Enraged

Sorry folks, you can’t go to war half way. 

Carrots and stick, folks.  All carrots and no sticks makes for brave warriors who perish on the field of battle because the local fighters have little to fear – not because of our own warriors, but because of the lack of resourcing and tactics being implemented.

UPDATE:

It now appears that this may be yet another example of a rules of engagement problem.

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.

I’m not sure where the confusion is.  The Marines were invited to meet with this village, and they were ambushed.  They weren’t looking for trouble this time, but maybe that’s the problem.

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.

They waited for support and got none.  The civilians in this case were hardly civilians, were they? 

Those who say we don’t belong there seem to forget that this village doesn’t represent the entire country, but they did set up an ambush.  What would you do?  And do you understand the consequences?

Read it all.