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UK troops told: 'Don't shoot unless you are shot at... and our Helmand casualties soar
daily mail ^ | 30 June 2012 | Mark Nicol

Posted on 07/01/2012 5:08:58 PM PDT by george76

11 UK soldiers gunned down in Helmand in past three months, compared to two in the same period last year...

British soldiers in Afghanistan claim that new tactics are preventing them shooting at the Taliban until they have been fired at themselves – resulting in an alarming rise in the number of casualties.

...

Soldiers now say they are particularly vulnerable when they are manning checkpoints at road junctions or patrolling Taliban heartlands such as the so-called ‘green zone’, a densely vegetated river valley.

One junior non-commissioned officer said: ‘When I arrived in Helmand, my officers said our tactics were going to change.

‘They said that if I saw somebody carrying a rifle or a rocket launcher, I shouldn’t fire at him. Only if he shot at me or a member of my patrol, and I could see a muzzle flash from his rifle, could I use my weapon.

‘I was shocked and so were my mates. We are trained to close in and kill the enemy, not to let him stroll on, watch us and let him choose the best time to ambush us.

On previous tours, we would have engaged the enemy first to show them what we were made of. We’re up for a fight but now we always have to back off.

‘It makes me question the point of us being here.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; britishsoldiers; helmand; taliban

1 posted on 07/01/2012 5:09:00 PM PDT by george76
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To: george76
‘It makes me question the point of us being here.

Apparently, you are cannon fodder, in order to convince the world that Western involvement in conflicts is always tragic and wrong. Isolationists like ROE that increase western casualties.

2 posted on 07/01/2012 5:13:50 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: george76

snif snif
smell’s like Obama


3 posted on 07/01/2012 5:35:38 PM PDT by Mr. Peabody
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To: ClearCase_guy
Apparently, you are cannon fodder, in order to convince the world that Western involvement in conflicts is always tragic and wrong.

Isolationists like Islamic-Jihadist-Appeasing/Defending/Supporting, FASCIST, HATE-AMERICA/Military, B. Hussein Obama, who is REPSONBIBLE for these INSANE and INANE ROE'a and LOVES whatever it is that increase western ALL INFIDEL casualties

There, fixed it for you!

PS: And don't EVEN get me started on the SPINELESS, Jelly Fish, REMF, Armchair Generals (Almost ALL who have NEVER served in harms way and are POLITICAL A-Hole HACKS) who bow to their phony Community Agitator in Least and allow this travesty to jeapordize the safety of their Troops.

They are disgusting and a Shamefuls lot, and cast a BLACK MARK on all those who came before them, such as McCarthur, Eisenhower, and Patton.

4 posted on 07/01/2012 5:46:28 PM PDT by Conservative Vermont Vet
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To: Mr. Peabody

These are the ROEs as commanded by Gen. John Allen, obama’s ISAF commander. Yep, hussein’s directive to limit ALL mohammaden casualties, terrorist and civilian.


5 posted on 07/01/2012 6:04:43 PM PDT by Eagles6
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To: george76

“‘They said that if I saw somebody carrying a rifle or a rocket launcher, I shouldn’t fire at him. Only if he shot at me or a member of my patrol, and I could see a muzzle flash from his rifle, could I use my weapon.”

Well at least thats better than our border patrol agents who are told to run and hide if they fired on.


6 posted on 07/01/2012 6:13:58 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: george76

Same basic ROE for the US Border Patrol!


7 posted on 07/01/2012 6:17:41 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
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To: ClearCase_guy
I am fortunate in that I work as a contractor in Afghanistan with US Marines.

The described policy is not the modus operandi where I am at.

When a PKM or a Dragunov weapon is spotted (via methods I can't speak of), in the hands of the Taliban.....most certain pain is coming their way.

The sphincter factor, among the Taliban, is very high around here.

The “Great Taliban Spring Offensive”, highly touted in the MSM, has regressed into the “Great Taliban Spring Defensive”.

Much of the Taliban influx from Pakistan is receding.

8 posted on 07/01/2012 6:23:43 PM PDT by Puckster
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To: ClearCase_guy
I am fortunate in that I work as a contractor in Afghanistan with US Marines.

The described policy is not the modus operandi where I am at.

When a PKM or a Dragunov weapon is spotted (via methods I can't speak of), in the hands of the Taliban.....most certain pain is coming their way.

But hey......Marines break things. The sphincter factor, among the Taliban, is very high around here.

The “Great Taliban Spring Offensive”, highly touted in the MSM, has regressed into the “Great Taliban Spring Defensive”.

Much of the Taliban influx from Pakistan is receding.

9 posted on 07/01/2012 6:24:58 PM PDT by Puckster
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To: Conservative Vermont Vet

“There, fixed it for you!

PS: And don’t EVEN get me started on the SPINELESS, Jelly Fish, REMF, Armchair Generals (Almost ALL who have NEVER served in harms way and are POLITICAL A-Hole HACKS) who bow to their phony Community Agitator in Least and allow this travesty to jeapordize the safety of their Troops.

They are disgusting and a Shamefuls lot, and cast a BLACK MARK on all those who came before them, such as McCarthur, Eisenhower, and Patton.”

____

Well Said! USN ret. sends.


10 posted on 07/01/2012 6:25:43 PM PDT by mongo141 (Revolution ver. 2.0, just a matter of when, not a matter of if!)
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To: Conservative Vermont Vet

Ooo...rah


11 posted on 07/01/2012 6:31:12 PM PDT by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah cometh. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto.)
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To: george76

Why would they not dispatch their officers in this case? Then go about their business fighting the enemy.


12 posted on 07/01/2012 6:31:22 PM PDT by steve86 (Acerbic by nature not nurture TM)
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To: george76

Normally, soldiers will sometimes do combat patrols (to find the enemy, sometimes by being ambushed), and at other times, set up and execute ambushes. Being limited only to combat patrols to only be ambushed by the enemy is messed up.


13 posted on 07/01/2012 7:26:41 PM PDT by familyop ("Wanna cigarette? You're never too young to start." --Deacon, "Waterworld")
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To: george76
Don't shoot unless you are shot at

Uh, might be a little late to return fire if the enemy is any kind of a shot. IOW, you're merely target practice and now the enemy knows it.

14 posted on 07/01/2012 8:33:07 PM PDT by bgill
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