Free Republic

Hoping to win more hearts and minds in Afghanistan, the U.S. and its NATO allies are planning a commendation to recognize “courageous restraint” among troops in the field. According to a NATO statement, the goal would be to “celebrate the troops who exhibit extraordinary courage and self-control by not using their weapons.” What an apt metaphor for the Age of Obama. If there is a coherent theme to President Obama’s foreign policy, it seems to be constraining and restraining American power. Consider the “New START” agreement. From Moscow’s perspective, New START will constrain the U.S. from building and deploying additional...

War On Terror: Attempts to punish the Haditha Marines and Navy SEALs for their courage and bravery under fire failed. Now some would reward timidity and cowardice with a medal for "courageous restraint" under fire. A nonsensical proposal circulating in the Kabul headquarters of the International Security Forces in Afghanistan would give a medal to soldiers in battle who show restraint in the use of deadly force in situations where civilian casualties might result. This will not protect civilians as much as it will endanger the lives of our troops. Our soldiers are already disciplined and trained not to wantonly...

Jake Johnson is a veteran with more than a decade of Special Operations experience. Recently, I asked him about the so-called “Courageous Restraint Medal”.

Oh brother. Gen. Stanley McChrystal is wanting a new medal to be awarded to U.S. Soldiers for showing "Courageous Restraint" - not killing civilians. In the report, CNN Reporter Barbara Starr said she asked one soldier what he thought about it, and he just "rolled his eyes." He told her they are already trained to be disciplined and not kill civilians and sees no reason for a medal like this.

Nor is it the latest diet gimmick. Courageous Restraint is the next natural step in the plot to emasculate our military. The objective is to bestow accolades on troops in Afghanistan who avoid deadly force at risk to themselves. Professor Jeffrey F. Addicott, a former senior legal adviser to the Green Berets and director of the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, speaks for all rational human beings: The implication of this award is that we do not engage in war fighting that is appropriate, They’re sending a chilling message to our...