(1)Firefight in Haruti
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As featured in The New York Times, Specialist Michael Gannon, a soldier with Alpha Company, First Battalion, 87th Infantry Division narrates helmet camera footage of an engagement near the village of Haruti in northern Afghanistan on December 8, 2010.
READER COMMENTS: "Firefight in Haruti"
Posted by Bikebrains at July 5, 2011 4:59 PM ET:
Just prior to seeing this video, I watched the episode of Family Guy entitled "Its a Trap." The words "its a trap" were my first thought at the start of the video. Here is the basis:
1. Local intel said Talib were near by. Very true.
2. Patrol hit by simultaneous near and far ambush. Multiple ambushes takes some planning plus knowledge of probable route of the intended target.
3. Patrol had to fight its way back to trucks.
4. Egress route has to be different than ingress route to avoid ambush.
5. Egress route encounters unusual structure complicating the return to the trucks.
6. The ANA, our brothers in arms, stay as far as possible from the battle. At least they do not shoot the returning soldiers.
7. The ANA welcome the returning troops thus maintaining the false belief in being an ally. The possible caveat is that the ANA were ordered to stay with the trucks. Clarification is needed.
8. Possibility: one or more of the ANA troops were to report back to the Talib on the number of American troops that went to battle and the number of troops that returned and the condition of the troops.