Article

2005-04-05 Iraq-Jordan

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by tu3031 2005-04-05 09:12|| || Front Page|| [8 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 But some analysts say the Predator poses ethical dilemmas about ''sanitized warfare." Predators are cheaper and less risky to fly...In the process, however, they make war appear bloodless from the American side.

Yes, images showing scores of US dead and wounded a la Vietnam is sooo preferable to the Boston Globe.

...some military strategists worry that the modern, remote-control approach to warfare may undercut international legal norms designed to reduce the casualties of armed conflict, such as the level of certainty required when deciding who will be targeted.

Wonder what these 'strategists' think about international legal norms with regard to someone blowing themselves up in a mess hall...

Posted by Pappy 2005-04-05 10:44:02 AM|| 2005-04-05 10:44:02 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 ''We have lawyers sitting right in the commander center," said Captain John Songer, a Predator pilot for two years, adding that great pains are taken to determine, for example, if ''that guy is smuggling rugs out of a truck is smuggling weapons."

I'm starting to feel sick....

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-04-05 10:50:35 AM|| 2005-04-05 10:50:35 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 And to think that all of this happened because of a couple of preacher's kids.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-04-05 10:50:46 AM|| 2005-04-05 10:50:46 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 "We have lawyers sitting right in the commander center,"

And that's why mullah Omar isn't a grease spot.

Posted by ed 2005-04-05 10:57:39 AM|| 2005-04-05 10:57:39 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Ignore this comment if you've heard it, because I have said it again and again:

Liberals love dead Americans, especially dead American military.

Posted by badanov 2005-04-05 11:02:00 AM|| [http://www.rkka.org] 2005-04-05 11:02:00 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 If they get a target they think is hot, send the lawyers out for Chinese food or something...

Posted by tu3031 2005-04-05 11:05:13 AM|| 2005-04-05 11:05:13 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 I am sure they also have a commander who, if he has the balls, can over rule the "lawyers." My hope is they often do.

Posted by Sock Puppet 0â Doom 2005-04-05 11:13:16 AM|| [http://www.slhess.com] 2005-04-05 11:13:16 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 "The Predator has been involved in at least one case of mistaken identity, in 2001 when the CIA killed ~~a Hollywood extra~~ an Afghan shepherd who in height and weight resembled ~~Michael Moore~~ Osama bin Laden, at least as far as the agents monitoring the computers images could see."

Posted by Justrand 2005-04-05 11:17:39 AM|| 2005-04-05 11:17:39 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 Liberals love dead Americans, especially dead American military.

How about fulfilling the wishes of those Liberals who so were eager to go to Iraq as human shields?

Posted by JFM 2005-04-05 11:18:54 AM|| 2005-04-05 11:18:54 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 ...some military strategists worry that the modern, remote-control approach to warfare may undercut international legal norms designed to reduce the casualties of armed conflict, such as the level of certainty required when deciding who will be targeted.

Anybody think an A-10 pilot will have any better shot at "certainty" in acquiring the target while simultaneously dodging AAA and SAM fire and trying to keep from smacking into the terrain at 200 kts?

Posted by Mike 2005-04-05 11:36:19 AM|| 2005-04-05 11:36:19 AM|| Front Page Top

#11 Mike, stop using logic. That doesn't fit into the Globe's meme.

Posted by Remoteman 2005-04-05 12:15:13 PM|| 2005-04-05 12:15:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 Let's compromise. Instead of using Predators let's send the editors of the Boston Globe on recon missions. "Yeah, we think there's a sniper on a rooftop down that street. Just keep walking.... Man, I hate being right all the time."

Posted by Matt 2005-04-05 12:53:06 PM|| 2005-04-05 12:53:06 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Sending the lawyer out to lunch is to obvious. You need to sidetrack them with potential hi-visibility cases... Oh look on camera 7 in the other room I see a small child approaching Michael J. at Wonderland! Bet a lawyer could go miles with that.

Posted by 3dc 2005-04-05 1:03:23 PM|| 2005-04-05 1:03:23 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 Just tell The Globe that all the operators are gay. You'll never hear a peep out of them about this again.

Posted by tu3031 2005-04-05 1:24:45 PM|| 2005-04-05 1:24:45 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 I can tell that all of the comments against the lawyers are made by folks who have never stood a watch in a command center.

Let me tell you folks, those legal beagles are there to protect our servicemembers. Yes, it may seem as if they are hindering the war effort, but as long as we have established ROEs and international conventions, the lawyers need to have their say. Why do you think every general and admiral in an operational command has one on staff?

Posted by Dreadnought 2005-04-05 1:36:45 PM|| 2005-04-05 1:36:45 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 "Why do you think every general and admiral in an operational command has one on staff?"

Not to be flippant but how about assholes like Kofi and the UN, The EU and it press, the USAs own MSM and, politicians like Ted Kenedy and Maxine Waters for a start. No one else really gives a damm.

Posted by Sock Puppet 0â Doom 2005-04-05 1:44:36 PM|| [http://www.slhess.com] 2005-04-05 1:44:36 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 Not really sure what Maxine Waters has to do with my comment.

JAGs aren't running the command center, but they are the resource that interprets ROE, international conventions, etc.

Posted by Dreadnought 2005-04-05 1:55:33 PM|| 2005-04-05 1:55:33 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 Dreadnought is spot on. All major combatant commands have a JAG (or JAG's) available to assist the major combatant commander in the decision making process whether it is ROE, maritime law, or international relations.

Posted by anymouse 2005-04-05 2:21:21 PM|| 2005-04-05 2:21:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 and I have stood watch in a major combatant command center, FWIW.

Posted by anymouse 2005-04-05 2:23:08 PM|| 2005-04-05 2:23:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 Freaked out by remotely piloted Predators, eh? Wait 'till they see the giant, killer robots attacking in autonomous waves. MWAHAHAHAA. Gort, klaatu barata niktu!

Posted by SteveS 2005-04-05 5:01:10 PM|| 2005-04-05 5:01:10 PM|| Front Page Top

#21 Reminds me of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Posted by AJackson 2005-04-05 11:47:27 PM|| 2005-04-05 11:47:27 PM|| Front Page Top

00:00 DMFD
00:00 Frank G
23:59 Frank G
23:53 Alaska Paul
23:52 Bomb-a-rama
23:48 True German Ally
23:47 AJackson
23:46 Paul Moloney
23:42 Bomb-a-rama
23:41 CrazyFool
23:39 OldSpook
23:11 True German Ally
22:56 anymouse
22:52 someone
22:23 Alaska Paul
22:22 Anonymoose
22:21 PlanetDan
22:00 Alaska Paul
21:57 Alaska Paul
21:36 Spot
21:36 Dennis Kucinich
21:23 Ptah
21:21 Michael Sheehan
21:21 Dar