Some In The Press Are Beginning To Notice The Prohibitive Rules Of Engagement In Afghanistan

1st Lt. Shane Futchko, a physician assistant assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul, gears up for a foot patrol, May 23, 2010, on Forward Operating Base Smart, Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez

Rules Of Engagement Complicate Afghanistan Struggle -- Houston Chronicle/The Washington Post

WASHINGTON — Torrents of uninteresting mail inundate members of Congress, but occasionally there are riveting communications, such as a recent e-mail from a noncommissioned officer (NCO) serving in Afghanistan. He explains why the rules of engagement for U.S. troops are "too prohibitive for coalition forces to achieve sustained tactical successes."

Receiving mortar fire during an overnight mission, his unit called for a 155mm howitzer illumination round to be fired to reveal the enemy's location. The request was rejected "on the grounds that it may cause collateral damage." The NCO says the only thing that comes down from an illumination round is a canister, and the likelihood of it hitting someone or something was akin to that of being struck by lightning.

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My Comment: The Captain's Journal was one of the first to bring to light how changes to the rules of engagement for our troops in Afghanistan is in fact putting our soldiers (and our allies) into harms way.

I am glad that the Washington Post is publishing this story, but George Will's post is only a small heads up into how impossible the Afghan mission has now become for our soldiers and their commanders.