Foreign aid organizations, mainly European, are complaining that they are not getting enough protection in some of the more unruly areas. The same groups complain when US troops provide aid for Afghans. The aid groups believe that this makes all aid providers targets and that US troops should be spending more time protecting aid workers. The US military responds that this twisted logic is absurd and that for decades US troops have worked on foreign aid projects and, in fact, you want armed US troops working aid jobs in dangerous projects. Moreover, the US has no intention of just providing bodyguards for aid groups that often ignore advice on US troops about areas that are considered highly dangerous for foreigners. The civilian aid groups want to call the shots on where aid efforts go and don't want competition from the troops. Many of these aid groups opposed the war in Afghanistan in the first place and now oppose any action to overthrow Saddam Hussein.
