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Shades of Vietnam: Spike in U.S. troop deaths tied to stricter rules of engagement
The Washington Times ^ | December 5, 2013 | Rowan Scarborough

Posted on 12/06/2013 8:01:56 AM PST by huldah1776

The number of U.S. battlefield fatalities exceeded the rate at which troop strength surged in 2009 and 2010, prompting national security analysts to assert that coinciding stricter rules of engagement led to more deaths.

A connection between the sharp increase in American deaths and restrictive rules of engagement is difficult to confirm. More deaths surely stemmed from ramped-up counterterrorism raids and the Taliban’s response with more homemade bombs, the No. 1 killer of NATO forces in Afghanistan.

But it is clear that the rules of engagement, which restrain troops from firing in order to spare civilian casualties, cut back on airstrikes and artillery strikes — the types of support that protect troops during raids and ambushes.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; enemy; military; obama; obamasfault; roe; vietnam
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To: huldah1776

Fight to win or get out. Fight to win, or else it’s just endless cruelty. And I mean cruelty to our Soldiers and their families.


21 posted on 12/06/2013 9:17:06 AM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: huldah1776

Believe it or not, the latest addition to rules of engagement in Afghanistan is that our guys cannot shoot at ANYONE inside a building.

The only exception is serious, absolutely imminent death.

And this is not true if you can walk away and avoid the situation.


22 posted on 12/06/2013 9:20:59 AM PST by xzins ( Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Those who truly support our troops pray for victory!)
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To: huldah1776

My rules of engagement would be:
If you even think you detect the enemy shoot them.
If they move or twitch after being shot, then shoot them again.
If it turns out that they were civilian, then call them an enemy sympathizer.


23 posted on 12/06/2013 10:14:20 AM PST by BuffaloJack (Democrats believe in a two-party system—the masters and the slaves.)
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To: huldah1776

Obamaganda must have some of LBJ’s dna in his gene pool.

LBJ loved to created deadly ROE’s for those who served under him.


24 posted on 12/06/2013 10:16:09 AM PST by Grampa Dave (Obamaganda is starting to fail 24/7. Soon Obamaganda will fail 24/365!)
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To: BuffaloJack

My ROE is:

1. Kill the enemy.
2. Break their things.


25 posted on 12/06/2013 10:16:46 AM PST by dfwgator (Fire Muschamp. Go Michigan State!)
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To: GreyFriar
Look what has been happening the last 4 years in Afghanistan, everytime the ROE are ‘strengthened’ in hopes of decreasing causalties, US casualties go UP>

This is the standard solution for Democrats! People get killed in a combat zone, make it harder for our guys to defend themselves and BAM! MORE people are killed.

A left-wing, liberal nutjob goes on a shooting spree, demand laws which make it HARDER for people to defend themselves from the next left-wing, liberal nutjob!

This is their M-O! It is designed to guide people into the "loving," "caring" and CONTROLING arms of the Government!
26 posted on 12/06/2013 10:24:30 AM PST by ExTxMarine (PRAYER: It's the only HOPE for real CHANGE in America!)
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To: GreyFriar

The reason for keeping our troops in Afghanistan is to bleed the American military.


27 posted on 12/06/2013 10:26:52 AM PST by zot
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To: huldah1776

King Barry’s ROE are in place for the purpose of ridding America of its true patriots. I think about the nearly 20 SEALs aboard that one Chinook helicopter (on 08/06/11) almost every day.


28 posted on 12/06/2013 10:35:03 AM PST by Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America (If Americans were as concerned for their country as Egyptians are, Obama would be ousted!)
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To: huldah1776

Troop death increases are also because the enemy feels emboldened and empowered knowing America’s president shares their goals.


29 posted on 12/06/2013 10:37:35 AM PST by Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America (If Americans were as concerned for their country as Egyptians are, Obama would be ousted!)
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To: Telepathic Intruder

Don’t shoot until you have been shot. Why do you think we hand out that body armor soldier?


30 posted on 12/06/2013 10:39:02 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: huldah1776

Our ROEs in Nam were no way near as ridiculous as those in Afghanistan. Additionally, we were not subjected to the scrutiny now endured by our troops on the ground. We spent weeks at a time without REMFs around and we definitely did not have an attorney for every rifleman as they appear do have now. We see them, we shoot them and blow up their tunnels and gear. They shoot at us from the bushes, we blow up the bushes. They ambush us, we ambush them. If there were no civilians or water buffaloes in the fields as we traveled on the roadways, it was safeties “off”.


31 posted on 12/06/2013 10:59:42 AM PST by Dapper 26
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To: Georgia Girl 2

Body armor is actually a trade-off between protection and mobility. Sometimes moving faster is more important. In any case, you can’t completely cover yourself with ceramic plates. The biggest problem is the current anti-military administration that are practically tying their hands as target practice for the nice moose limbs.


32 posted on 12/06/2013 11:02:08 AM PST by Telepathic Intruder (The only thing the Left has learned from the failures of socialism is not to call it that)
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To: huldah1776
This has been going on for years, even under Bush. Seems like it become much worse under Obama. Giving the battle advantage to...(surprise!)

the Islamic enemy.

33 posted on 12/06/2013 12:51:09 PM PST by 444Flyer (How long O LORD?)
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To: KeyLargo

What a blessing!


34 posted on 12/06/2013 1:44:04 PM PST by huldah1776
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To: Salvavida

Hello in Aghanistan! If you find a lighter with the USMC logo on it, let me know. My son lost his in Hell-on-man province. :)


35 posted on 12/06/2013 1:46:06 PM PST by huldah1776
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To: xzins

I heard about the new restrictions that Karzai wanted and is still not agreeing to. I think of it as Beirut II.


36 posted on 12/06/2013 1:48:15 PM PST by huldah1776
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To: Dapper 26

helmet cams are absurd.


37 posted on 12/06/2013 1:53:07 PM PST by huldah1776
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To: huldah1776

Imagine that .. REMFs and gutless political pussies got guys killed/maimed !


38 posted on 12/06/2013 2:11:16 PM PST by tomkat
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To: huldah1776

Afghanistan was Vietnam and Korea from the beginning under W Bush and got worse with Obama with limits on what our forces could do to interdict the Taliban supply line from Pakistan.

The Pakistani government intelligence agency created the Taliban that took over Afghanistan and gave Bin Laden his base of operations.

This is an absurd international police action with American forces under the ISAF umbrella. The supply lines for both sides run through the same country-Pakistan.

I would pull out or do what it takes to win.

Pakistan has nukes so neither Republicans or Democrats would fight an all out war to defeat the Taliban just like fear of Soviet nukes drove the Vietnam “war effort” involving no victory.


39 posted on 12/06/2013 2:11:49 PM PST by Nextrush (A BALANCED BUDGET NOW AND PRESIDENT SARAH PALIN)
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To: Mouton

Dittos.

This has been another international police action-limited war in the Korea-Vietnam tradition from the beginning.

Since WWII America does not fight wars to win anymore.....


40 posted on 12/06/2013 2:12:52 PM PST by Nextrush (A BALANCED BUDGET NOW AND PRESIDENT SARAH PALIN)
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