This is bad!

There are reports coming out that we may have killed upwards to 100 civilians yesterday during bombings and ground operations in Afghanistan. This does nothing but enrage locals and create more Taliban fighters and sympathisers.
While we did kill 30 fighters including foreigners we also created at least another 100 Taliban while air support is necessary we have to think about limiting its use.
I know we are fighting to drive down causalities and every loss by coalition forces is tragic. But if the there is a doubt about civilians we have to go in with infantry so they can SEE what is going on and apply direct fires. Then as the terrorist/insurgents flee nail them with air power.
Yes we are fighting people that use civilians as human shields we also have to think about the effect killing these civilians this will have. Ther is no doubt that the Taliban, AQ, and associated groups are right now going to work progandizing this.
We did not make any friends and killed only a few of our enemies...Where is our proper counter-insurgency campaign. We have to protect civilians not kill them. This is a rehash of 2003-2007 in Iraq applying the heavy hand when we should not be.
WILL WE EVER LEARN?

Hey Mom I got a Black Belt in Urban Combat

It looks like the military is getting serious about combatives training. The Army and Airforce both have programs that are close the one the Marines have been using since 2001. Now the Marine Corps is incorporating MOUT training with hand to hand fighting. Check out this article from Dawn about the attacks as well it looks like the Pakistan military is offering to help if the tribesmen need it.

Ending with a Wimper

I am a big fan of Victor Davis Hanson his books on Greek Warfare are outstanding. I have also come to enjoy a value his thoughts on current events and most recently the current administration. He has a biting piece over at Pajamas Media which I hope some how we can overcome because personally I do not want this great nation to end on a wimper.

Department of Homeland Security

There needs to be a serious re-think over there even though there won't be as it is being run but a liberal ideologe read this from Hot Air

Free Press

A very good article in the Daily Times about the free media in Pakistan. Maybe our media could learn something from them. It is long but worth the read and if journalists from the New York Times think they have it rough maybe the should try reporting from the NWFP, the FATA, or Balochistan. What I think is interesting is that the article asks for security so journalists can do their jobs. I would think there would be a call for security in those entire areas but maybe they are alluding to that.

This really ticks me off

Yesterday in Iraqi in an army uniform shot and killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded three. When will these people understand that the soon they stop killing us the sooner we will leave and then they can get back to killing each other.
I wish the best for the Iraqi people and hope that some day they can live under the rule of law and have a strong government.
The problem is the Sunnis are wanting the power they had during Saddam's reign back but as a minority will not achieve this through diplomatic means. This leave insurgency and terrorism as their means to try to get back their power. With a strong representative government this can be avoided, but is democracy to much to ask? I hope not. Maybe a state department, USAID surge which has been proposed would do as much good as the military surge seen in Iraq and being seen in Afghanistan. It is not just military power that beats an insurgency far from it. The military can be used to give the civil administration time to establish governence. In the long term military power is not the key. The long term solution to an insurgency is a strong government people believe in.