need to add title here

The Deadliest Weapon

November 15, 2009 4:53 PM

Byron Pitts and 60 Minutes cameras spend two days on the road with a bomb-hunting unit in Afghanistan as they encounter one deadly bomb after another.

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by RangerPhD6 November 22, 2009 10:09 PM EST
My experience with mines and booby traps dates back almost 40 years to my time as a mechanized platoon leader. The NVA consistently and cleverly used military explosive devices to harass and kill our forces. Brave soldiers then and braves soldiers now. However I am most concerned about the segment where two runners were seen leaving after the first bomb went off -- there was no evidence of aggressive reaction: essentially the bombers lived to bomb again a second day -- this would not have happened 40 years ago. I would have had a light fire team (2 cobras) in the air in minutes searching for them. Additionally my battalion would have airlifted a platoon+ to block the runners, and we would have aggressively pursued them until we killed them or lost all traces.

Are we spread so thin on the ground that there's no support for our soldiers -- no depth etc. If that's the case then it's criminal to expose our soldiers to this risk. In Colin Powell's words, we "find, then fix and then kill the enemy." We're doing a great job of finding the enemy (or at least his bombs) but what about the second and third parts of this? Also I would never have allowed a bomb team to continually put bombs in the same place. I personally would have led ambush patrols at night to make sure that this was not a habit forming activity for the enemy. I'm not seeing aggressive night patrolling at all in anything I read about in either Iraq or Afghanistan! This is not a failure of the soldiers, it's a failure of the chain of command.

We seem to have forgotten Counterinsurgency 101 -- take the fight to the enemy, don't wait for him to bring it to you. BTW do you think the 18 year old draftees wanted to do aggressive counter patrolling and ambushing at night -- no, of course not, until they had good leadership going with them, teaching all the while, and actually defeating the NVA on their own turf. When's the last time that COL was outside the wire at night?

Either get off the roads and stop relying on the million dollar equipment of get our troops out of there!
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by PR_in_Alabama November 22, 2009 1:59 PM EST
$10 blows up $1 Million? no way we can afford Obamas health plan.

Anyway, Afgan & Iraq wars is like the war on drugs, no end in site.....

Too MUCH pesos in the military hardware market..neither you or I can't do something about it.. Just to watch the ship sink..
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by acampanella November 21, 2009 12:34 PM EST
This Bryon Pitts' interview technique reminds me of a sportscaster interviewing a team that just lost a game... "... too bad you lost..."
Granted it gives us insight into this frustrating job, but it does not help, or even contribute to, the winning of this war. It is only what it is; a field trip into this misery. Better for Bryon. Not any use to us.
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by RxHi November 21, 2009 11:52 AM EST
The is an endurance...those who continually place IED's versus our people attempting to fine these destructive mechanisms. There is truly...no end in sight.

Unless the people on the ground in Afghanistan..the villagers, the locals and the shura leaders used their collective influence to stop this..then this type of situation will go on indefinitely.

Khost/Paktia Provinces/2003
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by narats November 19, 2009 11:28 AM EST
With all the electronic technology that is available to the military why are patrols being sent out to find IEDS using the eyesight of the patrolling troops? This question was never asked by your reporter.
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by mysteriousjz November 18, 2009 10:32 PM EST
A Question: Who is in whose country, who is occupying and bombing whose territory?
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by sockamin November 18, 2009 3:36 PM EST
I thought "WE OWN THE NIGHT." Since IEDs are probably buried at night, why aren't troops out on roads about to be travelled to catch IED planters? Why don't troops use WW 2 era mine flails to dig up IEDs?
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by geewhiz2 November 17, 2009 9:34 AM EST
I am always proud and a little saddened to see American troops in combat, proud because they are such amazingly brave souls and saddened because of where we have put them and what we ask them to do. So it is shameful that 60 Minutes wastes resources to send Byron to Afghanistan to ask such asinine questions and make such vapid statements along the lines of "There are people out there waiting to maim and kill you". Who do you think you're interviewing?! Do you think you have to remind these men that they are in a war zone? Where is Mike Wallace when you need him...please start acting like reporters, give the men and women in service the respect and dignity they deserve by giving them a real interview, and avoid the Katie Couric-esque attempts at melodrama. I recommend you watch Frontline on PBS to get an idea of what I'm talking about.
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by tbrown7477 November 16, 2009 9:57 PM EST
To the troops (Max Cabrera) and families, thank you for what you do!! It is unbelievable to see the negative comments posted!! At least someone(news media, whomever) still has an interest in the war going on. At least CBS (reporters) shows the real deal and those that were interviewed have families that are Proud of them. Whether the government doesn't support the perfect plan or the money goes to the wrong place, or an average "Joe" troop overseas doesn't say something politically correct, there is always some kind of crappy comment from someone!! Free speach, I get that part! How can someone care how much money is put into a vehicle to save a life? How can an American criticize the petty things that are not as important as a life whether it be foreign or domestic? I get that not all troops speak eloqently and not all know the perfect answer when interviewed. At least they get out there! And the troops do want to go home and SAFELY because their best friend already died in combat or they have been to that war a few times already! We are so proud of Max Cabrera! We are humbled to call him a close friend. The lives he and other EOD techs put before them to save another life is just like the rest of the military community but with a stronger sense of selflessness. He was stationed with my husband over there a few years ago and a damn good Soldier!! We are thankful in the EOD community and the military alike for all that we have because we paid for it!!! Appreciation is needed!! But not all even have the notion in their heart to give it!!
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by speleogeist@msn.com November 16, 2009 4:46 PM EST
The Broken McChrystal Challace-Leave it to 60 Minutes to provide revelations! War is simple, when diplomacy fails a war is declared, an enemy established, both the reason for fighting and what is required of a peace are determine, and through vilient conviction the enemy is destroyed until they can not form another powerbase which to attack from. Unfortunately, both policies and politics, get in the way.

Something about the McChrystal interview disturbed me, and it wasn't until the, "Deadliest Weapon," interview that I figured it out. While civilians find themselves in a bullets way, by their permissable or particially participatle practics, they make themselves part of the problem. The first goal should be to kill the emeny (terrorists, the second should always be to protect the troops. It is nothing sadder then to see the willingness to accept self losses. If a bomb is placed in the same location, then why isn't that area underwatch until the bombplacer is killed. Because chances are, that bomb placer is that farmer? Terrorism aside, I have seen this attitude in Baltimore City in regards to crime and criminals. A store is robbed, the perpitrator caught red handed and that owner is told he was sentenced to four years in jail. The sad truth is, all but three months were actually suspended. The same can be said for terrorism. The more that is tolerated and permitted, the more that is going to be coming our way.

One of the previous problems with Afgahnistan is that we pushed the terrorists into Pakestan and they did nothing. Now that they are fighting back, we decide to do nothing. Foreigners are said not to like this country and personally, I have found this to be wrong. Most become angry at us, because they dont have the ability to fight for right, we come in and usually at the worst time, we suddenly leave; as they hold the bag. With Pakestan fighting, we should have been right their on the other side of the border killing off those terrorists. There is no noman's land in war. Period.

My feelings towards terrorists formed when I realized that we publish the names of all people killed by terrorists in the paper. Very often, side by side, we publish the numbers of Muslims killed by terrorists for various terrorist attacks. With a rate of 10 to 100 times more then us. Terrorism is nothing more then a tyranny that can not be permitted any quarter by any county or group of peoples.
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