Thursday, July 14, 2011

Words Fail Me...

PISSED sent in this rather unbelievable story:

Soldier killed after Army bosses barred him from opening fire on Taliban insurgents planting roadside bombs

A widow revealed how her soldier husband was blown up in Afghanistan days after senior officers had apparently ‘laughed off’ his complaints that insurgents were being allowed to plant explosive devices unchallenged.

Sergeant Peter Rayner, 34, phoned his wife in a ‘highly stressed’ state four days before his death and was upset that his fears were not taken seriously. She said he and his men had watched the enemy, using night-vision goggles, plant improvised explosive devices and were not allowed to attack them. He was allegedly told by one officer: ‘I am an Army Captain and you will do your job.’

Assuming that this is correct, there is a serious disconnect in US policy if soldiers who are observing enemy action cannot take steps to prevent said enemy action. As Alan noted in the wake of the Jose Guerrara shooting in AZ, SWAT teams are under looser rules of engagement than our soldiers in a war zone. That's some seriously messed up priorities right there.

If we cannot - or, worse, will not - stop these terrorist assholes when they are legitimately undertaking acts of war, maybe we should just get the hell out. It's one thing to see the job through - that's something we still need to do, rout the Taliban and defeat them totally; it's entirely another to do away with the bullshit PC rules that bind our hands while freeing our enemies.

You're either in it to win it or to lose - and we appear hell-bent on snatching defeat from the jaws of victory here...

That is all.

9 comments:

Bubblehead Les. said...

Well, since it seems to be Official Policy to Kiss Hamid Karzhai's Heroin Dealing Ass and his "Don't Shoot my Brothers the Taliban" policy (and one wonders why the Anointed One's Administration seems to look the other way regarding the flow of Drugs sponsored by Governments such as Mexico, Venezuela, Pakistan and Afghanistan), more such incidents will occur.

Kinda like Border Patrol Agents getting killed by ATF smuggled guns. Everything these Bastards on Barry's Staff does is the exact opposite of what we spend precious Blood on to Stop.

"Some Dare not call it Treason..."

Anonymous said...

Jay,
The US Army doesn't have a Duke of Lancaster's regiment. It's the British army that's using these stupid ROE.

Stretch said...

Yossarian's Rule: Anyone who is trying to kill you is the Enemy.

Tim said...

There are plenty of examples of ISAF forces being restrained from engaging the enemy.

The half-hearted approach to war fighting results in defeat. This lesson should have been learned in Vietnam.

Anonymous said...

Anon @12:45 is right, these are Brits. (The Army dropped the use of berets, and they sure as hell wouldn't wear them in an active war zone.

Perhaps I should ask my husband about the rules of engagement where he is?

Toastrider said...

Might want to. Damn shame the Brits have lost their balls though.

Old NFO said...

Yep, I've heard that from 'other' sources too... Damn the ROE!

Mr. Casey said...

In my time in The Corps we had a motto; "It is better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission."

Of course, in my time there weren't reporters behind every tree, no inexpensive handheld video cams, no youtube, etc. We lit them up!

The Old Man said...

Jay, we have been snatching defeat from the jaws of victory since 1946. If Rosevelt has allowed Patton to do his job, the Cold War would have never happened. VietNam was one defeat after another because LBJ had to stick his dick into the chain of command. All of the gulf wars have been the same thing. Take it, Hold it until the state department makes you give it back. I have watched the generals and admirals make names for themselves over the bodies of grunts for the last 50 years. Too bad that we have those that don't study history in office.