A French soldier of the NATO-led coalition secures an area around a temporary check point on a road in the mountains of Wardak province in Afghanistan July 7, 2009. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov Marines Push Militants Out Of Taliban Region -- Yahoo News/AP
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – U.S. Marines trapped Taliban fighters in a residential compound and persuaded the insurgents to allow women and children to leave. The troops then moved in — only to discover that the militants had slipped out, dressed in women's burqa robes.
The fighters, who may owe their lives to the new U.S. commander's emphasis on limiting civilian casualties, were among hundreds of militants who have fled the offensive the Marines launched last week in southern Helmand province. Marine officers say keeping the Taliban from returning so the Afghan government can establish a stable presence will be a bigger challenge.
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My Comment: The key sentence in this news report is the following:
U.S. Marines trapped Taliban fighters in a residential compound and persuaded the insurgents to allow women and children to leave. The troops then moved in — only to discover that the militants had slipped out, dressed in women's burqa robes.
Sigh ..... I hope that this AP story is not true, but my friends in Afghanistan tell me that it is more common than what is being reported on.
How many of these militants will end killing US military personnel and innocent civilians because of these rules of engagement .... your guess is as good as mine ... but my gut is telling me that it is going to be a lot.
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