Posted on 09/10/2009 3:32:58 PM PDT by tencole
GANJGAL, Afghanistan — 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.
Four U.S. Marines were killed Tuesday, the most U.S. service members assigned as trainers to the Afghan National Army to be lost in a single incident since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. Eight Afghan troops and police and the Marine commander's Afghan interpreter also died in the ambush and the subsequent battle that raged from dawn until 2 p.m. around this remote hamlet in eastern Kunar province, close to the Pakistan border.
Three Americans and 19 Afghans were wounded, and U.S. forces later recovered the bodies of two insurgents, although they believe more were killed.
(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...
Newbee, this has been posted several times by other cut and run loons.
The anti war trolls know there are some on FR who are anti war third party or just don’t have a clue period.
Your aim is to gin up anti war, cut and run on FR
Every time I watch the movie Blackhawk Down I want to spit nails.
You’re absolutely right. This is also the first time in recent memory that I recall our troops did not have the ammo they need to fight - they had to use Willy Pete instead of smoke. No gunships and no smoke? Welcome back Carter...
I'm talking about rules of engagement set up by liberals where four Marines call for artillery support and are told the ROE says they don't qualify under the new guidelines where they might have last month.
That includes going after the countries that are funding them.
If these ROE came from Petraeus, and I'm not sure they did, his political future is dead as far as I'm concerned.
Obama Killing our Troops! Let them fight why did we build all these sophisticated weapons for?
I can't believe it, but I'm siding with Will on Afghanistan. Weakened and politicized ROEs, a corrupt government, and a populace stuck in the Dark Ages, is an equation for disaster.
Allow me to add: a Commander-in-Chief who knows less about military strategy than a buck private on his first day of boot camp. Hell, at least Clinton commanded the Arkansas National Guard as governor.
Do you get the feeling that the bad guys throughout the world are unafraid of the Community Organizer in Chief?
That and a few other things, like “the wall” between the CIA and the FBI are what brought Clinton to mind.
I don’t care what the Rules of Engagement are, you aren’t fit to wear the title - United States Marine, if you don’t say my career be damned, I’m not letting a fellow Marine die. I’d gladly make my case to an empaneled jury and even if found guilty, I could live with the consequence knowing I saved the lives of 4 brothers.
Cut and run? No, this is all about the ROE’s and McChrystal’s lame ass decisions which are leading to our guys getting killed. If you are going to have boots on the ground over there, for heaven’s sake, let them defend themselves against terrorists and do their job. If the Obama Administration wants to ‘win hearts and minds’, have them send over missionaries. If they want to win battles, have them send Marines!
Sorry SoCalPol, but you are WAY off on this one.
I have a feeling it’s only going to get worse. I have a feeling political officers aren’t too far down the road to ensure no one strays away.
I do not support these wars any more. Bring the troops home. Their president will not let them fight fairly, bring them home.
No child of mine will fight under leftists.
Relieve the people that denied them air and artillery support. Put them in the front lines with the troops. Let the higher authorities draw the proper conclusions.
If the people that denied them air and artillery support had any honor, they’d eat their side arms. Outside, so no one has to clean up the mess.
I served 8+ years on active duty (Army - Air Defense Artillery, Platoon Leader, Battalion Staff, Battery Commander, cherry jumper), vote solidly Republican (while holding my nose), and supported our initial actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Call me a supporter of the Powell Doctrine: go in with massive force, and then get the hell out (or stay and hold under the Petraeus Doctrine). These weak Rules of Engagement are only going to kill more Americans than is necessary. I can't believe that Petraeus ordered these ROE's.
I have advised my 20 YO son to avoid the military until Obama and his minions are out of office.
So, which of your groups am I a member of?
I would hope that the rate of "friendly fire" incidents would rise in proportion.
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