US invaders’ loud music deafens Afghan children

From AFP news agency today:

By Karim Talbi Karim Talbi – 2 hrs 2 mins ago

MARJAH, Afghanistan – US special forces have a novel weapon in the fight to expel Taliban from a desolate and war-weary farming community in southern Afghanistan — heavy metal music.

When insurgents open fire in Marjah, an armoured vehicle wired up to powerful speakers blasts out country, heavy metal and rock music so loudly it can be heard up to two kilometres (one mile) away.

“Taliban hate that music,” said the sergeant involved in covert psychological operations, or “psy ops”, in the area in Helmand province.

“Some locals complain but it’s a way to push them to choose.

Well, let us suppose that a Marjah resident hates the loud music so much that he goes to a US special forces man and says: “Down with the Taliban! Long live the USA! Will you stop that music now?” Then, the US soldier will probably say: “No, the music will continue until there is not even ONE individual left around here who is not waving a United States flag all the time”.

It’s motivating Marines as well,” he added after one deafening round of several hours including tracks from The Offspring, Metallica and Thin Lizzy.

The officer said they also broadcast messages from the Afghan government,

probably not including the recent message from Afghan President Karzai that he might join the Taliban

as well as threats to the Taliban — there are no obscenities, “but we tell them they’re gonna die”, he smiled.

How effective the method is in sending the Taliban running for cover is difficult to tell, but local children certainly don’t like it — many of them cover their ears from the onslaught of loud bass guitars and drums.

Lieutenant Colonel Brian Christmas — the commander of US Marines in northern Marjah — said he was unaware of the musical psy ops.

“It’s inappropriate,” he told AFP, mindful that a major part of the counter-insurgency plan is focused on winning over Afghans from the insurgents.

“I’m going to ask this to stop right now.”

Apparently, the special forces did not think of the possibility that the far too loud music, far from “motivating” US Marines, might damage their hearing and might impair their ability to hear danger coming, thus endangering their lives.

This is another example of abusing music for torture, mainly of Afghan civilians. Many heavy metal musicians oppose abusing their music for torture and oppose the wars started by George W Bush. I hope that the musicians whose music is abused in Marjah now will take steps to stop the abuse.

US Special Forces covered up massacre of Afghans: here.

Death to Women and Children, Cover-Ups to Protect the US Killers: here.