Report: US commanders 'incompetent' over nine soldiers killed in Afghan battle of Wanat

This story in the Daily Telegraph is rather interesting.

Things don't seem to be going well in Afghanistan at the moment. Not a surprise: it's a country that's been resisting foreign occupation for centuries.

But the US Commanders involved in the battle of Wanat (details in the article) are branded "incompetent" by an independent military historian brought in because the first report was a whitewash.

The picture that emerges is that the men were encouraged to shoot first. And then shoot again. And not really bother with questions because they're just smelly ragheads, right?

A statement from one machine gunner in the unit summed up the general attitude to locals: "We didn't interact with them...they didn't come near us and we didn't go near them," Another soldier added: "These people, they disgust me...everything about those people up there is disgusting. They're worthless."

Well, if you're going to be shooting these people, let's not get too friendly, huh?

I don't expect soldiers to be perfect beings. But they're there on a lie, or in fact a series of absolute whoppers, and they're not doing any good, and they're not going to do any good. Ever.

On this occasion they took quite a kicking, and their stronghold was almost overrun. But what could have got the locals so riled up, one wonders? Was it just the soldiers' normal behaviour, or might there have been a final straw?

It's left to literally the last sentence in the story to provide a possible fit for that scenario:

The report criticised the commanders for their "highly kinetic approach", using the military jargon for aggressive military action. The report found that they shot first and asked questions later, which "inevitably degraded the relationships between the US Army and the population." In addition a US helicopter attack before the battle on some trucks passing through the valley killed doctors and other health care workers, angering villagers.

I would suggest that our (US) Generals, most Colonels, and the bulk of Majors, are absolutely ignorant of military principles, totally incompetent to lead soldiers IN COMBAT, completely useless when a combat operation requires LEADERSHIP, and completely uncaring about their charges (troops).

The very first clue is this "fortification."

Only an officer unknowing in the ways of war, unfamiliar with the basics of warfare, unwilling to lead, and unaware of the most basic military principle, would "hole up" in a fixed position.

This negates a unit's freedom of movement, and a stationary position becomes a target.

The local populace doesn't have to like you, but because of your mobility and speed, they really do need to fear you.

These officers under most historical military leaders in decades and centuries past, would be horsewhipped and possibly executed.

After all, stupidity is highly contagious.

It doesn't surprise me.

I hate the 'war' in Afghanistan. Again, I know that the soldiers, for the most part, are good human beings, provided they haven't risen above the rank of say, Captain.

When it's not YOUR ass on the line, it's a lot easier to make crappy decisions.

No one will be held accountable for anything. A proud people are being killed for money, oil, or whatever the hell else and we get to watch as it's wrapped up in some fake crap about how they bombed this or that.

Thanks for posting this Rich, even though it really ticked me off.

Ross Kemp did an amazing program on our british troops in Afganistan,that bloke has balls of steel!

I remember one scene when our amy were taunting the locals with loud speakers in their camp just to find out where the taliban were

Lol Ross was shaking his head and said not the british armys finest moment as it was being broacast to the locals.then as predicted small arms fire came pinging their positions.

They carried on doing this!lol