BlackFive

While some here maintain that McChrystal's emasculated ROE are the "right rules," I would like to hear how the Karzai 12 have made any positive contribution to the war.

If I was in command, and my subordinates translated my directives in such a way that promised artillery and air support was not delivered - even though a unit was taking casualties; or when illumination rounds are denied; or when smoke rounds are eventually approved, only to have the rounds purposely land thousands of feet away; or when our air support is so useless that our enemies no longer run; I could go on and on... I would correct any misconceptions IMMEDIATELY. Petraeus was McChrystal's boss, and he could have changed the ROE if he wanted. But he didn't.

How many Americans have died due to these Mickey Mouse rules? If our troops weren't muzzled, I guaran-damn-tee that they would be far more furious than they already are, and rightfully so.

Sun Tzu said that if an order is given, but not understood, it is the fault of the COMMANDER. If the order is understood, but not followed, only then it is the fault of his subordinates. If these ROE were misunderstood, it would have been corrected.

And having brought up Sun Tzu, if we applied our current conflict to the Art of War, how do you think it would measure up?

Replacing one perfumed prince with another will change nothing. Our troops are fighting not only the enemy, but our own rules.