A Reckoning with the Past
As I delved into Seth Harp's latest book, The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces, I found myself grappling with a disturbing tapestry of U.S. military history, woven with both valor and vice. This narrative transcends the boundary of conventional understanding, inviting us to peel back the layers of perceived honor associated with our military forces.
Harp crafts a story that is equal parts thrilling and horrifying. It forces us not only to recognize the dark underbelly of the American military but also to question the narratives of accountability we have come to accept.
The Familiar Grip of Lawlessness
In his exploration, Harp unveils a number of shocking connections between the military and a drug trafficking ring that seems almost too outrageous to be true. This sordid affair involves the deaths of a Special Forces soldier and an Army quartermaster, illustrating the decay that can fester when oversight dwindles. The Cold War is often romanticized, portrayed as an era of ideological conflict where America stood as a beacon of freedom. Yet, Harp's meticulous recounting reveals that battles were often fought in the shadows, masking imperial ambitions in the guise of righteousness.
“The narrative of American military superiority has long been built on a scaffold of contested truths,” Harp asserts, and it's time we confront these realities.
Imperial Nostalgia vs. Harsh Realities
Historically, we've reframed our military misdeeds as lessons learned, marking a transition from the youthful arrogance of the Cold War to a more tempered, self-aware military ethos. But Harp's work invites us to reconsider this progression. The Church Committee's revelations in the 1970s led the CIA to scale back its operations, but many of those covert responsibilities were quietly handed to specialized military groups like Delta Force. This change, although seemingly innocuous, unearthed a new kind of lawlessness.
Many Americans do not fully grasp the brutality and ambiguity of the conflicts in places like Afghanistan, where rogue elements within the military carried out operations without the oversight that should have been expected. This begs an important question: Are we merely spectators to a shadowy play of power, or are we complicit in it through our silence and complacency?
A Spectrum of Violence
The chilling narrative of violence extends to more recent accounts of unlawful killings by U.S. troops. Matthieu Aikins' investigation, presenting the incidents of retributive killings in Afghanistan, adds a haunting dimension to this dialogue. Aikins' exposé reveals the massacre of captives by Green Berets, echoing the enduring lessons of past military atrocities.
As citizens, we tend to assign blame to military brass, painting them as distant elites impervious to the consequences of their decisions. Yet, Harp challenges us to broaden our focus, to unearth the dimensions of complicity that extend well beyond high-ranking officials. The operators in the field, acting as vigilantes, remind us that moral ambiguity pervades all layers of military engagement.
The Shifting Narrative of the 'Operator'
What Aikins exposes is not just a rogues' gallery of bad actors but also the emergence of a new archetype within the military — “the operator.” This figure is emblematic of a post-9/11 ethos that glorifies preemptive, often unilateral action. The chilling motto of one such battalion, “We do bad things to bad people,” resounds with overtones of vigilante justice that blur the lines of legality and ethics. Aren't these the same justifications that we've seen throughout our history lead to catastrophic outcomes?
“American forces became accustomed to operating outside the bounds of accountability,” Harp notes bluntly, calling for a reckoning.
A Fractured Landscape
Anand Gopal's narrative in The New Yorker poignantly illustrates the human cost of these military strategies. Through the harrowing experience of an Afghan woman, we see the collateral damage incurred by a foreign military presence. Gopal writes of her family's loss and the palpable terror she experienced, revealing how foreign interventions can strip communities of their dignity and safety.
From Secrecy to Visibility
The wars of the modern era often unfold under a veil of secrecy, shrouded from public scrutiny. Community engagement with these narratives has been stifled, creating an echo chamber of nationalist sentiment and romanticized warfare. In this context, the necessity for transparency has never been more urgent. The times call for accountability, not just for actions taken in the distant fields of battle but also for the narratives we construct around them.
Looking Toward the Future
As we reflect on Harp's revelations, it becomes clear that we are at a crossroads. Contemporary political sentiments are rapidly morphing as the radical transparency that once defined much of our discourse seems to be fading into a past era. Today, figures in power openly challenge the very notions of accountability and ethics that had previously shaped our military engagement. This raises poignant questions about the road ahead: What steps are we willing to take to ensure that our military, and our involvement in global conflicts, reflects our values of justice, equity, and accountability?
We must not shy away from grappling with the truths that form the bedrock of our military history. A careful analysis of works like Harp's invites us to challenge existing narratives and to acknowledge that oversight, integrity, and ethical considerations must define our military engagement moving forward.
Source reference: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/opinion/fort-bragg-cartel-war.html
