I don't know how many of you have heard of this book, but Matt and I just read it and I thought I would share some perspective I have gained from it. It is the story of Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal who is sent into the mountains of Afghanistan to find the leader of a Taliban village. While he and his team are scoping out the village, a couple goat herders come by and see them. The team is faced with the decision of whether to kill them or risk that they will tell the Taliban where they are. The team decides to let them go, against their military instincts, and soon after hundreds of Taliban are attacking them.
Marcus says that the only reason America isn't winning outright in Iraq and Afghanistan is that American's have Rules of Engagement and they don't. He talks about how groups of Taliban will pass right by the American troops, disguised as goat herders or as a camel caravan and nothing can be done about it because of outlash from American politicians and media. He says that the Taliban have learned that they can claim they have been tortured and American Troops will get in trouble.
The other main problem chronicled in the book is the cooperation of local tribes. Marcus says if the tribes were able to stand up to the Taliban with support of the government the Taliban wouldn't be powerful. Whether Iraq or Afghanistan are funding the Taliban and Al Quaeda is ebside the point, they could help stop the problem if they wanted to.
I don't know how many of you have heard of this book, but Matt and I just read it and I thought I would share some perspective I have gained from it. It is the story of Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal who is sent into the mountains of Afghanistan to find the leader of a Taliban village. While he and his team are scoping out the village, a couple goat herders come by and see them. The team is faced with the decision of whether to kill them or risk that they will tell the Taliban where they are. The team decides to let them go, against their military instincts, and soon after hundreds of Taliban are attacking them.
Marcus says that the only reason America isn't winning outright in Iraq and Afghanistan is that American's have Rules of Engagement and they don't. He talks about how groups of Taliban will pass right by the American troops, disguised as goat herders or as a camel caravan and nothing can be done about it because of outlash from American politicians and media. He says that the Taliban have learned that they can claim they have been tortured and American Troops will get in trouble.
The other main problem chronicled in the book is the cooperation of local tribes. Marcus says if the tribes were able to stand up to the Taliban with support of the government the Taliban wouldn't be powerful. Whether Iraq or Afghanistan are funding the Taliban and Al Quaeda is ebside the point, they could help stop the problem if they wanted to.
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