UK troops told: ‘Don’t shoot unless you are shot at… and our Helmand casualties soar

Daily Mail:

  • 11 UK soldiers gunned down in Helmand in past three months, compared to two in the same period last year
  • Troops say they changed rules of engagement in response to U.S. efforts to cut civilian shootings

By Mark Nicol

PUBLISHED: 18:11 EST, 30 June 2012 | UPDATED: 18:11 EST, 30 June 2012

  • British soldiers in Afghanistan claim that new tactics are preventing them shooting at the Taliban until they have been fired at themselves – resulting in an alarming rise in the number of casualties.

The troops say they have had to change their procedures as part of American-led efforts to cut down on the number of civilians being wounded, but the new approach has made them more vulnerable.

In the past three months, 11 British soldiers have been killed by enemy gunfire in Helmand province, compared with just two in the same period last year.

In the line of fire: British soldiers say a tactical change stopping them from firing first has left them at greater risk of death or injury while on patrol in AfghanistanIn the line of fire: British soldiers say a tactical change stopping them from firing first has left them at greater risk of death or injury while on patrol in Afghanistan

The Ministry of Defence denied there has been any change in the rules of engagement for British troops. However, a spokesman for the multinational forces headed by US General John Allen confirmed there had been a tactical review after which the British were told to alter their procedures.

Soldiers now say they are particularly vulnerable when they are manning checkpoints at road junctions or patrolling Taliban heartlands such as the so-called ‘green zone’, a densely vegetated river valley.

In the past, they say, they could shoot first at armed insurgents but are now only allowed to return fire.

Click to continue:

 

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

7 Replies to “UK troops told: ‘Don’t shoot unless you are shot at… and our Helmand casualties soar”

  1. Advice to all soldiers, be they British, American or Canadian.

    SSS

    Shoot, Shovel and Shut up.

  2. It’s been reported today that we’ve just had three more Brit troops shot dead by Afghan police. Giving those camel jockies weapons is like giving arsonists cans of petrol and boxes of matches.

  3. Why are any of our soldiers even there? All we are fighting for at this point is Sharia law.

  4. This is a typical Leftist dirty trick designed to give the enemy the advantage. You can’t win a war using these type of ‘no engagement’ policies. Imagine if we had tried this during World War 2, Hitler would have defeated us in a year!
    The Afghan and Iraqi wars would be over now and we would have won, if stupid politically correct, human rights meddlers hadn’t been dictating to our troops how to fight. We have the capability to blow the likes of the Taliban and other such animals off the face of the Earth if we wanted to, but instead we’re more concerned about hurting civilians (civilians might I add who despise us and want us dead) and whether or not we offend some stupid barbaric religion!
    I say, bomb the bastards, burn the korans, burn the mosques and beat them all into submission then you and I can live safely in peace!

  5. Ever since Nam the left around the world has fought to impose the police standards on the military of all nations. They want the military to be unable to fight the wars, in their twisted minds this will prevent wars..

  6. I don’t think using your body to draw fire and IED’s is an effective way fight “insurgents”.
    I believe the entire Afghan population are engaged in “insurgency activities” and therefore hostile.
    A 40 year old Australian SAS “soldiers soldier” on his 7th tour of duty was shot in the chest today R.I.P.
    The soldiers take orders and do their duty. Time to think about what we are achieving in Afghanistan and whether all this PC stuff has been worth it.
    I want to say other things but have too much respect for our soldiers to do so.

  7. I think that most of the Islamic world is either hostile or leaning hostile, if they are allowing hostiles to live and shelter with them they are not friendly and should be treated as hostile.