How do you tell Mrs. Jones that her only son had to die in Marjah because we were worried about collateral damage to some goats and a mosque!
Posted on 02/15/2010 7:22:53 AM PST by smokingfrog
MARJAH, Afghanistan — Sniper teams attacked U.S. Marines and Afghan troops across the Taliban haven of Marjah, as several gun battles erupted Monday on the third day of a major offensive to seize the extremists' southern heartland.
Multiple firefights in different locations taxed the ability of coalition forces to provide enough air support as NATO forces forged deeper into the town, moving through suspected insurgent neighborhoods, the U.S. Marines said.
In northern Marjah, an armored column came under fire from at least three separate sniper teams, slowing its progress. One of the teams came within 155 feet and started firing.
-- snip --
Marines said their ability to fight back has been tightly constrained by strict new rules of engagement that make their job more difficult and dangerous. Under the rules, troops cannot fire at people unless they commit a hostile act or show hostile intent.
"I understand the reason behind it, but it's so hard to fight a war like this," said Lance Corp. Travis Anderson, 20, from Altoona, Iowa. "They're using our rules of engagement against us," he said, stating that his platoon had repeatedly seen men dropping their guns into ditches before walking away to melt among civilians.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Yes. That's why Obama wanted the ROE changed. It's important that our soldiers die, that we lose the war, and that we come home with our tails between our legs. Obama wants Islam to win one here.
Political correctness from this administration too. It's pathetic and deadly.
Every hurt or killed soldier that is a result of these "rules of engagement" must - repeat MUST - laid at the feet of the CIC. In public. Loudly! Never ending. Until the current CIC is thrown out of office.
Here are the new rules of engagement:
"Do not be afraid to be powerful. Cold War-era gambits of proportionate response and dialog may have some utility in dealing with practical terrorists, but they are counter-productive in dealing with apocalyptic terrorists. Our great strengths are wealth and raw power. When we fail to bring those strengths to bear, we contribute to our own defeat. For a superpower to think small, which has been our habit across the last decade, at least, is self-defeating folly. Our responses to terrorist acts should make the world gasp!" And....
"When in doubt, hit harder than you think necessary. Success will be forgiven. Even the best-intentioned failure will not. When military force is used against terrorist networks, it should be used with such power that it stuns even our allies. We must get over our cowardice in means. While small-scale raids and other knifepoint operations are useful against individual targets, broader operations should be overwhelming. Of course, targeting limitations may inhibit some efforts but whenever possible, maximum force should be used in simultaneous operations at the very beginning of a campaign. Do not hesitate to supplement initial target lists with extensive bombing attacks on nothing if they can increase the initial psychological impact. Demonstrate power whenever you can. Show; don't tell! (Do – don’t talk!)"
How do you tell Mrs. Jones that her only son had to die in Marjah because we were worried about collateral damage to some goats and a mosque!
"I understand the reason behind it, but it's so hard to fight a war like this," said Lance Corp. Travis Anderson, 20, from Altoona, Iowa. "They're using our rules of engagement against us," he said...."
That is outrageous and unforgivable. Same old excrement as in Vietnam. That is why I never volunteered back then for service - even as a youth I was cynical about our government's lack of commitment to total war. What if WW2 had been fought that way? That Afghan village should be carpet bombed to rubble if it will save one American's life.
This is a common tactic used to delay the advance of a superior invading force so the main body of your force can escape capture or destruction. If our generals have not taken this into account and set up traps on their escape routes with airpower and special forces we have a serious problem with our military leadership. My guess is that the Taliban is going to get its a$$ handed to them on a platter in the next couple of days.
~~~~
'#2 Son': "...and then our column started taking sniper fire from the trees along the river...
Dad (later): "Did you guys ever get those snipers out of those trees?"
'#2 Son': "What trees...?"
Dad: LOL!!!
Whoever came up with and approved those ROE’s should be tried for treason.
No, whoever came up with these ROE's should have to walk point.
...then tried for treason. Posthumously if necessary.
Marines said their ability to fight back has been tightly constrained by strict new rules of engagement that make their job more difficult and dangerous.
McChrystal and Ubanga have American blood on their hands.
"Hey sir, where's it coming from?" an American shouted to his platoon leader, 1st Lt. Gavin McMahon of Brooklyn, N.Y."Somewhere over there," McMahon said. He gestured west.
Then the American soldier got hit. The bullet hit the shoulder piece of his protective vest, and bounced down into his chest.
Spc. Benjamin McQuiston of Tucson, Ariz., was just ahead of the man, who cannot be identified until his family is notified in keeping with U.S. military regulations.
"When the shots went off, I heard him yelling. I thought he was scared. I was yelling too," McQuiston said later. "Then I heard him coughing. It sounded weird. I looked back and he was coughing up blood."
With shooting all around, soldiers cut away the injured man's shirt, and put a chest seal on the wound to prevent air entering.
"I'm going to be good," the man said. He was able to walk and had the energy to shout an obscenity at the Taliban.
But it wasn't over.
Spc. Andrew Szala of Newport, R.I., tried to keep the injured man talking, conscious.
American troops say the Taliban can fire on them, then set aside their weapon and walk freely out of a compound, possibly toward a weapons cache in another location.
"The inability to stop people who don't have weapons is the main hindrance right now," McMahon said after the firefight. "They know how to use our ROE against us."
The patrol arrived back at its camp late in the afternoon. Sgt. 1st Class Norm Neumeyer of Pittsburgh walked over and told them their day wasn't over. They had to find the shooters. After a brief pause, they put their gear on and headed back down the road.
A little carpet bombing here and there would sure get the terrorist's attention, wouldn't it?
They need to stop playing cops and robbers with the bad guys and just kick their asses!
What they’re doing to our troops in Afghanistan is simply wrong. And I’m a fan of McChrystal...worked with his brother for some time.
But it’s wrong for him to permit this to continue. Any soldier in a firefight should be able to shoot at anyone he even “feels” is an enemy. Period. You’ve got to leave it up to the discretion of the guy who has boots on the ground in his location. He’s the only one who truly knows.
The only ROE:
Kill them all until the last bastard that is willing to die for his cause is dead - then sue for peace.
I have to agree, Lancey.
It’s good to go after the hearts and minds of the citizenry as we did in Iraq but it’s not good to tie our military’s hands with ROE that cost their lives, the current ROE have to be lifted.
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