DOD Briefs on Targeting and Collateral Damage

[Terri]

DOD Briefs on Targeting and Collateral Damage

By Paul Karcher
GOPUSA News
March 11, 2003

(GOPUSA News) -- Officials from the Defense Department recently discussed a myriad of ways that today's armed forces can target military facilities while minimizing collateral damage. The presentation not only discussed civilians but also non-military facilities in Iraq that have been built near or next to military targets.

During the introductions, the senior Defense official reminded all in attendance of what Secretary Colin Powell said just a few days earlier regarding Saddam Hussein and his military strategies. "International law draws a clear distinction between civilians and combatants. The principle that civilians must be protected lies at the heart of international law of armed conflict. It is the distinction between combatants and innocent civilians that terrorism and practices like the use of human shields so directly assaults," Powell said.

Full Story (http://gopusa.com/news/2003/march/0311_targeting.shtml )

[Der Alte]

I agree that civilian casualties should be avoided when possible, but I just hope they don't put to many restrictions on the pilots. Its tough enough to fly in combat and its hard to just hit the target, but if you apply to many restrictions you may endanger the pilots life. War is not a pretty thing and its tough to have to worry about someone living next door when you are being fired upon and trying to do your job. During the Vietnam war we lost a lot of pilots due to these restrictions.