Well, something I know something about.

Gen. Lew Walt, US Marine Corp, Vietnam, when body counts were the big thing:

"If they're dead and they're Vietnamese, they're Viet Cong."

Translation. Actually doesn't need translating.

"Free fire zones". Ever heard of 'em. Go into a foreign country, and designate areas where everything which moves can be shot, rocketed, mortared, killed.

Regardless. If they're tending a rice paddy, nursing a baby, even playing some Vietnamese equivalent of "jacks". Smoke 'em if you feel like it, and even if you don't.

Even the British upon leaving Afghanistan warned the US about being so fast and loose with civilian lives.

Nope. It's wishful thinking to believe the US has been unduly careful about that. Hasn't.

Except now, where there is a lot of pressure. Do you think those reporters are there to inform the US public? I suspect they are there to reassure the Arabs.

But for whatever reason, I hope and pray they are, truly, being careful. Hard for me to feature how a B-52 strike can differentiate between civilians and military, though.

And unlike you, I doubt you can send 3000 cruise and other missiles into a city of 5 million and not kill civilians.

Unless there's some uniform-seeking technology of which I'm unaware.

Arf