From FoxNews:
The Red Cross in Afghanistan has been teaching the Taliban basic first aid and giving them medical equipment to help fighters wounded in battles with NATO and Afghani forces, The Guardian claimed Tuesday.
More than 70 members of the “armed opposition” received training in April, the Red Cross has said.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had offered its medical expertise because it was difficult for the wounded to get to hospitals because of battles, land mines and roadblocks.
From the original UK Guardian article:
Exclusive: Insurgents given training and equipment to help battlefield casualties
Today, a leading figure in Kandahar’s local government, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the Taliban did “not deserve to be treated like humans.”
He said: “They are like animals, and they treat the people they capture worse than animals. They kidnapped and killed an American lady and then wouldn’t even return her body. These people don’t deserve this help.”
People, I don’t make this recommendation lightly. But — you and I — we both realize we have to place our cash or our dearth of cash quite specifically in order to support — or not support — those agencies and philosophies we either embrace or disdain.
In the patois of a Mafia Don: the Red Cross is now “dead to me.”
I recommend you likewise stop whatever contributions you might have been making to the Red Cross. They don’t deserve it. The Red Cross is giving aid and comfort to those people whose goal is to disable, maim and kill our own American troops.
Lines have to be drawn. I am drawing one now.
The Red Cross can go straight to hell.
BZ
In 1997 a tornado hit Jarrell Texas, an F-5 tornado… A mile wide and mean as hell… Jarrell was nearly wiped off the map…
They lost everything that day…
I had trucks running at the time, I had retired the 1st time and was doing the trucking business because it was a good business and offered a lot of write-off…
Every agency in North Texas was screaming for help so I called the Red Cross and offered a truck, trailer and driver, FREE of charge, to the Red Cross for their use in transporting emergency supplies to Jarrell…
I was told, in no uncertain terms, “We don’t need you or your truck, all we need is your money and we KNOW how to put it to work and do the most good!”
I was angered to say the least..
I ended up calling the FOX affiliate here, KDFW, and made them the same offer, they were holding a drive for supplies and needed a way to get them to Jarrell…
I spent 2 days personally carrying supplies to those folks, free of charge, and FOX 4 here in Dallas did a hell of a *hit piece* on the American Red Cross for their rude response to an offer of help..
To this day, some 13 years later, I have NEVER given the Red Cross so much as a penny..
Never will…
Unfortunately, TF, another example of charities so large that they become arrogant and indifferent. That was a very stupid move on their part.
BZ
I am saddened about this post. I have a very good friend here in Florida who is an Armed Forces Coordinator for the ARC. His job is to help veterans get back on their feet by supplying them with food, household goods, some starting money, and possibly a place to live. He served 3 tours in Afghanistan, and wouldn’t be to happy knowing this news. But, on the other hand, it is a humanitarian support company or organization, and their mission is to help those who need it. Friend or foe. Its good they want to help people, but an enemy of the United States? Not too cool. Even though they are our enemy, the Bible points out that Jesus forgave the gentleman on the cross next to him. I know its legally wrong to help those people, but it is morally right. I’m just playing devils advocate. But, its a little strange to train the enemy on basic first aid. After all, the whle point of war is to exterminate the threat (Taliban).
christopher, you must think the war is morally wrong. If it’s morally right, I believe Jesus wouldn’t approve of aiding and abetting our enemies. that’s my opinion, anyway, though I do understand where you’re coming from …
it’s sort of like suggesting we’re to give everything we have to the poor and needy because Jesus said so, but he never did, not to the point where we are in trouble.
And aiding the taliban puts our side in trouble, don’t you think?
BZ…i’d never give money to the Red Cross after this, thanks for the information; and, again, our mainstream media has never mentioned this, but the Brits sure get it.
Okay people, stop and think a minute…
Was it okay for the North Vietnamese to shoot down our medevac helicopters, clearly marked with Red Crosses on their sides? Well, they did. And it was wrong, wasn’t it?
And you’re kinda suggesting the same thing here.
I don’t like the Red Cross either…
Won’t contribute a red cent to them.
I donate blood to them, only because there are NO OTHER OPTIONS.
But as Chris indicated, the “I” in I.R.C. stands for
International, and they are trying to do humanitarian work all around the world.
When they do something stupid, do as TF did… sound off and make that fact known.
Or do as I do…
I donate to the Salvation Army instead. (They use funds more efficiently.)
But Chris’ point about Jesus Christ was the important one here.
Lead by example folks, and hope this crazy world takes notice.
I dont think this war is morally wrong. I think we should face the muslim extremists head on. But, I understand your point Z. It is against the law to help our enemies, but they have a moral obligation to help everyone. I’m not for it, but I understand where they are coming from. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Do they continue what they always did by helping those in need, even though they’re risking their patriotic street cred, or do they sit back and be a good patriot, but a bad moral influence? Believe it or not, by the Biblical standard, they are doing the right thing. But, to us, the Taliban are the enemy and we frown on helping them out. Which I’m all for wiping them out, but it doesn’t make it morally right. Just a little devils advocacy, that’s all.
Morality or not, and thanks everyone for weighing in: Christopher, Z, Greybeard. . .
I personally find it reprehensible that the Red Cross took this step. This is the same “moral equivalency” bullshit writ large across the world, in our PC ecosystem.
I submit it’s time to take a stand: EVERYONE and EVERYTHING is NOT equal. It is up to ME to be JUDGMENTAL and determinant. It really IS up to ME to use discretion, judgment and discrimination. At one point it was considered GOOD to have what one used to call “discriminating tastes.”
The overarching point is this: you want to help? You want to give? Give LOCAL! I give monthly to my law enforcement chaplaincy because, when I was in Homicide, they came to most all of my death scenes in order to comfort the families of the victims. I know the GOOD WORKS they do. I have a personal association with them. They are not large and faceless and abstract.
It is my experience that large “charities” spend too much time grooming each other and their administrations. I stopped giving, for example, long ago, to the United Way. And now I make the same determination with the Red Cross.
I GET to make that decision. They can morally equivocate all over the place. Good for them. But I REFUSE to spend ONE DAMNED PENNY on an organization that has ANYTHING TO DO with assisting in the harming, injury or KILLING of MY COUNTRY’S SOLDIERS.
BZ
Wow, BZ. This is unbelievable.
But yes, to hell with the Red Cross (or is “Crescent” now in order?)
Karen: you are new to me, so, THANK YOU for taking the time to visit and, moreover, thank you for taking the time to COMMENT!
PLEASE come back and read and comment as you so determine!
BZ
My favorite charity is TexasFred…
I hear he accepts donations too!! 🙂
Gulbudden Hekmatyar has been running Hezb-i-Islami from a ‘refugee camp’ for decades in Pakistan, also running his own terrorist outfit from there… they are, actually, one in the same organization, and yet no international ‘human rights’ group looks at the thug and how he treats the refugees he uses for cover of his operations.
I’m not at all surprised that the ICRC is doing similar…
I, too, would prefer to call a confrontation of those waging Private War against us what it is, but that would require a modern recast of the old ways of doing things and the Left and Right get the vapors if you mention that. You cannot explain the difference between ‘mercenary’ and ‘repo-man’ to them… so they wallow in how neutered the Nation is when it has all the tools to fight our Private enemies right at hand. But that means actually calling them as they are and treating them the way the laws of war demand. Can’t have that, now, can we?