Posted on 11/24/2015 11:51:58 AM PST by b4its2late
As part of Operation Tidal Wave II, the U.S. military dropped leaflets containing grave warnings to oil truck drivers in Islamic State territory 45 minutes before destroying almost half the truck fleet.
Here's what the pamphlets said, according to a report from The Free Beacon.
"Get out of your trucks now and run away from them."
Another pamphlet read, "Warning: airstrikes are coming. Oil trucks will be destroyed. Get away from your oil trucks immediately. Do not risk your life."
The airstrikes took out 116 oil trucks, which put a sizeable dent in the 300-strong fleet. Concern over civilian casualties is the reason it took so long to assault a highly-valued source of revenue for ISIS, according to the Pentagon.
But the solution was simple enough, even though it took an unusually long time to implement: fly F-15s over the region and drop pamphlets warning drivers to abandon their trucks.
However, the A-10s and C-130s sent in for the strikes did not eliminate the entire fleet. Rather, the Pentagon maintains that the aircraft ran out of ammunition, and so were forced to return to base.
"In Al-Bukamal, we destroyed 116 tanker trucks, which we believe will reduce ISIL's ability to transport its stolen oil products," Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said. "This is our first strike against tanker trucks, and to minimize risks to civilians, we conducted a leaflet drop prior to the strike."
Congress is suspicious about the Pentagon's reasoning, especially given that U.S. pilots have told Congress that they've been thwarted by the chain of command and prohibited from dropping 75 percent of their payloads. Clearance to strike comes infrequently and as far as the pilots are concerned, seemingly endless delay has given ISIS room to expand.
While the Pentagon says it's worried about civilian casualties and so is reticent to allow strikes at any given point, the Kremlin has accused the U.S. of allowing ISIS to continue largely unabated in the hopes that the group will bring down Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the U.S. is hoping to hit the sweet spot in the fight against ISIS.
"They want IS to weaken Assad as soon as possible to make him leave somehow, but at the same time they don't want to overly strengthen IS, which may then seize power," Lavrov said.
" Wenn ist das Nunstruck git und Slotermeyer? Ja! ... Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput! "
Chose life so you can kill infidels another day.
Just a thought, but if the F-15s had fired their 20 mm guns (nearly 1,000 rounds per aircraft) instead of dropping leaflets, isn't it possible that they, the C-130s, and the A-10s could have eliminated all the oil trucks?
Obama is too big a sissy even to bring a knife to a gunfight. The best he could do is give the terrorists a paper cut.
I'm sure he paid attention to the important part though. The warnings probably had this logo:
“Concern over civilian casualties is the reason it took so long to assault a highly-valued source of revenue for ISIS, according to the Pentagon.”
Nobody believes that. This leaflet drop (as unwise as it was) could have happened a year ago.
I agree, it’s aiding the enemy.
If they’re driving these trucks they’re not innocents, they know whom they’re for, they should be considered one of them. If you’re not taking out PEOPLE you’re not taking out ISIS.
Reminds me of the Charles Bronson movie “The Mechanic.” Jan-Michael Vincent kills Bronson and comes back home to pick up a car. But there’s a note in the car:
“Steve, if you’re reading this it means I didn’t make it back. It also means you’ve broken a filament controlling a 13-second delay trigger. End of game. Bye! You’re dead.”
Boom.
>> There is some possibility that the drivers were under duress and their families possibly held hostage <<
Or maybe a stationary truck is a lot easier to hit than a moving truck?
I don’t believe so. They were done by our A10’s and C130’s after the leaflets were dropped as warning.
LOL!
Agreed.
I don’t consider ISIS to be “troops” nor do I consider them to be “civilians” either. More like pirates, subject to summary execution. My point was that we have dropped warning leaflets, but the purpose was valid then. It’s not now.
Yes it did. If they have US missiles they could have ambushed.
I believe we all need to pray for our military throughout the day, that this betrayal does not break their hearts and minds and that they come to realize that we are behind them and love them and ask that they hold on with us for 13 or so months.
That’s insane. Kill the drivers AND the trucks.
"Step away from the truck or you will be taunted a second time."
I'm still shaking.
Agreed!
The scene is in the last 25 seconds of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSCid-iOoe0
LOL! Never have seen that...thanks for the link!
Should have said, “If you are reading this, bend over and kiss your ass good-bye in 3...2...1!”
Definitely more effective!
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