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The Air Force officer (who was promoted by Clinton) said some Pentagon civilians (hold-overs from the Clinton administration) also are upset with the tactics used in the assault near Gardez in Paktia province. Some informally have discussed firing commanders, but others say any dismissals would send the wrong message to U.S. allies as well as to supporters of terrorist Osama bin Laden.

This "Air Force officer" should be demoted to toilet bowl cleaner.

I have gotten sick watching so many analysts (lots of retired Special Forces) repeat ad nauseum over and over their tactical version of what to do to clueless TV show hosts. It alway starts off with "Intelligence", and then more "Intelligence", followed of course by still more "Intelligence" with a few laser designators in the way of Special Forces with Afgan local troops.

Theater and tactial intelligence are of course important, otherwise you could not PLAN the operation. Let the guys in charge on the ground run the operation. At some point you have to STOP gathering intelligence, and HIT somebody, make them move. Plan seems to be surround Al-Queda forces on four sides, then close in. If you don't push the opposition into a smaller and smaller area, it must be harder to hit them from the air, when there is more surface area to hid in...

The commanders do not wish to spend US lives needlessly, but if they are not willing to use US infantry to close with and destroy the enemy, then all we need is special forces, laser targeting, and lots of aircraft. I am not sure that we can trust most of the Afgans, they have a history of selling out, switching sides too easily. Best of luck to the US infantry and all others involved.

I have flown on Chinooks in the States and Vietnam....they are not build for speed and going into a hot LZ....Sorry guys, but you don't go in with a Cchinook to save another Chinook taken out by ground fire...

this "officer" is correct...we rushed in too quick....

hopefully, this is a good lesson for the future...Iraq will be different: terrain is different and we will be hitting large masses of dumb soldiers by and large...