In message , William Black
writes
"La N" wrote in message
news:n7Vpk.7874$%b7.4500@edtnps82...
Are you suggesting that Americans bomb weddings because they don't like
weddings? What are they getting out of bombing weddings besides bad p.r.?

I'm saying they bomb weddings because they refuse to take note of the
culture of the people on their side that they're killing.

The locals fire small-arms into the air at some celebrations. This is
hardly a shocking surprise. Deal with it.

This ought to be a compulsory part of RSOI, along with a proper threat
brief about what does and does not kill aircraft in theatre.
(Spray-and-pray small arms fire hasn't clocked up many kills anywhere,
even for fast jets flying low enough for it to reach)


The USAF has earned itself a reputation, though. I recall one 2005
incident where a company of infantry - over a hundred troops, a dozen
big armoured vehicles and more soft-skinned transport, lots of kit and
signature - came under fire from an AC-130 which claimed that (a) the
range should have been cleared for it so the infantry shouldn't have
been there and (b) after meticulous examination it didn't see _anyone_
on the ground so thought it could fire freely.

(a) is a procedural or administrative problem. (b) says that the vaunted
sensors either weren't all that or actually weren't checked. (Strangely,
the recordings from the AC-130 were irretrievably mislaid before the
inquiry)



--
The nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its
warriors, will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done
by fools.
-Thucydides


pauldotjdotadam[at]googlemail{dot}.com