Posted on 09/29/2009 9:56:32 PM PDT by Saije
After serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Marine Lance Cpl. James Yon says there’s no comparison in the willingness of America’s two enemies to fight.
“I have respect for them,” the 28-year-old Rock Hill native said of Afghanistan’s Taliban. “They actually do stand toe-to-toe with you.”
By contrast, insurgent forces in Iraq prefer impersonal roadside bombs, said Yon, who was deployed to that country less than two years ago...
A member of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment from Kaneohe, Hawaii, Yon was at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital here last week after suffering injuries in a blast.
The lanky 6-footer with short-cropped brown hair and an easy smile said he was the gunner in a turret of a military vehicle patrolling southern Helmand province when the blast went off.
Although he lost hearing in both ears, Yon wasn’t knocked out. Yon said he remained in the turret, communicating with the crew by hand signals.
Since then, Yon has regained hearing in his left ear but is deaf in his right ear.
“The surgeon ... said there are some holes in the eardrum,” Yon said. “I have headaches, and there’s still ringing in my ears.”...
Fighting has been fierce from the moment his unit arrived in May, Yon said.
His most intense mission was in late June. Yon’s unit became involved in a 14-hour shoot-out with Taliban fighters on the outskirts of Now Zad, in the southern Helmand province...
Yon’s unit was sent out to gather intelligence and see whether it could find Taliban forces.
It didn’t take long for Taliban fighters to make their presence known, firing machine guns, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades at the Marine convoy from orchards and walled compounds.
“The adrenaline rush was amazing,” Yon said. “It drained everything out of you.”
(Excerpt) Read more at thestate.com ...
Of course Taliban fighters will go toe-to-toe with American forces - when the rules of engagement do not allow our forces to actually fight the war anymore (as we did in the first stages of the war when the Taliban were constantly turning tail and running away).
That is because they are uneducated religious zealots. I emphasize UNEDUCATED. They truly believe all that crap about dying for Mohamed and going to heaven. I would look for any good way out of such a G_d forsaken piece of land. The people in Iraq have seen a small taste of the outside world.
That region has produced tough, vicious bastards for millenia. Not even Alexander the Great could crack them. The Mongols succeeded, but then they themselves were subverted by Islam.
Afghans LOVE to fight and kill. It has been the national hobby for over 2000 years.
When they don’t have outsiders to kill, they kill each other - and sometimes do it even when they do.
Staying there is a mistake. We should have left when we made our point by dismantling the Taliban government. We will NEVER make these people into civilized democrats (little “d”) nor should we try.
If they try to attack us again, we should move in again and kick their Islamic butts, then pull out.
Keeping a military force of ANY size there, is in the long run, pointless.
Meanwhile Osama is hiding in Waziristan.
Related to Michael Yon?
“The Mongols succeeded, but then they themselves were subverted by Islam.”
The Mongols succeeded because they did what we never will do.
Their rules of engagement were to kill anyone who opposed them and destroy any settlements that harbored any opponents. That is not what the Great White Father in Washington is trying to do. He is trying to re-educate the population with the lives of American troops and the loss of American money. Its the same msitake Bush made - to a greater degree.
Something is wrong here. 14 hour shoot-out? WTH? Where is air support and artillary? 1.4 hours yes but 14? Someone isnt fighting a war very smart. US Grant could support troops quicker than that.
They’re 7th century savages fighting in their own back yard and we do whatever we can to makes sure they can kill us.
If we had the leadership that we had during WWII, the place that was once known as Afghanistan would be filled with signs that said parking for customers only.
Agreed Zulu. But not even the Mongols made a thorough job of it.
Is this the start of several "Tet offensive extremely effective" type of headlines?
“Is this the start of several “Tet offensive extremely effective” type of headlines?”
I don’t know. I think this article represents one LCpl’s point of view.
The Afghan Taliban fighters fled when U.S. forces with members of the coalition came in during the initial parts of this war as they could not come close to taking on our military. They only began taking the upper hand after the rules of engagement changed. Now we are just a “police force” in that country. War cannot be waged, let alone won under these conditions. I can agree on this - if we are not going to fight a “WAR”, then we need to get the hell out of Afghanistan. I have no problem with our being there if we are going to fight to win.
“They only began taking the upper hand after the rules of engagement changed. Now we are just a “police force” in that country. War cannot be waged, let alone won under these conditions. I can agree on this - if we are not going to fight a “WAR”, then we need to get the hell out of Afghanistan. I have no problem with our being there if we are going to fight to win.”
I agree with you about either fighting to win or pulling out, and about idiotic, onerous “rules of engagement” You would have THOUGHT our politicians learned something from Viet Nam.
On the other hand, what does “winning” mean in Afghanistan?
Keeping enough boots on the ground to smash the Taliban every time it reappears? Afghanistan can’t be “won” in the same sense as the war against Germany and Japan, or even Viet Nam. Muslim nations, bu their very nature are ordely anarchisms where different groups are constantly at war with one another, or dictatorships where order is enforced through brutality.
I don’t believe in nation building where no sense of nationhood exists - as in Afghanistan or Iraq. When they screw with us, we should do what we are best at - smashing them flat. Then pull out. Eventually they will get the point not to mess with us. In a few millenia they might even become civilized.
I think we should be FAR more concerned with what is going on in Iran right now. They are a far greater threat to us than the Taliban.
I agree that Iran is a far greater threat - which is one reason why Afghanistan is important to us due to it’s proximity with Iran. Iraq too is of stratigic importance with respect to Iran. And, yes, what needs to happen in Afghanistan is that we flatten the hell out of the people we are fighting there - WWII rules of engagement should apply. I could care less about “nation building” in Afghanistan - but, I believe having a presence there is vital with respect to Iran.
However low my opinion of the Bushes as warlords is, my opinion of Mr. Hussein Obama is even worse.
You see, I do understand your points and totally agree - you support the troops 1000% and commit yourself to total victory or you shouldn't be there in the first place. But one must never underestimate the cowardice of Presidential Regimes which ask American boys and girls to die needlessly to achieve some pie-in-sky liberal objective. And if we stay there, I think that is Obama's objective.
There’s a very strong likelihood that is exactly what Obozo is planning - to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory at the costs of our brave soldiers. I hope and pray that this will lead to a true conservative movement that results in real reforms instead of what the libs are working to bring us.
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