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Walter Williams: Unnecessary Loss of Life
Creators Syndicate ^ | September 30, 2015 | Walter E. Williams

Posted on 09/29/2015 10:50:54 AM PDT by jazusamo

War is nasty, brutal and costly. In our latest wars, many of the casualties suffered by American troops are a direct result of their having to obey rules of engagement created by politicians who have never set foot on — or even seen — a battlefield. Today's battlefield commanders must be alert to the media and do-gooders who are all too ready to demonize troops involved in a battle that produces noncombatant deaths, so-called collateral damage.

According to a Western Journalism article by Leigh H Bravo, "Insanity: The Rules of Engagement" (http://tinyurl.com/p59nlqs), our troops fighting in Afghanistan cannot do night or surprise searches. Also, villagers must be warned prior to searches. Troops may not fire at the enemy unless fired upon. U.S. forces cannot engage the enemy if civilians are present. And only women can search women. Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney said: "We handcuffed our troops in combat needlessly. This was very harmful to our men and has never been done in U.S combat operations that I know of." Collateral damage and the unintentional killing of civilians are a consequence of war. But the question we should ask is: Are our troops' lives less important than the inevitable collateral damage?

The unnecessary loss of life and casualties that result from politically correct rules of engagement are about to be magnified in future conflicts by mindless efforts to put women in combat units. In 2013, then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta officially lifted the ban on women serving in ground combat roles. On Jan. 1, 2016, all branches of the military must either open all positions to women or request exceptions. That boils down to having women serve in combat roles, because any commander requesting exceptions would risk having his career terminated in the wake of the screeching and accusations...

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


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; armyrangers; combat; lossoflife; mabus; navyseals; obama; pc; roe; rulesofengagement; usmilitary; war; women
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To: A Navy Vet
If they don't accept said values and act up, destroy them again.

That's the key phrase. Quit dicking around, devastate them and destroy again if they reconstitute themselve as a threat to the US.

21 posted on 09/29/2015 11:50:13 AM PDT by umgud
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To: Vaquero

Grenada.

Yeah, I know it isn’t much, but it’s something.


22 posted on 09/29/2015 11:57:50 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: A Navy Vet

Works for me. This limited war is c**p and causes the unnecessary loss of American lives, of course the turkey in the WH could care less.

Fight a war to win just as we did in WWII. There were many fanatics in Germany and Japan and they haven’t come back for more.


23 posted on 09/29/2015 12:00:03 PM PDT by jazusamo (0bama to go 'full-Mussolini' after elections: Mark Levin....and the turkey has.)
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To: Vaquero
No, we have not fought to win since 1945. Many factors including the formation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the UN, a public reaction to our using the Atomic Bomb against Japan, communist infiltration of our government, just to name a few.
We cannot excuse our politicians for their role in the losing of so many American Soldiers. We cannot excuse the role of traitors like John F’n Kerry.
Most of the above problems can be dealt with but allowing the commies to get a foothold here and fighting wars with one hand tied behind our back has to stop.
“Troops cannot fire unless fired upon, we must warn villages of attacks and searches.” SHEESH!!!!!!!!
Another crime by Obummer, is using air attacks to appear to be in the fight against ISIS...What horse-hockey! I flew in the USAF and will tell all that ALL branches of the service support the man on the ground with the rifle. Air is just support and, although highly visible, is useless unless there is a follow up attack from the ground.
Stop wasting our men's lives, fight to win.
24 posted on 09/29/2015 12:35:48 PM PDT by BatGuano (You don't think I'd go into combat with loose change in my pocket, do ya?)
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To: skeeter
Of course if the Leftist crack-pots in Government had even a slight tinge of common sense, they would recognize that almost nothing is better calculated to increase "collateral damage," than a rule that the men cannot fire unless fired upon.

Think about the obvious. If we can initiate, we can initiate under circumstances that minimize "collateral damage." The alternative is the all too common use of women & children as human shields, etc., as well as other contrived efforts to propagandize, at our expense. (Remember the reality that we are often in fire-fights with folk who put a far lower value on human life than does the typical American.)

It is very difficult to conceive of any pro-American reason for such rules of engagement.

25 posted on 09/29/2015 12:47:25 PM PDT by Ohioan
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To: Ohioan

In the kind of war we’re asking our guys to fight, its over seconds after it starts, and its the guy that shoots first who wins.


26 posted on 09/29/2015 12:49:56 PM PDT by skeeter
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To: jazusamo

Gen:5 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created.

God made us male and female for a reason. The male and the female have different roles to fulfill. They should not be confused with nonsense like women in combat roles. It will never, ever work because it is not God’s purpose or plan for mankind.


27 posted on 09/29/2015 12:54:20 PM PDT by mc5cents (Pray for America)
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To: skeeter
The implied betrayal of our fighting men on a front, of course, is not new. I remember some of the guys who came back from Korea, after MacArthur was denied a chance to actually win, who were embittered--and, incidentally, moved very decidedly to the Right. Hopefully, those who survive this deliberate endangering by their own Government, will follow a similar ideological course.

The whole thing is absolutely indefensible.

28 posted on 09/29/2015 12:56:28 PM PDT by Ohioan
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To: FreedomPoster

Grenada.....I stand corrected...a work buddy served in that short but successful outing. Leave it to the Gipper.


29 posted on 09/29/2015 1:18:16 PM PDT by Vaquero ( Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
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