KLP,
The local commander on the ground would have been responsible for knowing the whereabouts of that squad of soldiers.
If you scroll down about half way on this link, Major General Caldwell has a video message explaining some specifics of what occurred that morning:
cnn.com
And another link with interviews with fellow soldiers of those who were killed.
cnn.com
It required an hour for a quick reaction force (QRF) to mount up and arrive after the attack occurred, and I find that to be a problem. 30 minutes, I can understand, not that it would have made much difference.. But from what I'm seeing, the Patrol base where the attack occurred was very close to the primary base, so I really have to wonder what really happened.
However, the primary concern I have is that this unit was apparently not on patrol, but stationary. And 10 guys just isn't a lot of personnel for insuring proper security, especially if 1/2 to 3/4 of your personnel are down for sleep, which I assume may have been the case.
This was a pre-planned and carefully coordinated attack, and the fact that the local commander exposed this squad without having proper contact, or QRF capability at hand is something that needs to be explained.
Hawk |
