Air strikes are down over 50% since the new REO. The press makes it seem like we are there mowing down civilians yet, they can’t bring themselves to tell that the Taliban will go in and slaughter folk to either make the village comply with hiding them or because they need the body count up to blame it on us.
Unfortunately civilians will die, but much like the pain of ripping off a bandaid, if we would just go in full force and start making clear headway in taking out the Taliban, eventually the population will be on our side. They are tribal people, they don’t like the Taliban either, but if you disagree with them you are dead, they are in survival mode. Does anybody really believe that the locals are not dying daily at the hands of the Taliban? Complain and we kill the rest of your family.
Add thousands more troops to get this thing under control, ONLY if they can do what they are trained to do! This whole situation would be a lot less drawn out. Then worry about infrastructure and schools.
I agree with much of what you say. Very few people except combat Infantrymen,marines,and spec ops types really know what war is like and how changing rules of engagement effects a unit. We have a media that reports every casualty, runs with lead stories of every so called civilian killed, hypes up 600-700 killed in Afghan thus far. Let me assure everyone that 600-700 is very low for eight years. We had 10,000 KIA in 1968 and 12,000 KIA in 1969.
Still any US death is mourned and any death caused by ROE changes is negligence by the commander. These silly ROE’s are taking away our technology advantage plus they are tying the hands of every combat commander. I cannot imagine any commander breaking enemy contact and running just because he sees an old man or whatever. This is ludicrous.
Had anyone ever told me I could not call in TAC Air on the enemy, I would have been furious. I disagree with the Gen’s ROE’s.