If the enemy wants to kill an American soldier,it is too easy for them to recognize and shoot. Our uniform and weapons and equipment we use, says "here I am". Our enemies can not make a mistake and shoot one of their own,by mistake.
But our soldiers who are instructed to shoot the terrorist, not regular Iraqi citizens, they have no way of telling who is who
until it is too late.
I think this is one of the main reasons we are not and can not win the war against terrorism, without killing all the Iraqis.
One solution is, we all dress like the Iraqis to confuse the El Kaida.
Another one is, we ask all regular Iraqis dress like American soldier. That will leave the terrorist in different clothes and easy to recognize.
I just don't understand why we make our soldiers so easy to target and kill. It just doesn't make sense, What do you think?
Learner
2007-06-25 11:46:09 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Well, I got many replies but no answer.
Any suggestion to solve this identity problem? Should we change our looks or change their looks?
2007-06-25 12:38:43 · update #1
Well, I don't think fooling ourselves about our enemies, will help us win the war.I still think we shouldn't make our soldiers too easy to be recognized and aimed at. If we can not protect them, lets bring them home until we have a better plan of action.
Letting our soldiers stand there and get killed,is NOT supporting our troops.
Maybe we need to replace them with
"Mission Impossible" teams,for better succsess.
2007-06-28 06:14:57 · update #2
First off, you have to know your enemy. The muzzles flash coming from a rifle that's being held by someone that's pointing it in your your general direction is a pretty good indicator that they might be the enemy. If the rounds aren't hitting you or your vehicle, he's definitely the enemy. Because the average enemy combatant doesn't know anything about marksmanship.
Second, the enemy got the better deal on it's new combat uniform. It's so good they just disappear. But I like mine better. I got more pockets and really cool hook and pile tape (can't say Velcro because of trademark infringements) all over them.
Third, if we killed all the Iraqis then all that would be left are the foreign fighters. That would make it easier to identify them, what a stategy! The down side is that the fly population would increase and we would have to kill more flies and that would upset P.E.T.A.
Down to being serious. There is more than just "Al Qaeda" in Iraq. There are many factions that are trying to disrupt the mission here. Finding the cowards as they hide amongst the people is difficult. Not impossible, just difficult. You don't get everybody every time. They aren't as dumb as a box of rocks, but they are far from being sharp as tacks. But just like the cop on the beat, you get to know who's bad and who's not. It may take awhile, but you get sense of how people behave, act and react. They give themselves away. If you don't believe me, go to your local recruiter and come over here. Then you can make an honest assessment and form your opinion on real facts not hearsay.
And to the one person who claims that we killed 700,000+ Iraqis. If you really read and study the information in the media you put so much blind faith into, you would see that all those factions (Al Qaeda, ISI-Islamic State of Iraq, Sadr's militia, etc.) kill more innocent people every day, every week, then the US did it the whole time we've been here.
2007-06-25 15:17:27 · answer #1 · answered by CPT A.B. 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
We don't have all that information on what our soldiers are taught to watch for. It has always been a difficult thing for them to tell who is the enemy....I wouldn't want to have that job.
Some of it is probably just who is shooting at them.
What really doesn't make sense is to run a "political war". War is war...and we are at war. We need to act like it and move in and clean up the place, but we tie the hands of our soldiers by politicians telling them what they can and can't do.
It is ridiculous....and costs us in the lives of our young men.
We need to let the generals run the war. Then it would end a whole lot sooner....look what they did in the first five days.
What they are doing now doesn't make sense....so tell it to the media...who drives this every day.
Because they can't tell who is the enemy, they need to confront everyone....and then determine who is Not our enemy....for the sake of our own soldiers. War is not pretty, nor fun....but we didn't hit the trade center...or the other targets.....the terrorists did...and they don't plan to stop!
2007-07-03 01:44:19 · answer #2 · answered by samantha 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There rules of engagement are similar to a police officer. You pull a gun on a cop you're gonna get shot. This is why troops in Iraq treat everyone as a potential threat but yet be able to assist and protect them. A very difficult task. Your awareness level is constantly at 100%. Americans can't tell Al Qaida by looking at them. They rely on good intelligence from people who live in the country that recognize the difference between Sunni Shia and foreigners.
2007-07-01 12:29:54 · answer #3 · answered by Ma Deuce 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hello there.Your troops are not the only ones over there and your sadly misinformed about thier activities.If YOU were captured you would be tortured for intel.Most people break on the third day but you would break in the first hour.In addition there are plenty of signs of potentional attacks against troops,all you have to know are the signs which you encounter.These signs are taught by soldiers who have years of experiance,to soldiers who dont know them.If you stick with the experianced soldier you probably will survive to see another day.
2007-07-01 23:53:57 · answer #4 · answered by spooky 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well... that's guerrilla warfare... hide in the shadows, stab him in the back, and hide again...
I think they should use Iraqi soldiers as "counter-insurgent" dressed in civilian clothes, swarm everywhere just like the insurgents and wait for them to come.
2007-06-25 20:06:33 · answer #5 · answered by this is madness!!! 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In Vietnam, one g**k looked just like another. However, we learned by experience to use our instincts to determine a situation on an individual basis. Unfortunately for us, much like our troops in Iraq, we were circumvented by a bunch of dumbass politicians with little or no experience in military matters.
2007-06-30 03:05:56 · answer #6 · answered by crusty old fart 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well it's certainly not as easy as fighting an enemy in uniform but there are still signs.
And if he is bringing a weapon up to shoot you, that is certainly one of them. The others I'll keep to myself.
2007-06-25 18:51:27 · answer #7 · answered by John T 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Clever Boy! -Intelligent Boy! And as you've probably ALSO figured out- our guys don't exactly stand around asking questions FIRST- & shooting Iraqi's- later! The bottom line IS; we've TOTALLY lost our "focus" about WHAT we're supposed to be DOING in Iraq... -And the SOONER we get OUT of there- the lower the total casualty count is going to be. Do the Math.. The meter's running. :)
2007-06-25 18:55:55 · answer #8 · answered by Joseph, II 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Live and learn dude, soldiers shoot first and find out later who they are!
2007-06-25 18:50:38 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
yeah its never a fair fight. we are not fighting a real army but a bunch of criminals. we have a code of conduct they have a code of insanity. kill em all let god sort em out.
2007-06-25 18:54:44 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