Huh? Some guy had Osama bin Laden in the sights of his UAV, but decided to call the slow reaction team at HQs to get permission. Six years, a trillion dollars and 3,000 dead American heroes later and we still don't have Osama. I am as critical of the strategic direction of this war as anyone on this forum, but that is about getting the strategy right. Once you decide to have a war and bring in marines, folks are going to get hurt. If you don't like it then don't have a war. And if you want to have able bodied fighting men for the next war, don't prosecute the guys who you told to go fight this war for fighting a war.
Like I said, this administration made its choice when it decided to have this war. Anyone who thinks Bush is such a wonderful guy needs to think about this and Haditha and things like that. Bush and his good 'ol boys and gals cannot have it both ways. If you don't like people getting hurt because of snap decisions in the heat of battle, don't have the battle. Iraq was a war at a time and place of Bushes choosing. No one forced it on him. He didn't have to have it.
And there is no wonder some poor boot on the ground is confused about the ROEs. This whole administration has twisted itself in a pretzel over trying to figure out what the ROEs are. The rule seems to be not to shoot bad guys who might not be bad guys but they are looking like bad guys.
Nice post Andy, I really agree 100% with you.