There is a far more troubling story from a year ago when UK reporters embedded with Haqqani Network groups operating in Khost Province. They managed to be there at least for a week and went on patrols with them. Sadly, neither element was killed but we learned a bit of insight into the Taliban mindset in that article. They believed if they stood still then the UAVs could not see them because Allah protected them... up until a Hellfire sent them packing.

So let the beligerent media embed with the insurgents and hostile forces to the coalition, we'll remove two problems in one swoop. We will of course endure the wrath of Wikileaks and pissed of gay Specialists who find videos on our networks then encourage the media to assume we target journalists... See where this is going? These reporters who find the Taliban and their cells put themselves in danger and should not complain when they get shot at by Coalition forces, its bound to happen. Bullets don't stop just because you're getting an exclusive.

Mr. Connor,

Bravo! Someone else gets it. I'm sure many others do but this is the first I've seen it in "print" in the media, new or old. The locations of the various attacks are battlegrounds and for that alone they are sacred to the men and women of this nation. For me they were the start of my adult life as I went from being a peacetime garrison Soldier to one that has been either preparing for or taking part in a war for the past nine years. It would be a trophy to the Islamofacists the world over who would see it as another sign that America is weak and can be walked over even if we can't be beaten on the modern battlefield.

Even if this mosque's financing came from 100% domestic fund raising and never uttered a single unkind word in the mosque it would still be upheld as a flag on the mountain for the jihadists we fight.

The article is very inaccurate in what we are trying to accomplish with educating service members about the cultures we occupy (and it is an occupation). First of all, basic training is basic submission... but to the service of this Republic, not a foreign culture. Second, basic training is there to ensure you're capable of suriving encounters that could get you killed. That includes pissing off local warlords or police chiefs. Having done a tour in both Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army intelligence specialist I've had to modify my own views and values to encourage locals to talk to me. I want information, which is what its about not winning their hearts and minds. The posters who say that such a tactic fails are correct to a degree, but its not a total fail. It works well when you're allowed to kill the enemy.

But the training the basic trainees are going through is similar to what we go through. Our job is to get information about of locals and sometimes that means conforming to their culture so they have an easier time talking to an outsider. I'm not going to be the guy's friend and I won't be the best man at his wedding (though I have been offered a few daughters before) but I need him to trust me for at leas the next 30 minutes or a week in order to tell me about the bad guys. Then I tell my boss who makes the call to put the bad guys on the next train to Paradise as fast as possible.

And if you enter someone's house or office you're trying to impress or encourage cooperation then you do ask for permission for certain things. If you're not then you just do it. Depending on the mission you could be doing both.

He can, technically... but is it smart? No. Would he set a firestorm among the thousands of men in uniform who actually have worked under McCrystal's command? We still remember when the left basically called General Petreaus a traitor and will likely say the same thing about McCrystal.

Eikenberry was a commander in Afghanistan when the Taliban regained strength and did little to counter their resurgence, leading to McCrystal taking over. McCrystal is an unorthodox thinker and warfighter, I'd love to see the audiotapes of this meeting with Obama when they come out.

Great catch! It is this kind of stuff we need out there to hammer on issues at the local level to demonstrate the common sense approach to real issues. I bet 50% of those who are against 287G would of supported racial profiling on 9/11/01