Posted on 02/16/2010 11:40:54 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Taliban fighters are increasingly using civilians as human shields in the assault on the southern town of Marjah, an Afghan official said Wednesday as military squads resumed painstaking house-to-house searches in the Taliban stronghold.
About 15,000 NATO and Afghan troops are taking part in the offensive around Marjah, which has an estimated 80,000 inhabitants and was the largest town in southern Helmand province under Taliban control. NATO hopes to rush in aid and public services as soon as the town is secured to try to win the loyalty of the population.
With the assault in its fifth day, insurgents are firing at Afghan troops from inside or next to compounds where women and children appear to have been ordered to stand on a roof or in a window, said Gen. Mohiudin Ghori, the brigade commander for Afghan troops in Marjah.
"Especially in the south of Marjah, the enemy is fighting from compounds where soldiers can very clearly see women or children on the roof or in a second-floor or third-floor window," Ghori said. "They are trying to get us to fire on them and kill the civilians."
The Marjah offensive is the biggest joint operation since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan and is a major test of a retooled NATO strategy to focus on protecting civilians, rather than killing insurgents.
Ghori said troops have made choices either not to fire at the insurgents with civilians nearby or had to target and advance much more slowly in order to distinguish between militants and civilians as they go.
Even with such caution on both the NATO and Afghan side, civilians have been killed. NATO has confirmed 15 civilian deaths in the operation. Afghan rights groups say at least 19 have been kille
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Shouldn’t those human shields have left the area? They were warned, no?
I’m cruel, I only really care about our guys and gals. Let our troops blow the place to Hades and come home.
the logical answer to this tactic my the Taliban ; is when we capture any of these hostage holders in one piece , they should be tied to posts in the middle of town and left there
at the mercy of the townspeople , who are themselves supplied
with new kitchen knives
No, not kitchen knives! But I would favor giving the townspeople small rasps, so they can abrade away the demons’ flesh one layer at a time.
I hear the Afghani locals are very skillful with knives
Ask the British
Oh, okay. I didn’t know. In that case, knives sound just fine. :-)
Big surprise! I’d be more surprised if they weren’t, animals that they are.
I agree. Animals and cowards
The Traitor-in-Chief told them to with his "rules of disengagement."
See the New York Times article: “Troops: Strict War Rules Slow Afghan Offensive [Are We Fighting To Win?”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2451901/posts
“MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) — Some American and Afghan troops say they’re fighting the latest offensive in Afghanistan with a handicap — strict rules that routinely force them to hold their fire. “
Thank you very much for adding the link
:)
I agree with your observation.
“I hear the Afghani locals are very skillful with knives
Ask the British”
When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An’ go to your Gawd like a soldier.
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
So-oldier ~of~ the Queen!
Rudyard Kipling, “The Young British Soldier”
“Ouch. Ow, ow, ow, ow. Duck! Run! Ouch!”
Hindu, Macedonian, Mongol, Persian, British, and Russian soldiers. Maybe others.
To add on to Enchante’s post it will also result in more of our guys getting killed.
with the USMC they have finally met their match.....
“with the USMC they have finally met their match.....”
I worry about the “rules of engagement” cooked up by the shiny-loafered, chair-warming, paper-shuffling REMF liblibs in DC.
Me, too. That was the first thought in my head this morning, and I jumped out of bed and turned on the computer. Why are the guys not allowed to detain anyone? Why do they have to let them walk away? What’s wrong with questioning or holding them somewhere? The ROE are ridiculous.
Insurgent snipers hiding in haystacks in poppy fields have exchanged fire with Marines and Afghan troops in recent days as they swept south.
At first I wondered what our lib’s reaction would be if the stacks “accidentally” caught fire from a tracer or incendiary round. Then I realized the terrorist would simply leave his weapon in the burning stack, crawl out and claim to be an innocent civilian - after all, he’s no longer holding a weapon. We’d be committed to treating his burns and turning him lose with a sincere apology.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.