Pakistan: A Time to Mourn

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: .... a time to mourn. Ecclesiastes 3:1,4

Families in the village of Damadola, Pakistan are mourning their dead today. Thirteen bodies have been laid in the ground, including 3 children and five women. According to a Dallas Morning News front page article dated Jan. 16, a coordinated attack by C.I.A and Pakistani forces utilized an unmanned drone to deliver a missile attack in seeking a specific target. That target was al-Zawahiri, second in command to Osama bin Ladin. The mission was not successful.

Senator John McCain, clearly showing his back up against the wall on this one stated, "We apologize, but I can't tell you that we wouldn't do the same thing again... We have to do what we think is necessary to take out al-Qaeda, particularly the top operatives. This guy has been more visible than Osama bin Ladin lately."

Singing two-part harmony, Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind. chimes in, "It's a regrettable situation, but what else are we supposed to do? It's like the wild, wild West out there. The Pakistani border is a real problem."

Meanwhile, our Embassy personnel are hunkered down behind barricades to their diplomatic missions with paramilitary forces guarding access. I would not advise this be the day the female staffers take off to buy trinkets in the local open air bazaar. One U.S. backed aid organization had its offices ransacked and torched already. The passions of nationalistic pride are stoked quite easily at rallies and in the local tea shop after incidents of this nature. Put the shoe on your own foot. How would you feel if the scenario were played out in your town?

Now, I cannot second guess the military on this mission. But just as a decent human, I think our Senatorial spokespersons need a bit of coaching on how to bring proper and official condolences.

Proper condolences use less words than more, words chosen carefully, that express the right emotional response which will bring comfort to those that mourn. A good response? "We are sorry for the loss of civilian lives, especially the lives of your children". Wrong response, "Gee, all in all, the scoreboard doesn't look bad enough that we might not consider the same thing again."

This blog is not about second-guessing the mission. I was not there. But, when things "Go South" we need to do a better job in how we show the American face. These responses by McCain and Bayh somewhat showed our haunches instead.

The thirteen killed are little poor villagers and I will never know their names. But their families, will never forget them. So what can I do for my part as an American? I can pray for those that mourn. And if I meet a Pakistani today what will I say? I am sorry for your loss.

Tammy Swofford