I do not agree - not quite. A better answer is that if they force the choice, we would rather lose 400 thugs (such as rioters invading an embassy) than 4 of us. We should maintain the capability to defend our embassies, whether using Marines on the ground or aircraft/UAVs in the air. If self-defense requires that we strafe a crowd, activate a Gatling gun from a window overlooking each embassy entrance, or fire grenades into the crowd, then that is what the actions of the crowd have triggered. Kill them then and there if necessary, but defend our personnel. As for going after the population after the fact, that is not acceptable.
Well said: all force necessary for self-defense, and self-defense includes active preemptive aggression, but vengeance is the Lord’s.
“As for going after the population after the fact, that is not acceptable.”
How about going after the country’s leaders? A “bunker-buster” through a few bedrooms might end it...
Actually, there is a much simpler solution. Announce that you are creating special weapons for terrorists like Bullets coated in pigs blood, grenades containing pigs fat, etc. I would actually create some of these weapons and allow them to fall into the Muslim’s hands so they can analyze them and verify they contain pigs blood or fat. You might even want to paint the grenades bright red so they know what they are.
When they attack us, these people don’t fear us because they think they are going to paradise when they die. Simply remove their paradise reward and they will stop attacking.
If an Afghan soldier or police officer murders four Allied troops, we need to line 100 Afghanis (from his village, INCLUDING HIS EXTENDED FAMILY) and drop them into a wood chipper. If the Afghani is still alive, he goes last. That way we establish the appropriate blood price for murder of a Westerner.
We do need to secure our embassies. Flamethrowers and miniguns should be in every Embassy Marine armory, and there should be no hesitation in using them to protect the integrity of the embassy and its personnel.
Mao said, and yes, I have read Mao, that a guerilla (read thug) must be like a fish swimming in the sea of the populace. We must take that fish out of the water or take the water away from the fish. Either way, the fish dies. This fighting and killing and dieing business is serious business. Fight to win, or expect to be defeated and conquered. Our enemies use fear to keep most of the populace quiet. Making sure our Soldiers smile and say hi to the populace will not remove that fear. Fight to win, or expect to be defeated and conquered. The populace must be forced to make a choice of which side they support. Their cowardice is victory for our enemy. Fight to win, or expect to be defeated and conquered.