"From that do I take it that you would rather allow the enemy to fire at our troops first before they are allowed to take steps to defend themselves? "

Funny you know, but that's JUST what all the politicians assured us WAS the case, to allay our fears that the troops would behave just the way they did in this case...

"take steps to defend themselves"

Now that's really clever dirty misleading debating - the troops can easily take reasonable steps to defend themselves without murdering everyone all over the place, just in case they MIGHT want to go anywhere. You didn't get discharged for 'mental disturbance', did you?


QUOTE
"So then why all the Official refusals to release this material that had to be dragged out thru FOI procedures. Only ONE answer - ONE BIG COVERUP."

Standard procedure Fool
UNQUOTE

Yep. Coverup = S.O.P.


QUOTE
As for the Pilots,... They did the job they were there for, their ROE allowed them to engage that group and that is precisely what they did.
UNQUOTE

Yep, the same S.O.P. that 'authorised' My Lai, and the subsequent coverup.


"Had US Forces on patrol already come under attack elsewhere in the area? - YES"

But not by THIS group, you admit.


"Were there armed men in the group engaged - YES"

By this logic, all US citizens may be murdered in cold blood by any other terrorist group because many US citizens carry weapons, often concealed. The US is 'at war with global terrorists' and 'in short they will all pay the price for stupidity in a combat zone'. Funny that's the same madness the Taliban spout... so by your logic THEY ARE justified too... :-)