Collins Report

By Suzanne Eovaldi

The ubiquitous yellow jugs joined to the hips of Florida pool owners are different icons in Afghanistan. They’re the carriers of fertilizer and diesel fuel terrorists use to blow up our boys with roadside bombs called IED’s. Question: “Was it our general and not our President doing the dithering in the 90 days of contemplation before Obama released 30,000 more of our boys to be fed into the maw of a war we refuse to win?”

In a recent NPR interview Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman (just returned from being “in country,”) told hostess Renee Montagne he observed our Marines tracking “guys” trailing wire under water and another guy carrying a yellow jug at a locale in the Helmand River Valley in southern Afghanistan. Bowman said while watching “live while guys were digging a hole for a roadside bomb. . .there was a guy swimming across a canal with this wire, and the wires are used to detonate the bomb.” This took place near where an IED went off the other day.

When, according to Bowman, our helicopter came in over the activity, its pilot didn’t fire and flew off, guns still cold. Our Marines walked out of their surveillance shack very frustrated after seeing the jug guy toss it into a haystack and merely disappear into the crowd of villagers. Why? Because our new very stringent Rules of Engagement laid down by General McCrystal would not permit our side to take out the potential roadside bombers because of the villagers.

Was McCrystal the hesitant one knowing he’d have to enact these impossible new ROE’s in exchange for more of our boys in a blood for blather contract? In other words, did Obama “give” Afghanistan more troops in exchange for ROE’s more compatible with his far left political base?

Calling it as it is

To me, an English teacher who only has held a gun once, these ROE’s are just plain nuts! Over and over, guys tell me don’t buy yourself a gun for self defense if you won’t fire it! Hello, don’t bring a heavily armed copter to a haystack fight if you won’t fire it! Don’t send our boys into a war that our politicians game for political gain. Don’t let these new cruel ROE’s kill our precious blood!
One source tells me an F 16 pilot routinely is given targets yet told, “If something happens, it’s your fault.” Huh? Another source tells of his son recently returned from a second Iraq tour of duty after having his vehicle hit by a bomb. While this squad leader wasn’t hurt, he and another soldier kept one of their own from bleeding to death while at the same time by following the ROE’s, prevented another innocent Iraqi from being shot. Is this called something like letting our enemy determine the field of battle? I began my college teaching career in front of classrooms of returning Viet Nam vets so stressed and so drugged out they barely could sit still for 50 minutes, let alone read a book. I watched from another classroom window while a war protesting fool streaked buck naked down our commons. If we won’t demand an immediate cease and desist order for these new articles of death, may we, at least, consider demanding a stop to sending an expensive U.S. helicopter piloted by a most highly trained U.S. airman on a fly over in an exercise in futility? Will we let our blood continue to be the first spilled?
Speak out!
What did you do to protect American freedoms yesterday; what will you do tomorrow?

Suzanne Eovaldi is retired and living in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Yesterday’s Rasmussen Presidential Index had Obama at -14

This day in history January 16
1956: President Gamal Abdal Nasser of Egypt vows to re-conquer Palestine

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