They don’t want to wake the Taliban, but it is actually the U.S. military commanders who are asleep. “Don’t shoot Taliban..you”ll wake locals: Marine’s diary reveals bizarre order to Brit troops,” by Andrew Parker in The Sun, July 18 (thanks to Nick):
SOLDIERS were banned from shooting Taliban fighters planting mines – to avoid waking Afghan locals, a former Royal Marine has revealed.
Craig Smith, 36, said US military chiefs routinely frustrated frontline forces by ordering them to exercise “courageous restraint”.
Troops were even told they could be charged with MURDER if they shot anyone without permission from command.
Dad-of-one Craig lifted the lid on “outrageous” orders issued to troops in a diary of his six-month tour of Afghanistan’s treacherous Helmand province with 40 Commando.
He spoke out after an inquest heard 34-year-old hero Sergeant Peter Rayner was blown up, just days after being told not to fire on insurgents who were seen laying deadly IEDs.
One senior officer stunned troops when he ordered them not to shoot a Taliban fighter because gunfire would “wake up and upset the locals”.
Instead they were told they must stand by and WATCH….