'We're pinned down:' 4 U.S. Marines die in Afghan ambush

McClatchy ^ | 9/8/2009 | Jonathan S. Landay

[Saije]

We walked into a trap, a killing zone of relentless gunfire and rocket barrages from Afghan insurgents hidden in the mountainsides and in a fortress-like village where women and children were replenishing their ammunition.

"We will do to you what we did to the Russians," the insurgent's leader boasted over the radio, referring to the failure of Soviet troops to capture Ganjgal during the 1979-89 Soviet occupation.

Dashing from boulder to boulder, diving into trenches and ducking behind stone walls as the insurgents maneuvered to outflank us, we waited more than an hour for U.S. helicopters to arrive, despite earlier assurances that air cover would be five minutes away.

U.S. commanders, citing new rules to avoid civilian casualties, rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers dug into the slopes and tree lines — despite being told repeatedly that they weren't near the village.

"We are pinned down. We are running low on ammo. We have no air. We've lost today," Marine Maj. Kevin Williams, 37, said through his translator to his Afghan counterpart, responding to the latter's repeated demands for helicopters.

[Cindy]

God hears our prayers, bd476.

[MestaMachine]

"We walked into a trap, a killing zone of relentless gunfire and rocket barrages from Afghan insurgents hidden in the mountainsides and in a fortress-like village where women and children were replenishing their ammunition."

While McChrystal worries about their "muslim sensibilities."
DAMN HIM!

[Lancey Howard]

(( ping ))

Get ready to be sick.
This asswipe McChrystal has to go.

[444Flyer]

“Military leery of Afghanistan escalation with no clear goals”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2335026/posts

[444Flyer]

“No deadline for troops withdrawal from Afghanistan: Obama admn”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2334327/posts

[EternalVigilance]

I’m ANGRY.

[Smokin' Joe]

Suspicion operational security is compormised by people playing both sides, ROE which will not permit agressive pursuit and elimination of enemy assets, ROE which will not permit supporting fire to be brought in, nor air support.

Sorry, but I'm having deja vu all over again.

These are some of the complaints I heard from friends who came back from VietNam.

The Dems/Communists/Liberals/NewLeftists hung people out to dry in that one, too.

They have been calling the WOT a "quagmire" from the git-go, and they have been determined to make it that way, in spite of our troops' best efforts and commendable performance.

let 'em fight and give them support, or pull 'em all out now.

Yep.

[444Flyer]

...Afghan insurgents hidden in the mountainsides and in a fortress-like village where women and children were replenishing their ammunition."

That needs to be repeated. The enemy doesn't discriminate in who they use to help take out our boys, women and children included. If they survive a situation like this, our troops are court-martialed if they defend themselves and shoot back at the enemy. Unbelievable. The current ROE's are ridiculous.

[Rannug]

The traitors Aspen and Alexander were in on that too.

[crazyotto]

Send in the B-52s. Rolling Thunder all over again. There is an advantage to Carpet Bombing. Throw in some Nukes for good measure.

[panthermom]

I have had family serving since 2002, serving in both the Army and Marines. The last one to deploy was in April with the Marines. From the day he left I had a terrible sick feeling that did not go away. I had not felt anything like it before. Sure enough, he was hit by an IED on July 14th while delivering a Doctor to a village that they had just done a security sweep through. He said he knew something was up by the way the locals were acting.

Luckily he survived, physically he has all of his body parts but is suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury. He is on a 30 day convalescent leave here in GA. We will be going to the VA today for rehab. with no end in sight.

I support taking the fight to the enemy but if our hands are tied, then get out!

[Reagan's My Hero]

I would like to see our troops out of this hellhole immediately. What a mess, and it makes one wonder... where is all the anti-war outrage from the leftists about what is going on over there?

[Little Ray]

No, its “right wing” or simply, sanity.

We should have leveled village, and killed everyone in it, down to the last goat.

[spectre]

U.S. commanders, citing new rules to avoid civilian casualties, rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers dug into the slopes and tree lines — despite being told repeatedly that they weren't near the village.

I am sick.

sw

[WVKayaker]

The mountains are home to tis enemy. They have caves and cities like the VC had, but deeper and bigger. They will hold us off like the Russkies.

They should give adequate warning, then NUKE THE AREA! The displaced and exposed enemy will then be good for target practice...

[Eye of Unk]

Whatever happened to “overwhelming force”?

Get Obama out of the referee position and call in some real experts and just get’er done!

To me it appears like Obamas long range goal is to get as many American soldiers killed that he will have to declare an emergency so as to create a “private” army of his own.

Its no wonder there are soldiers defying the false POTUS when given orders, Obama is throwing them away like expendable nose wipes.

[Vision]

RIP to those heroes.

If women and children are transporting ammo, they are targets. Send over the gunships.

[TADSLOS]

Must be the damn army refusing artillary and air support. The marines would never leave their comrades hanging out there to dry, ROE be damned.

Then where were your Marines? Try thinking before posting next time and focusing your ire where it's warranted. HINT: It isn't the other services. Get a clue.

[Justa]

"Get a screen shot of this article or it’s going to be scrubbed or edited! I don’t know how to do it or I would."

In Windows: Ctrl + PrtScn keys. Open MS Word or similar document program and R-click, select: Paste.

[McGruff]

U.S. commanders, citing new rules to avoid civilian casualties, rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers

Where the hell is the media. They were so willing to announce every death under Bush. Now they are silent. How do they sleep at night. Obama, this is your war. Act like a Commander in Chief not like you are campaigning still.