Stricter Rules Of Engagement Are Killing U.S. Troops In Afghanistan

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Brett Cowles fires his M240B machine gun during unknown distance, live-fire training on Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Nov. 24, 2013. Cowles, a machine gunner, is assigned to India Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Corey Dabney

Shades of Vietnam: Spike In U.S. Troop Deaths Tied To Stricter Rules Of Engagement -- Washington Times

The number of U.S. battlefield fatalities exceeded the rate at which troop strength surged in 2009 and 2010, prompting national security analysts to assert that coinciding stricter rules of engagement led to more deaths.

A connection between the sharp increase in American deaths and restrictive rules of engagement is difficult to confirm. More deaths surely stemmed from ramped-up counterterrorism raids and the Taliban’s response with more homemade bombs, the No. 1 killer of NATO forces in Afghanistan.

But it is clear that the rules of engagement, which restrain troops from firing in order to spare civilian casualties, cut back on airstrikes and artillery strikes — the types of support that protect troops during raids and ambushes.

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Previous Post: Rules of engagement limit the actions of U.S. troops and drones in Afghanistan -- Washington Times

My Comment: Thank God U.S. and NATO forces are leaving .... as outlined in this report .... the new rules of engagement in Afghanistan will make it impossible to fight .... so why stay?