US Pilot achieve a whole new level of fail

[Hooahguy]

Urban infrastructure should always be preserved unless the larger aim is to destroy the industrial capacity of a developed power and its organized military.

The situation in Afghanistan is rather different, no? The infrastructure is precisely what you are fighting over. Destroying infrastructure in the hope of killing 3 or 5 enemy combatants is outright hamfisted idiocy.

Yes, I agree. But sometimes destroying infrastructure is unavoidable. And just to note, I do not in any way shape or form condone bombing a hospital. Let me make that very clear. I think the ones responsible should be held accountable and face punishment. But what I am arguing is that in the course of taking a city from the enemy, bombing a building, whether it is infrastructure or not (provided its not a hospital or other building in a protected class), is justified depending on the circumstances. I go into more detail below.

Also why the hell are we talking about the Somme?

Well that was more a jab about PVC's claim about how the British seemingly feel that a soldier's life is as valuable as war materiel so its not totally relevant to the current situation. Hence the Somme reference.

We are fighting in an urban environment, against a non conventional enemy, in 2015. I can not wrap my head around the fact some people think destroying cities does not help these militas we are fighting.

Cities are worth more intact in the kind of war we are fighting. Giving the people on the ground some kind of semblance of a normal life should be our goal. Taking cities sounds like your jerking off over your fantasy game.

Yes but its not always possible to leave a city intact when the fighting is over. In fact its basically damn near impossible to avoid damaging a city while wresting it from the enemy. And where did anyone here say that destroying a city is a good thing? Of course it has negative repercussions, but as Ive mentioned before, tactical needs and strategic needs must maintain a balance.

And its cute that you think the term "taking cities" is, as you say, "jerking off over your fantasy game" because combat over who controls a city doesnt happen anymore, right? God forbid basic military language is used when it comes to these things, right? Fact is, in order to give the inhabitants a semblance of normal life, you must first "take the city" which they are living in from enemy hands.

So lets put it this way: you are fighting in a city with heavy resistance and you come across a number of insurgents who are holed up in a house. The doors into the house are booby-trapped and they probably have weapons trained on the door to kill anyone who comes through even after the booby-trap is tripped. So what do you do? You cant skip over the house because they can shoot from the house and do harm. You can bring in a tank, call artillery, launch an anti-tank weapon at it, or call in an airstrike. All four will severely damage or destroy the building. And by your logic, all four are wrong to do. So what do you do?

By the way, automatically calling in artillery or air strikes for everything is not doctrine at all. I suggest you read the fantastic first hand account of the Second Battle of Fallujah House to House, by David Bellavia. He goes into this much more than I ever could.

The fact, basic fact, whatever the strategic or tactical point of view is: You don't bomb a hospital, you don't shoot at ambulances, as you don't shoot to parachutist except within a dropping parachutists operation, nor your can shoot at sailors in a rescue embarkation.

Agreed.

There is no indication that the Talibans were in the hospital, and in fact there are indications they were not...

If you made a mistake, or if as Hamas does, the militants put weapons near the hospital, and nothing indicates the Talibans did it, it is exactly why you have Air Controllers on the ground.

The Afghan government is claiming there were Taliban militants in the hospital which is adding to the confusion. Considering that both the Afghan government and the Taliban have lied when it comes to these things, I dont know who I trust.