From today's NYT: "Nine young boys collecting firewood to heat their homes in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan were killed by gunners in NATO helicopters who mistook them for insurgents, according to a statement issued Wednesday by NATO, which apologized for the mistake."
First, Ned appreciates the nicety of the apology. He is sure the parents and relatives will be sufficiently solaced, but has heard that "NATO" which is a code for US troops, will offer them a few packets of cigarettes and chocolate bars if the apology doesn't suffice.
Second, he understands that when we are fighting for freedom, a lot of children will have to die, and, being a right-thinking American, he figures that as long as it's somebody else's children, we can be courageous enough to bear it.
The worst thing is that the article kept referring to "NATO" troops when as far as Ned could determine the troops were all Americans. Is it a way to avoid responsibility, and is the NYT complicit in this? Stay tuned.
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