The War on Terror

[Ron Mars]

see... the difficulty is that you want to make the argument that the U.S. is NOT the supplier of the weapons the Taliban are using to fight us. you are right for the most part. but that does not translate into saying that the taliban does not have and use materials, including weapons, supplied by the U.S.

jihadis are not using our weapons against us. It's a hoax. Just one of the many created about Afghanistan.

Their most effective weapon is IED's.

No U.S. aircraft has been downed by a Stinger missile in Afghanistan.

But as far as the outstanding number is concerned, a lot of the Stinger missiles would be beyond their use by date in any case. So it's very debatable whether even those 200 missiles [yet to be unaccounted for] -- even if we were to assume that figure is correct -- are even operable."

UN officials say their disarmament program in Afghanistan has brought in four of the U.S.-made Stinger missiles as well as many more of the Soviet-built SAM-7s.
Afghanistan: Kabul Confirms New Effort To Buy Back U.S.-Built Stinger Missiles - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2011

but to answer your quesition, we supplied lots of stuff... basic war material including trucks, jeeps and a lotta money.

Seems like your argument is the same as Hoplite's.

Because the US supported Afghan's against the Russians, and that some of those Afghans pitched in with the Taliban, that now equates to the US armed the Taliban.

You've brought up some good points geo, but it doesn't come close to supporting the statements made to the effect that the US armed the Taliban.

 

[Ron Mars]

We supported and trained the groups that turned around and bit us in the ass, intentionally or not.
No one said the US created the Taliban.

The beans, bullets and weapons US taxpayers provided to the Afghan’s were long ago used up against the Russians and against each other.

The Taliban is not armed with weapons provided by the US.

If you do not believe the Taliban was a US creation and I wrongly assumed that, then please accept my apology.

And exactly how many of them have been overtly critical of the occupation?

Well, for the Sadr candidates, I’d say all of them were quite critical. The fact they were on the ballot at all should answer this question for you.

As for the other thousands of Iraqi candidates that were on the ballot I’d say it’s your point to prove the US denied candidates because they were “overtly critical” of the liberation of Iraq. Lots of people were.

So an army with allegedly the smartest weapons in the history of warfare managed to miss by several blocks after a plane flies over twice AND the location has been highlighted to Coalition troops weeks in advance?

Yep. Even with smart bombs and technology, we still accidentally kill or wound each other.

The area around the Ministry of Information (MOI) building, with al-Jazeera next door, was alive with Iraqi troops and fedayeen that morning. US forces were moving north out of the palace complex along the west bank of the Tigris River, and another unit was moving east toward the river driving Iraqi and fedayeen in front of them. At the same time, Iraqi troops and fedayeen reinforcements were moving west over the Jumhuriya Bridge and two others north of the palace complex. Exactly where the MOI building and al-Jazeera offices were located. The whole area was alive with armed men. I’m quite certain the US aircraft was firing at armed men. Where is the video from al-Jazeera showing what was happening? It would have been impossible for the journalists to miss the hundreds of armed men running around and fighting right outside their front door.

Meaning....what?

In the Abu Dhabi case the station airs the picture of Iraqi fire from beneath of the camera.

Meaning the building Abu Dhabi journalists were in was being used as a fighting position against US forces and the “journalists” went upstairs to film it. The building was understandably attacked.

Ron Mars:
They didn't know exactly where the observer was.

Not according to the book you quoted.

I just reread that part of Thunder Run and they in fact were not sure where the observer was. Even to this day. The official Army report states the same thing.

So...he missed by...how much?

Sgt. Gibson didn’t miss his target.

Then why did Coalition forces basically say "Eh, it was everyone's fault but ours"?

Because it was the fault of the journalists, especially the al-Jazeera and Abu Dhabi journalists. Journalists were warned in advance not to get near the area unless they were imbedded with US forces.

I assume these are your best three examples to defend your assertion that US forces are/were deliberately targeting journalists. If so, then this trip down memory lane should have answered your questions.

It's a start, but I think you're severely underestimating the difficulty and effectiveness of these.

Perhaps. It still has to be done. I firmly believe this war will not be won on the battlefield. But the battlefield is an important front of this war. I also believe that we the public are not aware of the effectiveness of these programs and for good reason. Even 0bama is keeping a tight lip. Maybe someday the story of the intelligence war being waged today against jihadis can be told.