>>>But from everything that has been in the media, everything was "jackie-chan-chris tucker-G14-classified"

Gee, rgr...with your proud tradition of parsing the conduct of those who wear the uniform of freedom, that sounds like an intentional oversimplification made for the purpose of mockery...and we shan't have any of those flying about.

Lawrence:

I always thought parsing was a form of salad garnish, so that shows you how dim I am ;-) I think what rgr and armytriguy and me and a few others with field experience were trying to say is that the tactical situation most times in affairs like this is clouded enough as it is, and that the more complicated it becomes, the higher the likelihood that you'll end up with exactly the outcome that took place with this reporter's escort and movement.

Hell, Stonewall Jackson was shot by his own pickets coming back through his lines. It's a hell of a thing, but it happens more than we'd like it to. Another example is the length of time it took in getting support out to those Rangers who were pinned down in Mogadishu. It takes time to set up traffic control, movement, recognition signals, radio comm and whatnot. When you try to do it on the fly, sometimes ugly stuff happens, and men (and women, nowadays) are nervous enough as it is out in a possible hostile fire zone.

T.

I wasn't sure if just saying "it's G14 classifed" was to much of an obscure movie reference. as in the Italian allies told us it was G14 classified

My boys have watched Rush Hour like a thousnad times, so subsequently I've seen or at least listened to it a 100 times

But oopps did I let my wiseass side show???

I agree with you. More than one person is probably at fault for this incident, but the responsibility for the lives in that car rested with the driver, and he failed to deliver safe passage. I was just responding to the comment that the fault in this case is probably a separate issue from whether or not it was wise to negotiate in the first place.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)