"The U.S. commander said, “We made the decision to isolate the compound and not destroy it because we couldn’t confirm if civilians were inside,” The result, one U.S. Marine dead, one wounded, and the Taliban insurgents escaped out the back."
"Before the mission, Schoenmaker, the company commander, said he would practice "tactical patience" as a way to avoid civilian casualties — an issue newly arrived Gen. Stanley McChrystal has underscored in recent weeks. Although troops in many similar circumstances have called in airstrikes on militant-controlled compounds, Schoenmaker did not."
"We made the decision to isolate the compound and not destroy it because we couldn't confirm if civilians were inside," he said.
The Marines, the Afghan soldiers and their British advisers surrounded the compound from the east and the south.
"The militants were believed to have escaped out the back.
Wasn't the back covered?
I call BS from July is a hit piece.