Posted on 12/01/2010 9:06:44 AM PST by Labour-Watch
Gen David Petraeus, the commander of Nato troops in Afghanistan, has hailed a Parachute Regiment operation involving a precision attack that killed 15 Taliban but left two civilans unharmed.
Two Afghan civilians survived unscathed as bombs and bullets rained down on Taliban during a "precision strike" campaign being run by the 3rd Bn The Parachute Regiment.
Gen Petraeus undertook an urgent fact-finding visit to the Paras and praised the attacks as "the most impressive way to do business".
The American commander has adopted the mantra "ruthless prosecution of targets" since arriving in Afghanistan but has faced obstacles from subordinates worried over civilian casualties.
His trip was prompted after the Paras carried out five "sigacts" – significant actions – in the last four weeks that have led to the death of more than 40 Taliban and capture of a dozen including a shadow Taliban governor.
In the action surveillance technology picked up an unusually large number of armed insurgents assembling north of their former stronghold of Ghazni Street as C Company, 3 Para approached across open ground.
At 3 Para headquarters in Shahzad, three miles away, commanders frantically summoned an Apache attack helicopter to come on station as an unmanned drone's camera showed the insurgents preparing to attack.
"We held a rapid targeting meeting," said Major Peter Flynn, 3 Para's Chief of Staff. "The threat was imminent and decision had to be made on the lives of insurgents within 60 seconds.
"But we have to bear in mind that the prosecution of enemy targets must not be at the expense of a single civilian casualty."
Footage of the attack showed the first Hellfire anti-tank missile targeted two men carrying a heavy machine gun. One fighter looked up directly up to the sky a split second before the rocket hit.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Not the way to do it in my book...How many friendlies are killed or wounded while we figure out a way kill them, without ANY collateral damage?
Mike
I hope that video shows up on the internet SOON!
I agree. Collateral damage is not desirable. If it was
we would not be there.
We have the most benign Army in the history of mankind.
30,000+ French civilians died durring the D-Day invasion... and the survivors cheered us on.
F**king A! That’s some right smart work! Assets management, target acquisition, decision making. Quickly, lethally, under pressure. It is as good as it gets.
Well done to the Parachute Regiment.
}:-)4
I think we should show their civilians just as much respect as they show ours
You do realise its the British Paras the article is talking about.
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