US drops MOAB bomb in Afghanistan

[[DHT]Osiris]

Your right.
They don't wear boots.
They prefer hiking shoes.

And flight suits.

 

[pauldun170]

Nothing wrong with Afghanistan that a few more bombs won't fix. Any year now.

I'm planning a get together for the 25 year anniversary.
We need to continue to freedomize the Afghan people at least until the quarter century mark.
I already booked the hall and it has a hell of a waiting list

 

[woolfe9998]

Impressive, those are no-shit munitions. Probably straddle the line for tactical nukes of extremely small size.

Not sure of the yield of "tactical nukes" but the Hiroshima bomb was 15 kilotons. This bomb is 21,000 pounds or a little over 10 tons. Also without radiation. I'm thinking it comes nowhere near the line.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Not sure of the yield of "tactical nukes" but the Hiroshima bomb was 15 kilotons. This bomb is 21,000 pounds or a little over 10 tons. Also without radiation. I'm thinking it comes nowhere near the line.

I'm sure there's more examples.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactical_nuclear_weapon

From teh wikies, bolds mine:
Use of tactical nuclear weapons against similarly-armed opponents carries a significant danger of quickly escalating the conflict beyond anticipated boundaries, from the tactical to the strategic.[6][7][8][9][10][11] The existence and deployment of small, low-yield tactical nuclear warheads could be a dangerous encouragement to forward-basing and pre-emptive nuclear warfare,[12][13] as nuclear weapons with destructive yields of 10 tons of TNT (e.g., the W54 warhead design) might be used more willingly at times of crisis than warheads with yields of 100 kilotons.

For example, firing a low-yield nuclear artillery shell similar to the W48 (with a yield equivalent to 72 tons of TNT) at the enemy invites retaliation.

Some variable yield nuclear warheads such as the B61 nuclear bomb have been produced in both tactical and strategic versions. Whereas the lowest selectable yield of a tactical B61 (Mod 3 and Mod 4) is 0.3 kilotons (300 tons),[17] modern PAL mechanisms ensure that centralized political control is maintained over each weapon, including their destructive yields.

 

[VRAMdemon]

This may be the beginning of a "We have it, we might as well use it" military strategy.

 

[Meghan54]

This may be the beginning of a "We have it, we might as well use it" military strategy.

Hell, I thought that's been the guiding philosophy since WWII.

 

[Ajay]

This is an area where our special forces became overwhelmed by sheer numbers of combatants. Unless it was heavily residential I'd say the bomb was called for. I mean, I'm picturing caves in mountains... not city streets. Not that we know the exact location struck.

Yeah, typically we send spec-ops teams in during the spring. If this works, then it's better than risking the lives US citizens. It's not a heavily residential area, the target was a sparsely populated mountainous region according to the pentagon (via MSNBC). It looks as though it was a consequence of the White House removing the 5000 mile screw driver and allowing the commander in charge (Nicholson?) to run the show.

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Afghanistan is being 'supported' under the Powell doctrine (basically, you break it, you own it).
It sucks, but many are concerned that we will have a repeat of what happened in Iraq if we leave (that is, we are back in Iraq again, and things are worse). This is the consequence of decades of of failing to understand the causes and nature of conflict in the middle east (and GWB going off the rails and attacking Iraq).

 

[alien42]

Trump just confirmed that he didn't even have to authorize this bombing, he has already given the military brass the clear to make the final decision themselves.

 

[Bacstar]

Every time I read about this being dropped, I keep imagining this in my head:

https://youtu.be/0oEwExJHZZI

 

[zinfamous]

Trump just confirmed that he didn't even have to authorize this bombing, he has already given the military brass the clear to make the final decision themselves.

wait, what?

 

[K1052]

wait, what?

This was already reported on. He's given the Pentagon a lot of latitude to act in active zones without requesting approval.

It seems though that we aren't even going to bother with even a charade of policy anymore, just blow shit up because Merica.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

wait, what?

Hmm, well, it seems that Trump implemented a 'do what you will' policy in Yemen back on/before the 3rd:
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/y...-new-fast-track-bombing-rules/article/2616379
(I don't know that site/newspaper, but it's one of a few references)
Per MSNBC, Spicer refused to answer as to whether or not Trump authorized the Syria strike:
https://thinkprogress.org/did-trump-authorize-mother-of-all-bombs-685aeaf08561

Can't find a specific citation on him authorizing battlefield commanders to perform this strike without his approval, though.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

This was already reported on. He's given the Pentagon a lot of latitude to act in active zones without requesting approval.

