Saturday, May 22, 2010

Blowback From Conducting Night Raids On Militants In Afghanistan


Thinking The Worst: Not An Unmitigated Tactical Success -- The Economist

THE nightmare began with gunfire. Residents of this poor village in eastern Afghanistan were jolted awake by what sounded like shooting from their guards at thieves outside their compound. Moments later, they say, soldiers spilled over the walls in a flurry of grenades and bullets that left at least eight people dead, including a father and his four sons. The American army said the raid’s targets were militants, including a Taliban sub-commander, who was killed. Two insurgents were captured, it said, along with automatic rifles and “communications equipment”.

Read more ....

My Comment: Night raids are a fact of life in a war zone, and I suspect that these raids are far more successful than what many are saying .... because if they were not working they would have been stopped a long time ago. But finding the right balance in the rules of engagement is no easy task .... and for that I sympathize with the men and women who must make that decision on an almost daily basis.

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