Afghanistan Killings Show 'Shallow' U.S. Impact On 'Primitive Society,' Says Retired General

Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey called the shooting deaths of two American advisers in Afghanistan "outrageous" on NBC Nightly News on Saturday and said the killings demonstrate the "shallow impact [the United States] has on this primitive society."

The retired general, NBC's military analyst, also went on to say that the U.S. needs to "re-evaluate the notion of having thousands of Americans isolated all over Afghanistan" as the country prepares to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by 2013.

A gunman killed two Americans military advisers with shots to the back of the head while riots sparked by the burning of Qurans at a NATO base flamed on, The New York Times notes. Afghan President Hamid Karzai took to the airwaves on Sunday to ask for calm in his country after five days of violent protest according to The Washington Post, in hopes to quell rising tensions.

Meanwhile, CNN reports the shooter has been identified as Abdul Saboor by Afghan officials, and the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces recalled all international military personnel from the ministries in Afghanistan in reaction to Saturday's shootings.

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Comments

[mrdailydigger]

02:09 PM on 02/28/2012

The Afghans never asked to be changed. We were just the latest visitors that have come to invade and blow things up. This is how they have always done things. This was never about nation building and always about getting Bin Laden. We didn't go there to "civilize" the natives.

[onlitrade]

01:26 PM on 02/28/2012

When you watch the Afghans protest in a frenzied state they do appear to be primative. The protests are being staged by religious extremists who can morally justify the taking of lives for the burning of a book. The violence displayed in the region by muslims against muslims is an embarassment to the moslem world. It is necessary for religious extremism to keep the masses in a primative state to maintain control. If you can keep the masses illiterate and uneducated it is much easier to manipulate their thoughts.

[rda1911a1]

04:05 PM on 02/28/2012

Hmmm that explains the OWS types

[mclkarim]

11:40 AM on 02/28/2012

The general hit the nail on the head when he used the word "primitive". That is the best word I have heard to describe them and many other countries. We need to get out of there because nothing will change.

[Gregger123]

10:35 AM on 02/28/2012

Weren't there qurans in the world trade center buildings?

[ycplum]

10:19 AM on 02/28/2012

We went into Afghanistan with goals totally divorced from reality. If we had kept our goals moderate -- remove a government friendly to Al Queda and establish some stability (regardlessof government) -- we probably would ave succeeded. Similarly, if we had kept our focus on Afghanistan instead of diverting our attention to Iraq, the Taliban would probably not have resurged.

Afghanistan is primitive with an early feudal type system. We should have recognized that and not try to elevate a Pee Wee league baseball team into the Major Leagues. I do not blame Afghanistan. They are what tehy are. I blame the US who had the capability and responsibility to know better.

[paultec1]

08:41 AM on 02/28/2012

Regardless of politics,the General is right,we did what we could now lets get out.

[Withwhatsmine]

07:24 AM on 02/28/2012

They are primitive cause they don't let the US convert them.

[mclkarim]

11:35 AM on 02/28/2012

They are primitive because that's just the way they and many other countries are. No one can change them. They can only change themselves from within.

[Marine Staff Sergeant]

01:42 AM on 02/28/2012

"Primitive"

You couldn't be more right General.

"Oh, they burned some paper, let's kill 'em all".

[Ladybug1]

09:12 AM on 02/28/2012

Let them kill each other.

[mclkarim]

11:42 AM on 02/28/2012

Yes, and that's exactly what they will do.

[mclkarim]

11:42 AM on 02/28/2012

Thank you, Sergeant. I agree.

[Blackorpheus]

09:26 PM on 02/27/2012

Well, there's "primitive" and there is "primitive."

[Trenchfoot]

08:40 PM on 02/27/2012

General McCaffrey is most probably right. Things will soon return to the Afghan norm when we all pull out i.e. feuding warlords trying to destroy each other in the name of Allah. T'was ever so. Best put a ring around the country and take a peek inside once in a while to see who is still standing.

[TroopAbn]

07:43 PM on 02/27/2012

Maybe if Obamma would take over the poppy fields, we could get our deficet back on track? If we can't do that. Let's bomb the poppy fields and put a border around Afghanistan and not let anyone leave. Only the women, and not allow them to go back.

[Jack Glastra]

06:25 PM on 02/27/2012

I think it might be time to get out of Afghanistan...

[mclkarim]

11:44 AM on 02/28/2012

I know it is time.

[GetAbike]

04:42 PM on 02/27/2012

Not unlike the things we said about the Viet Cong when they failed to comply with our directive to lay down and let the magnificent US of A roll over them.

The next step is to question if maybe we are not killing enough of them.....
Prediction: the Taliban will overthrow our puppet government; chaos, murder, and bombings will swallow the capitol; refugees will evacuate; we will leave.

After all of that, let's check back with the General and see if he has another "insight", shall we?

[BrutusHonestus]

05:51 PM on 02/27/2012

Ummm . . . I think he was suggesting that we need to get our kids out of there because the Afghans have demonstrated themselves to not be worth further sacrifice of our children

. . . the military mission, if there ever really was one, long ago turned into a political one

. . . after wasting thousands of lives and billions of dollars trying to create an environment where a modern democratic society might flourish - - as did in Japan and Germany after post-war American occupation - - it now appears that some cultures simply cannot function at the level necessary to allow emergence from their primitive tribalism and religious brainwashing

. . . Barry was just saying that we need to leave the Afghans to their sticks and stone

[GetAbike]

11:50 AM on 02/28/2012

you are correct- yet even if it comes down to who is more fed up with who, the Afghanis win and we leave. to

[American Subversive]

04:23 PM on 02/27/2012

Like it or not, some culture's are simply superior.

[ca va pas non]

05:10 PM on 02/27/2012

you have not seen your own behavior while in their situation

[ca va pas non]

03:39 PM on 02/27/2012

he was instrumental in creating and financing them and he warned us earlier
http://youtu.be/MMmLkNw--JE