It seems though that we aren't even going to bother with even a charade of policy anymore, just blow shit up because Merica.

Is this exclusive to Yemen? Or is it a unilateral 'go outside and play' policy?

 

[zinfamous]

and to think: a lot of legitimate morons voted for this guy.

 

[R0H1T]

I'm planning a get together for the 25 year anniversary.
We need to continue to freedomize the Afghan people at least until the quarter century mark.
I already booked the hall and it has a hell of a waiting list

That's assuming you didn't count the Reagan era Mujaheddin support, so half a century would be more precise IMO.

 

[vi edit]

Hmm, well, it seems that Trump implemented a 'do what you will' policy in Yemen back on/before the 3rd:
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/y...-new-fast-track-bombing-rules/article/2616379
(I don't know that site/newspaper, but it's one of a few references)
Per MSNBC, Spicer refused to answer as to whether or not Trump authorized the Syria strike:
https://thinkprogress.org/did-trump-authorize-mother-of-all-bombs-685aeaf08561

Can't find a specific citation on him authorizing battlefield commanders to perform this strike without his approval, though.

It's a lot easier to sleep at night when it's not your direct authorization that killed a boat load of civilians.

 

[imported_tajmahal]

Looks like our regular assembly of leftists is all pissed off their Islamic terrorist friends and allies are getting bombed.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

It's a lot easier to sleep at night when it's not your direct authorization that killed a boat load of civilians.

Also a lot easier to worm your way out of responsibility.

In fact, this is how he's always gotten away with it with his businesses (I didn't hire those illegals, my subcontractor did), so I'm not sure if I should feel surprised by over-delegation of privileges.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Looks like our regular assembly of leftists is all pissed off their Islamic terrorist friends and allies are getting bombed.

Troll harder.

 

[theeedude]

How much money will Trump compensating for his small hands cost us per year?

 

[alien42]

Hmm, well, it seems that Trump implemented a 'do what you will' policy in Yemen back on/before the 3rd:
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/y...-new-fast-track-bombing-rules/article/2616379
(I don't know that site/newspaper, but it's one of a few references)
Per MSNBC, Spicer refused to answer as to whether or not Trump authorized the Syria strike:
https://thinkprogress.org/did-trump-authorize-mother-of-all-bombs-685aeaf08561

Can't find a specific citation on him authorizing battlefield commanders to perform this strike without his approval, though.

i posted that right after Trump said it on live TV, but lemme find a reference (with video)...

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/13/politics/donald-trump-moab-afghanistan/

"Everybody knows exactly what happens. So, what I do is I authorize our military," Trump said when asked whether he authorized the strike. "We have given them total authorization and that's what they're doing."

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

i posted that right after Trump said it on live TV, but lemme find a reference (with video)...

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/13/politics/donald-trump-moab-afghanistan/

"Everybody knows exactly what happens. So, what I do is I authorize our military," Trump said when asked whether he authorized the strike. "We have given them total authorization and that's what they're doing."

Yeah, way to tap dance, jackass. Just step up and say 'I've delegated control of local military forces, to include munitions and operators, to the local military commanders'.

I swear, for a multi-billionaire president, he sure is spineless.

 

[vi edit]

In business, the best managers delegate tasks. Of course, my boss isn't ever going to delegate me to sign off on kicking a 16 million dollar bomb that we've never used in combat before out the back of an airplane...but the general concept is there. Delegate and and focus on important things. Like chocolate cake. And golfing. And being the best Martin Luther King you can be to Health Care.

 

[imported_tajmahal]

I seriously wonder how stupid you are to think that a cave complex of ISIS terrorists in Afghanistan is populated by innocent bystanders? Really?

Seriously wonder how many civilians that killed?

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

I business, the best managers delegate tasks. Of course, my boss isn't ever going to delegate me to sign off on kicking a 16 million dollar bomb that we've never used in combat before out the back of an airplane...but the general concept is there. Delegate and and focus on important things. Like chocolate cake. And golfing. And being the best Martin Luther King you can be to Health Care.

Bombin', Golfin' and cake, THE AMERICAN DREEEEEEEAM