Did someone say RENO?
Posted on 11/03/2001 1:09:43 AM PST by stilts
Kabul, Nov 3
"I thought I was going to die — the earth was raining from the skies," a Taliban survivor told the Sun while describing how an entire unit was buried alive in a strike by US B-52s.
Osman Rakhim, 23, said the explosions caused by the giant US bombers started a landslide on his mountainside position.
He said dozens of troops were killed when hundreds of tons of earth and rock came down on top of them.
Rakhim wandered away from the carnage in a daze and later surrendered to the Northern Alliance. He said a whole unit of fighters dug in behind him were buried.
Rakhim told the Sun: “I could not see, I couldn’t breathe. Everything was in darkness ... There were many, many bombs. The earth shook and it rained rocks and shrapnel.
“The hillside was falling on us. There were about 300 of us there dug in with sandbags. I have no idea how many were killed.
Ah, but survivors are very important.
Remember in the Gulf War when they used mine plow tanks to bury Iraqis in their trenches? Survivors escaped to the next set of trenches, and told them what was coming down. By the time the tanks got there they were greeted with a fierce barrage of white flags as the Iraqis surrendered like there would be no tomorrow if they did not. . .
Don't "go wobbly" on us now. Prayers for our guys if this is true, but we've been told all along there will be casualties - as long as we're INFLICTING most of them we're doing good.
I live near several military bases, and I don't want to see any of our guys hurt or killed - BUT, this is WAR, and some of them get hurt or killed in car accidents, training accidents, etc., even if they're "safe at home".
Slainte,
CC
I for one, am glad we got the report...That means his other buddies will get it too, give them something to think about...
Plus, fuel/air would kill them too quickly.
Wouldn't "Blow up the mountain over mohammed" be better?
I saw that. He's now got a link to one of his exclusives. I have no doubt that happened, but I question the quotes. Remember, this is coming from Seymour Hersh, no friend of the military.
A "common soldier" would not work for creeps like the Taliban. "I was just following orders"? Give me a break.
And we're "LOOSE"ing bombs, not our humanity.
We're "LOOSE"ing our humanity when we drop food on them.
So don't LOSE any sleep.
And remember, the Dictionary is your friend...;^)
Did someone say RENO?
Hey...what do you think you're doing, there, buddy...you just pull those pants up and turn around."
The bombs aren't just being dropped hither and yon in the general vicinity of the Taliban. We've got Rangers on the ground directing the bombs in on the centers of mass of the Taliban forces. That's why bin Laden is whining about it all being "unfair." As seen from his perspective it's "unfair" because it is so devastatingly accurate.
A Ranger and a B-52 make a great combat team.
One at a time, starting with Afghansistan....we need to put a few checks & balances in their governments.
During the writing of the U.S. Constitution, the Founding Fathers were influenced by the writings of Polybius who had described the system of checks and balances in the Roman Republican Constitution. They saw the wisdom of the Roman Republican system and incorporated a system of checks and balances into our own U.S. Constitution.
Polybius, by proxy, was therefore one of our American Founding Fathers in regards to the system of checks and balances.
Polybius and the Founding Fathers: the separation of powers
However, a recurring theme of Polybius' writings, which were a History of Rome written for the benefit of his fellow Greeks, was the theme of the noble and honest character of the Roman Republican citizen during the time in which he wrote. Polybius' time was the era of Rome's Finest Hour, it's life and death struggle with Carthage.
Without that noble character, without that sense of duty to the Republic, without the respect of the rule of law, the citizens of any nation only have a worthless piece of paper for a Constitution. Once the Romans lost that character, they lost their noble Republic regardless of the fact that their Constitution was such a fine document that the Untited States of America chose to found it's own Nation under it's principles 2,000 years later.
I am afraid that no one can put a functioning system of checks and balances into a foreign nation. That is something that only the people can do for themselves. If they have a noble character, they will flourish. If they do not, mere words on a piece of paper will have no effect whatsoever.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.