Contrast that with the enemy. The enemy, in both Iraq and Afghanistan, follows no rules. The enemy kills innocent people, and takes advantage of our militaries sensitivity for Islamic culture.

More recently, those rules have grown even more burdensome in Afghanistan with the addition of the Karzai 12. The Karzai 12 (named for the newly ‘reelected’ leader) is a new set of rules that the military must follow in addition to the standard ROE.

The Karzai 12 includes the following (with commentary):

No night or surprise searches.

It is really unfair of us to surprise the enemy, we should warn them ahead of time of any upcoming searches for bad guys (see rule #2).

Villagers have to be warned prior to searches.

This way the friendly villagers can be armed and waiting for the oppressive occupying force.

ANA or ANP must accompany U.S. units on searches. 

Because, you never know when the US armed forces may start killing innocent women and children. Troops should also have an ACLU official present on all searches so that the terrorists can be advised of their legal rights.

U.S. soldiers may not fire at the enemy unless the enemy is preparing to fire first.

Why not wait until the enemy kills at least 3 US soldiers before opening fire, this way we can be absolutely sure they are actually the enemy.

U.S. forces cannot engage the enemy if civilians are present.

US soldiers should instead immediately surrender to the enemy if civilians are within a 3 square mile radius.

Only women can search women.

Even if the woman in question is really a man dressed in a burka with ten pounds of high explosive also hidden under the shroud.

Troops can fire at an insurgent if they catch him placing an IED but not if insurgents are walking away from an area where explosives have been laid.

Soldiers should also have at least 2 eyewitnesses that saw the insurgent make the bomb that will testify before a judge in order to get special permission to engage the insurgent but if and only if he is actually placing the device not before, not after.

With all of the pussyfooting the military is forced to do over there, you might expect that the everyday Iraqi and the everyday Afghan would be grateful to the US military. Instead, many still provide aid and comfort to the enemy. The same enemy that murders innocent people, blows up Mosques, and would, if given the chance, return civilians to the oppression they lived in under Saddam and the Taliban.

It should be clear now why, in recent months the war in Afghanistan has become increasingly difficult to fight. Instead of looking for a quick way out the White House should allow our troops to fight without both arms tied behind their backs.