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Home Front: WoT
Pentagon documents reveal ‘deeply flawed’ US air war in Middle East — NYT
2021-12-19
In which the New York Times chooses to see it all in the blackest possible terms, because believing America is evil makes them happy.
[IsraelTimes] Report says Defense Department has ’drastically undercounted’ civilian deaths, undermining American claims of precision strikes.

Newly obtained Pentagon documents show that the US air wars in the Middle East have been marked by "deeply flawed intelligence" and resulted in thousands of civilian deaths, including many children, the New York Times

... which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize...
Posted by:trailing wife

#14  Wars never end because we never give the enemy reason to end them. We act like it's a man-on-man disagreement, like removing a handful of malcontents will bring peace.

We need to grow up, before we are exterminated by those we treat with kindness.
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2021-12-19 16:55  

#13  Pentagon documents reveal ‘deeply flawed’ US air war in Middle East — NYT

A.K.A. Nation Building

See:. The US is revising its approach to the MiddleEast, having concluded that transforming the region through nation-building or regime change is no longer viable
Posted by: Blackbeard Barnsmell6454   2021-12-19 15:19  

#12  #7 - Herb 2.0 handwringing. When the "civilians" are militants who just dropped or hid the guns...
Posted by: Frank G   2021-12-19 15:05  

#11  Interesting, article from Israel Times roasting USAF during the Obama Administration. I think there is more than meets the eye here.
Posted by: The Walking Unvaxed   2021-12-19 13:11  

#10   DoD Dissenters from Interventionist Orthodoxy

According to the judges, we need evidence that such a thing exists before we can accept that as an answer.
Posted by: SteveS   2021-12-19 12:54  

#9  ^ I'll take DoD Dissenters from Interventionist Orthodoxy for $600, Alex
Posted by: Merrick Ferret   2021-12-19 12:18  

#8  Newly obtained Pentagon documents show that the US air wars in the Middle East have been marked by "deeply flawed intelligence" and resulted in thousands of civilian deaths, including many children

Newly obtained means either the product of brilliant investigative reporting (oh, stop laughing!) or someone decided to leak a story.
Questions:
Why *this* story? And why now?

Turf wars between the various 3-letter agencies? Battlespace preparation for a coming event? Inquiring minds...
Posted by: SteveS   2021-12-19 12:12  

#7  "Not a single record provided includes a finding of wrongdoing or disciplinary action,"

Of course it wouldn't. Why would it? Murdering innocent civilians is expected. They're gonna have a few oopsies, you know! It's not like it's a matter of life and death or anything. Or that every dead baby inspires a dozen enraged relatives to pick up a rifle and start shooting at US troops. See, if we actually won the wars, they'd be over! And how would Raytheon and Lockheed-Martin make profits then? Hmm? Anyone thought about that? I didn't think so!

Punishments for wrongdoing when innocent people die! How absurd!
Posted by: Clulet Splat5443   2021-12-19 12:02  

#6  interviewed scores of surviving residents and current and former American officials.

Why would anyone in those groups interviewed have cause to disagree with the original estimate?
Posted by: Bobby   2021-12-19 11:31  

#5  An air campaign developed as the WWII offspring of the mass bombardment destruction and denial of critical services and resources really didn't work in a country and culture that is accustomed to doing without.

The evolved surgical drone strike preserved resources and persons from collateral damage but was little more than mechanical assassination that did not alter a culture's behavior, only local actors identified thru their cellphones.

We have the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) as the next stage in approaching a SKYNET strategy which will be equally ineffective in nation building by killing farmers in a barter society.

Consider how effective ABMS would be when never used against inner city gang controlled neighborhoods or border defense.

Crushing defeat and massive collateral damage is the only purpose for an air armada designed but no longer used to deliver payloads of death.

Denial of access and protecting the FLOT remain viable air defense initiatives until orbital capabilities mature.
Posted by: Skidmark   2021-12-19 10:29  

#4  You know... wankers.
Posted by: George Unolugum2040   2021-12-19 04:21  

#3  Since sacred is every last nation,
Existent or not, in creation,
One viable cell
Being found, well, in Hell,
Makes a Christmas cum Easter occasion
For statists unvexed by taxation.
Posted by: George Unolugum2040   2021-12-19 04:20  

#2  I'm going to use that with door-to-door salespersons: "Please don't cause me to become deeply flawed with you..."
Posted by: M. Murcek   2021-12-19 02:49  

#1  More recently, the United States had to retract its claim that a vehicle destroyed by a drone on a Kabul street in August had contained bombs. Victims of the strike, it turned out, were 10 members of a family, including children.

Bottom line, we we NOT duplicitous, just "deeply flawed" and stupid. The next 20 years will be different, you'll see.

In the meantime, please support our "flawed technology" cover story until the appropriate memory hole time and space convergence can be achieved.

[sarc off]
Posted by: Besoeker   2021-12-19 02:40  

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