12 September 2010 Who needs an army when they have fanatics?

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- At least two people was killed and four were injured in Afghanistan Sunday in protests against the pastor who had planned to burn the Quran in Florida, a local official said.

http://us.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/09/12/afghanistan.quran.protests/index.html?hpt=T2

This is a wonderful example of mob manipulation used as a weapon of warfare. The excitable nature of the Afghan Muslim populace when real or imagined slights to the Quran take place is capably managed by the Taliban and others to incite violence against US and NATO troops, diplomats, and non-Afghan civilians.

These mobs can block and prevent a military unit carrying out an assigned mission as surely as can a counterforce unit of infantry or irregulars. Given the restrictions imposed upon NATO and US troops in Afghanistan, designed to prevent harm to non-combatants, they present a cheap, readily available, and effective means of thwarting regular ground units.

The Taliban have only to print up leaflets, spread a rumor or two, and the local mullahs will do the rest. That Muslims do not separate the physical book from the content of the book makes it all the easier to form a mob and to perpetuate rumors of destruction of Qurans. The mob is always there, like a pool of gasoline on water, just waiting for the next spark to land and ignite the blaze. The primitive nature of much of Afghani life aids the Taliban. A population on the edge of revolt because of poverty, corruption in government, and decades of continual war, warlords, and religious fanaticism is a prime breeding ground for the riots that will incite similar riots in other Muslim nations.

Terry Jones is guilty of no crime, but the blood of many will be on his hands before these riots are over.

I have to wonder what would happen here if a deliberately staged public incineration of Christian testaments were to take place in Iraq or Afghanistan. I suspect that we’ll have the opportunity to find out. A decade or two ago, I wouldn’t have expected much beyond protest. Now, given the political and economic upset and the continuing evangelical and fundamentalist Christian insistence upon trying to create a theocracy, if thinly veiled; I would expect a lot of vandalism, public protests at Islamic centers, and perhaps some physical violence against US citizens who happen to be Muslim. The “war against Christians” mob is trying to gain the same seats of power that the Taliban possess in Afghanistan. The GOP and Tea Party mobs are willing to allow them media coverage and access to elected officials if it keeps the GOP in political power. As I’ve said before, only the name on the book differs.

Stand by for book burnings. Jones has piled explosives and laid a powder train. The “War on Christians” mob can’t wait to light it.

We need to keep this religious fanaticism out of our armed forces. That, because of the nature of our government and military, will be hard to do. The crusader clones are already in place in many units. Where we go from here remains uncertain at best.