God help us.
Amen to that, the new ROE are killing our troops and our commanders know it.
” with commanders citing new rules designed to avoid civilian casualties, the report said.
God help us. “
Lt General Gilmary Hostage held a press availability at the height of the Town Halls.
So, this was overlooked.
Except by Freepers.
Lt General Hostage is in charge of the kinder, gentler air war over Afghanistan.
He calls this strategy of allowing the Taliban to escape unharmed
“ Buzz Not Bomb. “
And he seems quite chipper about the whole situation.
“The first thing we do is fly over head, and the bad guys know airpower is in place and oftentimes that’s enough.
That ends the fight, they vamoose,”
“The A-10 has a very distinct sound.
The cannon on an A-10 is horrifically capable and our adversaries know it. When they hear the sound of an A-10, they scatter.”
Hostage quoted General McChrystal ordering:
, “If you are in a situation where there’s a civilian at risk,
he’d rather have us back away
than pressing to engage the enemy and run the risk of damaging or hurting somebody.”
Hostage, McChrystal and Obama are all about protecting the locals from the Taliban.
Which will cause them to be so grateful, they will no longer harbor the Taliban.
US forces physically defeating the Taliban is no longer the primary mission.
“In a circumstance where I’m only able to blow things up, I’m pretty limited in what I can do,” Hostage said.
“If I use graduated measures, then there are many things I can do to affect the situation.”
A couple of weeks ago ,CNN had a piece about Camp Keating in Afghanistan.
The soldiers in this remote outpost have to take incoming rounds from the hillside every day
from the same three Taliban that brazenly walk up the hillside knowing they will be given safe passage.
Because they are unarmed.
And obviously have their weapons cached.
Three walk up and shazamm, three areas open up on the camp.
So far, just physical damage to the camp, no one killed..yet.
One of the soldiers said they are fighting with one hand tied behind their back.
Back in 2007-the ROEs were different .
And civilians were sometimes killed and there was the typical backlash from the tribal elders.
Last sentence tells how Camp Keating got it’s name.
www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/02/27/afghanistan/print.html
“ Watching Afghanistan Fall, “ Matthew Cole Feb 27, 2007