Making war more unacceptable

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Sorry I misunderstood your point. I agree religions are a pain in the arse. As I said banning religious text without dealing with the mental delusion will not succeed

Which would be the role of their families and other compatriots.

I very much doubt that anybody serving in Afghanistan sees the Afghans as nothing else but numbers. They are more likely to perceive them as either a dangerous and unpredictable enemy, or a potentially deadly enemy. They are unlikely to be dismissive. Bear in mind that insurgent warfare is far removed from conventional warfare. In a place like Afghanistan there are no real front lines, no safe areas. Everywhere is no-man's land, and everyone is a potential combatant. The enemy can be anyone, right down to a child or an innocuous patch of road.

Even with this no holds barred theatre, western troops are beholden to all the laws of conventional combat, and the rules and strictures of the Geneva Convention. Frankly, they do an outstanding job considering that their opponents have no similar strictures. The Afghans have no qualms in deploying weapons outlawed (inadvisedly) by pretty much everyone else. An afghan captured by western troops is unlikely to be tortured* but a westerner is highly likely to end up as a promotional video for involuntary decapitation.

In a conflict where the difference between civilian and combatant is whether they are holding an AK at the time, bemoaning the fact that genuine civilians are killed seems a little.. pointless.**

*Yes, I am fully aware of the "torture" inflicted on Iraqi soldiers etc etc, and would remind the reader that being made to wear a hood and touch someones nuts wihlst standing on a bucket and pose for pictures IN NO WAY compares to having your head cut the f**k off. Being put in a "stress" position and handcuffed WILL NEVER be the same as having your balls wired to the national grid, your nails ripped out, or in fact having your head cut the f**k off.

**A lot of civilians died on London transport not so long back, and very few, if any of them could be confused with combatants in a warzone. Civilians die when wars occur. Fact. The only part that matters is whether its a deliberate attempt to kill them or not.

Discretion, discretion ...

What for? Does your god have an account on WrongPlanet? Better still, is he/she/it a moderator?

I don't think so...

God is a moderator, in a maner of speaking. For a fifty year-old man, you're pretty immature.

Sorry, kid ... I'm just trying to relate...