Troops chafe at restrictive rules of engagement, talks with Taliban – Washington Examiner
By MB Snow at October 18, 2010 | 7:03 pm | Print
Troops chafe at restrictive rules of engagement, talks with Taliban
By: SARA A. CARTER
National Security Correspondent
October 18, 2010
KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN — To the U.S. Army soldiers and Marines serving here, some things seem so obviously true that they are beyond debate. Among those perceived truths: Tthe restrictive rules of engagement that they have to fight under have made serving in combat far more dangerous for them, while allowing the Taliban to return to a position of strength.
“If they use rockets to hit the [forward operating base] we can’t shoot back because they were within 500 meters of the village. If they shoot at us and drop their weapon in the process we can’t shoot back,” said Spc. Charles Brooks, 26, a U.S. Army medic with 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, in Zabul province.
Word had come down the morning Brooks spoke to this reporter that watch towers surrounding the base were going to be dismantled because Afghan village elders, some sympathetic to the Taliban, complained they were invading their village privacy. “We have to take down our towers because it offends them and now the Taliban can set up mortars and we can’t see them,” Brooks added, with disgust.
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T. Hunter, 2 years ago
I’ve always believed the point of a war was to win it. A PC war? That’s pathetic….T.Hunter
coastcontact, 2 years ago
Afghanistan is not our nation. The fight against al-Aqueda is an international fight. Unless the United States is prepared to station troops in that country indefinitely we will have to accept Taliban participation in their government. Many of our troops like participating in war. Denying them a war will result in them returning to civilian life. The recent gathering in San Diego of homeless veterans tells the story that many people cannot survive without a commander telling them what to do and how to live. It’s a sad statement about many Americans.