Umm what? He does want few civilian casualties but he doesn't want dead soldiers either. Both of those being killed is a bad thing for him.
These modern day wars aren't like WW2 or w/e where you can just go and kill everyone and declare victory. McChrystal's strategy is to "win the hearts and minds" of the people there and that's real victory. If you start killing civilians, their friends and family are going to join the enemy and start killing more US soldiers. If you were in their position and US soldiers killed your entire family and friends, are you going to side with the Americans, or are you going to seek revenge? If you can convince the people that the Taliban are no good for them, that's long term victory. If you just kill them right now, you're going to get another generation of Taliban soldiers in a couple years who'll do the exact same thing and then we're back in the war again.
You have to understand that even though Afghanistan is labeled as a country, the people are not united. It's just a bunch of different tribes that make up the entire country. They are never going to agree on one thing, which is why this war is also very politically messy.
Great points and valid points!!! +rep. I will tell you the way to win the civilians over is through Humanitarian missions, which we do, putting money into the local economy, which we do, and stop killing the innocent. Sometimes it is easier to say then do, because there is a war, basically a gorilla war going on, and innocent people do get caught in the crossfire especially when our enemies hide in their homes, schools and mosques. So, as long as our enemy fights like cowards, there will be innocent lives taken. Now, on a side bar, the taliban and some of those other foreign news agencies lie about who is actually being killed. They may say they are innocent, however, they have been seen firing rockets or mortars at NATO bases. Taliban pays the locals $100 and up to shot RPGs, mortars and whatever else they want, and the "civilians" accept it because they are dirt poor. It is hard to tell who is enemy and who is friendly. They don't wear uniforms.
