This is an absolute disgrace the new ROE see’s to these needless casualties. This is why the Russian ended up pulling out. The bottom line is we cannot nation build were there is no nation. Special Forces units should be used with massive firepower brought to bear to kill the Taliban off. This type of kinder gentler BS does not get it. US Marines from Camp Lejeune have been taking the brunt of the recent casualties. There is no excuse not to give troops in contact all that they need from airpower and artillery that is available. This will become a if we let it a meat grinder that will be an albatross around the current administrations neck. An exert from the McClatchy news article, click the title for the whole article. This incident is under investigation as to why the request for artillery support was not
granted.
I would also like to know why there was no TACAIR availble and why did the helicopter take 1 hour to arrive?
GANJGAL, Afghanistan — We walked into a trap, a killing zone of relentless gunfire and rocket barrages from Afghan insurgents hidden in the mountainsides and in a fortress-like village where women and children were replenishing their ammunition.
"We will do to you what we did to the Russians," the insurgent's leader boasted over the radio, referring to the failure of Soviet troops to capture Ganjgal during the 1979-89 Soviet occupation.
Dashing from boulder to boulder, diving into trenches and ducking behind stone walls as the insurgents maneuvered to outflank us, we waited more than an hour for U.S. helicopters to arrive, despite earlier assurances that air cover would be five minutes away.
U.S. commanders, citing new rules to avoid civilian casualties, rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers dug into the slopes and tree lines — despite being told repeatedly that they weren't near the village.
McClatchy Newspapers 2009
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