British forces clear the way for USA

[MikeH]

I never said that. I just thought that it was a funny story.

Personally I'm a total coward. Or valourly challenged I think they call it these days.

[TCO]

ok

[TCO]

slight threadjack.

remember that article that was posted a while ago regarding Afghanistan. (Before we went in). It was written by a Brit who had been in Afgh in the 80's. talked about how tough it was, snow covered valleys, brutal tribesmen, etc. (was discussing the Russian resistance.) Seems like things have not been that rough. or we've done a better job dealing with it than the Ruskis. Pretty interestiong especially given that we had a winter campaign. Wonder what happened. Poor snow year?

[TCO]

So do y'all still have the Trucail Oman scouts? Still have any prescence in Arabia? I've read some cool stuff about them...

[MOBIUS]

Funny what another 20 yrs down the road does to the advancement of technology, or the fact that the US carpet bombed an 'army' in position (and a good few thousand civilians!) for a good while before getting their local cronies to do most of the mopping up...

Actually, IIRC it was a poor snow year - the major fighting was basically over before the 1st serious snows fell. By all accounts it was a mild and late winter...

Face it, the US relies on overwhelming amounts of tech - not that I'm saying the US shouldn't fight with the best weapons in it's arsenal, just that if the US fought with the same gear as the Russkies, it probably would've got just as butt-f*cked...

Friendly fire casualties would've been through the roof for a start!

[Dauphin]

Seems like things have not been that rough. or we've done a better job dealing with it than the Ruskis

The fact that the local population were not against the US et al probably helped. Occupying forces also have a harder time on the offensive than liberating forces.

[Ned]

Originally posted by MikeH
A story my housemate the press photographer heard from a reporter who was in Afghanistan.

A squad of 20 SAS troopers and a whole bunch of Yanks were outside a cave system full of afghans. The Americans were pissing around waiting for a bunch of specialist cave warfare equipment. The SAS got bored and went in at night. They couldn't use their guns because the richochets would have a high chance of hitting their own men (which is why the Americans were waiting for their newfangled gear). So the SAS guys went in armed with knives. The next morning the Americans were a little peeved to find that the SAS had gone in and slaughtered 200 afghans with knives and they had to clean up the mess.

Hearing of this another group of SAS, this time 10 men, heard of decided it was a bit of a challenge so they decided to try and beat the bodycount and go into another cave armed with their knives. This time one of them got injured, the guy who was on the news a couple of weeks back, SAS trooper gets injured blah blah, they did wipe out another couple of hundred afghans. Again the Yanks weren't too amused.

Sounds real James Bond.

But true? Why haven't we heard this in the media?

Ned

[Dauphin]

Not commenting on validity but..

Unlike the Yanks, the British armed forces are unwilling to discuss military operations with the media.

[MOBIUS]

Re: Not commenting on validity but..

Originally posted by Sagacious Dolphin
Unlike the Yanks, the British armed forces are unwilling to discuss military operations with the media.

Australian SAS were involved in fighting these past few days and the Aussie press were commenting on how to locate them...

journo

"So where are they operating?"

Aussie Spokesman

"No comment!"

US Military

"Sure thing - they're here!"


Apparently they keep forgetting that 'careless talk costs lives'. I remember them being pissed that the British SAS refused to give away their positions at the beginning of the conflict - no sh*t!?!?!?!?

[Provost Harrison]

Well we know what a nasty knack the US military has of opening it's big mouth. They just leave the SAS et al, to get on with the job, they'll do it without having to be basked in glory for the period and the following 20 years

[Sprayber]

*puts on wading boots*

[centrifuge]

Umm hello, Will the UK please stop crying about how crude americans are. I remember something about us kicking your asses out of our country because you were a bunch of troublemakers. We did forgive you for that though. Then early in the twentieth century, when we were just trying to mind our own business, all of you Europeans decide to start a couple of really big wars, so we ended up bailing you out. This suggests to me that the US needs to keep it's nose in all of the business that's going on over there. When we don't you guy's try to destroy the world

[Saint Marcus]

I remember something about us kicking your asses out of our country because you were a bunch of troublemakers.

That were the French kicking the British out of your country, mind you.

[Paul Hanson]

And don't let it be forgotten that a lot of colonists were still in favour of British rule - it was the useless fat bastard of a German king they wanted rid of.

[Lefty Scaevola]

"British forces clear the way for USA "

That would appear to put them on a par with the Northern Alliance and some other Afghan tribesman who used to fufuill that role.