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Grumpy1993 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 18, 2018 11:38 am

AndyC wrote: ↑Mon Dec 17, 2018 1:51 pm

buzzkill wrote: ↑Mon Dec 17, 2018 1:05 pm

AndyC wrote: ↑Sun Dec 16, 2018 11:50 pm "Allegedly murdered".

alleged Taliban

alleged bomb maker

Perhaps so - but that's a red herring and completely irrelevant to my issue with the headline, which is that the MSM has already pronounced him guilty.

The American or the Afghani?

There’s a difference?

... assuming you were talking about American and Afghan media....

I could be wrong somewhere, but as I recall, what the soldier said was that they released the alleged bomb maker, and that he (or they....it wasn't really that clear) killed him later. What was NOT said was under what circumstances he was killed. It's entirely possible that his subsequent killing was within the scope of the ROE at that time....like maybe they ran across the badguy later while he (the BG) was shooting at him/them, and he/they fired back, killing the BG. ....or not... but we don't know. You could take all that information, and condense it into a simple sentence pronounced off the cuff during an interview - "yeah, I killed him later" - and not have a complete picture of what actually happened.

So here's my reaction to the story:

1. We don't really know what happened, and we won't really know until the trial is complete.
2. Even if he did "murder" the man, I'm finding it really hard to get all worked up over a dead bomb maker who targets our men and women serving over there.
3. WE - yes, all of us and our families who make up The People - sent those men and women there to Afghanistan, through the authority vested in our elected officials. I don't give two road apples for the Afghan people. It's their country, and their gov't. Let them defend it ... or not. But after 17 years of our involvement over there, it doesn't appear that THEY have the desire to live in a culture more modern than the 8th century, and continuing to stay there will just bleed us dry. Fine. If the Afghan people want to live like that, let them. Get our men and women out of there.
4. In the meantime, take the handcuffs off of our people, and let them do what is necessary, so that they can survive long enough to make it home. If that means wasting some ignorant bomb maker, fine, do it, and let the nervous nellies get out of the way. They've got a million more of bomb-makers there, and the loss of one isn't going to "turn the people against us." They're ALREADY against us.
5. Karzai can go have intimate knowledge of a goat. If we kill their insurgents, he's mad at us. If we don't kill their insurgents, we're "not doing enough". The feckless piece of manure would complain if he was hung with a new rope. He's a crooked bastard, and helping the likes of HIM to stay in office isn't worth ONE more drop of American blood.
6. If our leaders do not have the intestinal fortitude to let our warfighers do what they've been trained to do - as efficiently and lethally as possible - then DONT. SEND. THEM. THERE. IN. THE. FIRST. PLACE.

At the outset, I was in favor of the Afghan war, simply because NOT responding to Al Qaeda post 9/11 simply wasn't an option. But Bin Laden was killed May 2, 2011, and Al Qaeda still exists all over the world. The past 7-1/2 years of war in Afghanistan since his "termination", there have been nearly a thousand Americans killed in that country. For what end, since the chickenpoops in DC would rather see dead Americans than dead Afghans?

For Pete's sake, our people were NOT trained to be "nation builders". They were trained to be stone cold, disciplined, and efficient killers. If that's not the mission, then send someone else. Maybe send all those desk-jockeys from the State Department. Yeah.... send those dilettantes. Maybe then, after they suffer a 10%-15% amputation rate plus fatalities, they'll be mad enough to send in the Marines. Otherwise, they should shut up and go home....and leave the deliberately backward to live their chosen way of life.

You can't fault our military people over there; they have done the best job possible while wearing the straightjackets placed upon them by people who aren't worthy to shine their boots. I suppose that, as in all wars, they fought mainly for the guy next to them. They are supposed to be fighting for the hearts and minds of the Afghan people, but NONE of the Afghans want us to stay there. Almost to a man, they'd rather live under the Taliban, most of whom come from within their own ranks. Fine. Let them. Get the hell out of there.

And the next time some chickenhead full of false bravado in DC wants to send troops somewhere, have Congress authorize total war ... or NO war. This "in between" kind of war isn't worth a cup of warm spit.

Not that I have an opinion in the matter.