Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Letter to the editor:

Afghanistan strategy sacrifices U.S. troops

There is terrible news for our ground troops in Afghanistan. Airstrikes under the Obama administration, based on direct orders issued by the U.S. Command, will highly restrict the use of air support normally used to protect Americans on the ground who depend on it.

The use of air drone strikes to take out prospective high-value terrorist targets will also be limited. The reason: to protect Afghan civilians who are human shields for the Taliban and al-Qaida.

These new rules of engagement play directly into the hands of the enemy and will lead to a certain increase in casualties for American ground troops and a reduction in the hits of high-value targets.

This misguided policy is a very bad idea. Taliban and al-Qaida leaders and fighters will be able to move around with impunity while our ground troops become vulnerable targets without normal air support in the firefights in which they are sometimes ambushed and outnumbered.

The Obama administration thereby has chosen to make sacrificial lambs out of American ground troops to placate the local Afghan tribes. This is inexcusable policy!

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