Another Sad Day in Afghanistan

by Jack

The title sounds familiar doesn’t it? It’s because the same bloody thing keeps happening over and over! Another American soldier was killed Sunday by an Afghan police officer. That makes nine fatal shootings in the past 11 days.

Next, here’s the confusing rules of engagement that our political leaders have forced on our troops… note the evolving logic:

Rules of engagement, while deployed in the field:

Soldiers may fire upon an armed enemy when observed.
(Reasonable, but cancelled)

Soldiers may fire upon an armed enemy when observed, but only in a declared fire zone. (Too restrictive – cancelled)

Soldiers may only return fire. (Way too restrictive – absurd)

Current ROE: Soldiers may return fire, but only if there are no civilians present. Soldiers will be awarded a medal for heroic restraint for taking fire and not returning fire while in a civilian area. (Beyond stupid – it’s why ambushes are arranged in villages now)

Rules for being back at the base:

Soldiers may not carry weapons while off duty inside their base or compound (The was dangerously naive – bad for morale)

Soldiers may now carry unloaded weapons off duty inside their compound. (Foolish at best – deadly at worst)

New policy: Soldiers may now carry loaded weapons off duty, inside their compound.

And I love this one. After the last friendly fire shooting US leaders are asking Afghan recruiters to screen their recruits more carefully. (Duh-uh)

A total of 34 NATO and American soldiers have been killed by our Afghan allies since 2011, this problem goes way beyond a few Taliban infiltrators sneaking into the ranks. Now imagine for a moment, we’re back in the USA. We’re training up soldiers from say…Mexico or Honduras. And these soldiers keep turning their weapon on our instructors. How many instructors would have to die before put a halt to the operation and start asking questions? Why don’t our troops in Afghanistan warrant the same concern? But, for some reason our leaders are repeatedly allowed to make the same mistakes over and over. I think we’re sacrificing soldiers for the sake of diplomacy or at the very least denial that we have overstayed our welcome.