Ralph Bailey: Afghanistan rules of engagement are all wrong
| Friday, Sep 25 2009 02:21 PM
Last Updated Friday, Sep 25 2009 02:23 PM
I often use the greatest motion picture to help me understand things and when contemplating Afghanistan, I recall "The Godfather" and Michael Corleone's dilemma. Forced to cut a deal with hoodlums who tried to kill his father, Michael opts finally to solve the situation: Kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out!
I firmly believe that must be our policy in Afghanistan.
Is there one of you who believes we can fight the Taliban, win the war and negotiate a lasting peace? Is there one of you who believes the Taliban will one day quit the fight, lay down its guns and say "Uncle" to Uncle Sam?
One man who doesn't is local football star Jeremy Staat. Jeremy tore up the football fields of Kern County and continued his defensive mayhem on Saturdays in the NCAA and finally on Sundays for the NFL.
But if you talk to the former defensive lineman, his proudest association with any group's acronym is the USMC ... The United States Marine Corps.
"The rules of engagement make no sense," said former Lance Cpl. Staat. "We can't win a political war, a media-driven war. A war with our hands tied behind our backs."
Jeremy told me a mind-boggling story of his days in Iraq. While defending an American convey and fearing trouble ahead, he was forced to first wave a white flag at the oncoming, mobile IED.
Huh?
"No, we couldn't just shoot them. I had to fire at least three rounds. The first, a tracer round left or right of the oncoming vehicle, then a second into the grill of the vehicle and when all else failed, THEN you could fire a kill shot. And we're talking about a vehicle loaded with 500 pounds of TNT and they know our rules of engagement."
Staat's amazing story comes on the heels of reports that American troops are woefully undermanned. A military assessment from Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, berated troops for being "preoccupied with protection of our own troops."
In the directive, uncovered recently by The Washington Post, McChrystal says U.S. troops need to spend more time out of armored tanks and walled bases and "share risk, at least equally, with the people." He concedes coalition troops will be in much greater risk but the policy will "ultimately save lives in the long run."
Huh?
In the meantime, while the politically correct and inept Obama administration determines its next misstep, U.S. troop deaths in July and August alone more than doubled --- 96 this year as opposed to 42 a year ago.
"We're not at war," Staat insisted. "It's a police action. These people have been at war for generations and to win this thing we have to have rolling bomb raids and be on the offensive. Right now with the rules of engagement, we're sitting ducks."
While McChrystal begs the fence-sitting commander-in-chief for more troops, he's also asked for fewer air strikes and fewer artillery bombardments and Staat is not the only ex-Marine unhappy with the play calling.
Retired Marine Corps 1st Sgt. John Bernard wrote his legislator, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine and a member of the Armed Services Committee, denouncing the rules of engagement as "nothing less than disgraceful, immoral and fatal for our Marines, sailors and soldiers on the ground."
Bernard's son was one of those Marines who told his dad he and his men were denied supporting fire. In his letter to Collins, Bernard railed against "the insanity of the current situation and the suicidal position this administration has placed these warriors in."
Bernard used the very phrase Staat expressed to me, telling Collins Marines and soldiers placed in harm's way "...without reinforcement, denial of fire support and refusal to allow them to hunt and kill the very enemy we are there to confront are nothing more than sitting ducks."
According to The Washington Post, one month after writing the letter, a rocket-propelled grenade killed his son after Taliban terrorist thugs ambushed the boy's platoon.
Nevertheless, Staat remains optimistic, unlike yours truly and, according to a recent poll, unlike the majority of Americans.
"It's a two-edged sword," said Staat. "I've seen some great things in the region. To see the faces of kids when you give them things like soccer balls or pens. Pens! They love pens and pencils. And that's how we win the war. Plant the seed in the children that we are not an invading force. Hate is learned and that's why so many troops go back. Not to die in a blaze of glory but to stamp out terrorism at the root."
Yet, I believe Hillary got it right when she asked us if this was the fella we want answering the phone at 3 a.m. The Obama administration does not possess the knowledge, experience or gravitas to conduct a counter insurgency war and if we're not there to win overwhelmingly, then, Mr. President, bring our people home!
At an incredibly perilous time in global history, we need Sonny or Michael, a wartime Don, but Papa Jenko look what we got ... Fredo!
Ralph Bailey is one of four conservative community columnists whose work appears here every Saturday. These are the opinions of Bailey, not necessarily The Californian's. You can e-mail him at rbailey@bakersfield.com. Next week: Heather Ijames.
