Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...
Old 09-17-2006, 07:16 PM   #1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
thefed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,203
Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapc....ap/index.html

What do you all think of this story?
thefed is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...
Old 09-17-2006, 10:13 PM   #2
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
haha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...

Quote:
Originally Posted by thefed
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapc....ap/index.html

What do you all think of this story?
The "military spokesman" didn't even attempt to cast doubt on the authenticity of the photo- she just said (more or less) "We need to track that sucker down and send him to Guantanamo". So I guess we can assume it is authentic.

So what do I think of rules of engagement that bypass the chance to strike a big blow against scum like the Taliban at no human risk to our forces?

I think it shows that you can't run a war with officers and civilian leaders who have attended too many sensitivity trainings.

Ha

__________________
"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
haha is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...
Old 09-18-2006, 09:21 AM   #3
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,798
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...

I agree with the decision.* It is a religious ceremony and bombing it could be twisted to result in greater support for the Taliban.* With that said, if it were possible I would've tried to follow the participants to their hideout/village, with one of the various tools in spy technology.* Then let the games begin.

If you turn the tables and the Taliban started suicide bombing our funerals what do you think would happen?
__________________
You don't want to work. You want to live like a king, but the big bad world don't owe you a thing. Get over it--The Eagles
lets-retire is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...
Old 09-18-2006, 09:27 AM   #4
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
haha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...

Give me a break. In Iraq, mosques have become major tactical redoubts, and the 2 Muslim factions are happily slaughtering one another in and around them.

Ha
__________________
"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
haha is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...
Old 09-18-2006, 10:01 AM   #5
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,798
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...

Quote:
Originally Posted by HaHa
Give me a break. In Iraq, mosques have become major tactical redoubts, and the 2 Muslim factions are happily slaughtering one another in and around them.

Ha
The difference is that's Muslim on Muslim violence. I think they will twist the fact that we are not Muslims, attacking one of their religious ceremonies into greater support for them.
__________________
You don't want to work. You want to live like a king, but the big bad world don't owe you a thing. Get over it--The Eagles
lets-retire is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...
Old 09-18-2006, 10:16 AM   #6
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
haha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...

Quote:
Originally Posted by lets-retire
The difference is that's Muslim on Muslim violence.* I think they will twist the fact that we are not Muslims, attacking one of their religious ceremonies into greater support for them.
I see your distinction. But they will twist anything. I don't think we should let them choreograph our dance.

Ha
__________________
"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
haha is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...
Old 09-18-2006, 10:17 AM   #7
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 714
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...

They will twist anything, and radical Muslims are playing us like a fiddle.
Craig is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...
Old 09-18-2006, 10:34 AM   #8
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
thefed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,203
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...

Quote:
Originally Posted by HaHa
I see your distinction. But they will twist anything. I don't think we should let them choreograph our dance.

Ha
agreed

imho, war is war...not a tiem to be P-C
thefed is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...
Old 09-18-2006, 03:27 PM   #9
Moderator Emeritus
Nords's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,856
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...

Quote:
Originally Posted by thefed
What do you all think of this story?
It's the military's job to attack targets without making martyrs. In the eyes of the world media this would be almost as bad as My Lai.

Now if one of those 200 is identified as a target, then keep the video rolling and get those Hellfire-equipped Predators in the air now.

Which was probably done anyway. It's far better to follow the targets you know, and start connecting the dots, than it is to indiscriminately slaughter them and have to deal with their unknown successors. We won't know what was done with this imagery for another 25 years (or until the next leak).

In WWII the Germans were especially ruthless at exterminating Russian prisoners during Operation Barbarossa. The Germans felt that they had to keep moving and prisoners would just slow them down, consume valuable heating fuel/supplies, or escape to cause more trouble. This heartless policy was soon reflected in the Russian's scorched-earth defenses and steadfast fighting to the death instead of a more "humane" retreat & surrender. Nothing stiffened the fighting morale of the Russian front more than the reports of German atrocities.

So it's probably better to choose the victims a little more carefully than to kill 'em all and let our gods sort 'em out.

Unless, of course, they shoot first.
__________________
*

Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."

I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
Nords is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...
Old 09-19-2006, 12:19 AM   #10
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Mesa
Posts: 3,588
Re: Missed opportunity to whack 200 Taliban...

I think we don't know the whole story. Some of what is printed sounds incomplete or inconsistent with my previous experience to me, and I'm left with more questions than answers.

I noticed that the military folks who were interviewed seemed to be more concerned about the fact that the picture was made public than about missing a chance to shoot. This makes me think they wanted to follow one or more of those assembled back to a target of greater significance.

sgeeeee is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
A Missed Profit Opportunity grumpy FIRE and Money 7 12-18-2006 09:12 PM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:36 PM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.