Grimaldus said:I'd give the order to fire the split second the rules of engagement allowed me to do so. Holding fire until the last second and taking Hollywood aimed shots is noble for sure- but also a way to send your own guys home in a body bag.
Let the politicians deal with it. The Taliban and insurgents are realizing the way to make NATO allies loose heart is to have NATOs ANA allies shoot and kill NATO troops.
The same will happen with child soldiers. Once a country shoots [armed and attacking] children and it blows up in the news and they start to pull out the bad guys are going to realize we don't have the heart to deal with it on the world stage and step up child attacks.
Easily said. Perhaps not quite so easily done by all involved. You're right about the strategic ramifications of hesitation to engage child soldiers, I won't argue with you there. I WILL say that I'd be suspicious and a bit frightened of any society whose soldiers, drawn from within that society, were not generally troubled morally and ethically by being put in such a situation.