Thread: Yon: Are Spanish troops endangering US troops?

If so, its pretty poor.



http://www.michaelyon-online.com/of-concern.htm

( IT probs, sory. But worth a look... )

Interesting - are there OPSEC issues linked to that email being published for both US and Spanish forces?

"When Secretary Gates gets wind, we can rest easy that proper attention is forthcoming."

This man is supposed to be a writer? Come on, nobody whom uses English as their first language would misconstrue such a simple though admittedly old fashioned expression.

"Once Secretary Gates gets wind of this situation we will be able to rest easy, sure that proper attention will be forthcoming."

Bloody Spanish,nothing personal,but that,s why England beat off the Armada.....and kicked butts in the Falklands....they are knackers!!!!
They can,t be trusted away from a Taco bar!!!
GGGRRRRRRR!!!!!!

Originally Posted by littlejim

"When Secretary Gates gets wind, we can rest easy that proper attention is forthcoming."

This man is supposed to be a writer? Come on, nobody whom uses English as their first language would misconstrue such a simple though admittedly old fashioned expression.

"Once Secretary Gates gets wind of this situation we will be able to rest easy, sure that proper attention will be forthcoming."

Out of everything written the best you can do is to nit pick a sentence?

oh dear, I do hope this American has used the proper morphology to satisfy the grammar nazi vis-a-vis use of all the correct accidence.

On Subject:
Since littlejim may not know that Michael Yon is an ex special forces soldier who took up blogging as a way to help with the war effort and is not a professional journo, we will forgive him.

I sincerely hope that this is either an exaggerated claim or a single Spanish post commander and not the standard for the Spanish army.

I would think that even the Spanish would look to show themselves as a world class military and not, forgive the americanism, a bunch of yahoos.

Apart from the very real operational issues encountered by the 82nd, like helo landing pads & berm protection etc.;
this report suggests that the Spanish troops deployed do not have an active military role.
So one questions their purpose in being deployed there.
Apart from a manana military, it also suggests that the Spanish lack of political will to fight in A'stan,
has permeated down to the small unit commands.
Some of the points posted following Yon's report are worth reading.

Use caution when approaching Yon's 'If they're not from the good ol' US of A then they're NFG" rhetoric. He needs that line to sell copy in the World's largest PX.

Originally Posted by Canader

Use caution when approaching Yon's 'If they're not from the good ol' US of A then they're NFG" rhetoric. He needs that line to sell copy in the World's largest PX.

Having met and worked with the bloke, he is very down to earth, practical, pragmatic and not above having a dig at his own side if it is warranted. I would not put it down to a case of "septic superiority in everything", as that is not his style.

Originally Posted by Canader

Use caution when approaching Yon's 'If they're not from the good ol' US of A then they're NFG" rhetoric. He needs that line to sell copy in the World's largest PX.

You are a bit off target on this one...Yon has been quite pro-UK on many, many an occasion.

Show us some examples of his bias.

Originally Posted by RedCoat2009

Originally Posted by Canader

Use caution when approaching Yon's 'If they're not from the good ol' US of A then they're NFG" rhetoric. He needs that line to sell copy in the World's largest PX.

You are a bit off target on this one...Yon has been quite pro-UK on many, many an occasion.

Show us some examples of his bias.

Here's a good example. Yon calls for the Canadian Brigadier to be fired beacuse this bridge was taken out. However, his detective work was apparently so flawless on this that he had to file a retraction when it turned out that the bridge was not in the Canadian TAOR. I thought that the SF were trained to take proper aim before pulling the trigger? Perhaps that's why he's been 'bowler hatted'?

Michael Yon - Fire the Task Force Kandahar General:

Yesterday at 0735 local, a suicide car bomb attacked a US convoy crossing a bridge only about ten minutes from the major base called Kandahar Airfield. The car bomb blew an MRAP off the bridge, killing a US soldier and injuring several others. Another bomb had been planted under the bridge.

Michael Yon-Facebook-021736EST-Mar-10.pdf

Originally Posted by RedCoat2009

Originally Posted by Canader

Use caution when approaching Yon's 'If they're not from the good ol' US of A then they're NFG" rhetoric. He needs that line to sell copy in the World's largest PX.

You are a bit off target on this one...Yon has been quite pro-UK on many, many an occasion.

Show us some examples of his bias.

+1 Canader

Not to mention his piece of the Uzbeen ambush in 2008, riddled with factual errors (see thread at the time on this board) and prejudice.

What is the purpose of the article? Just to inform? Rather to destroy Euro-Atlantic military brotherhood, to endanger the operation in Afghanisatan with clear intention to ruin the NATO.

Originally Posted by KGB_resident

What is the purpose of the article? Just to inform? Rather to destroy Euro-Atlantic military brotherhood, to endanger the operation in Afghanisatan with clear intention to ruin NATO.

I would imagine it's to embarrass the Spanish into action.


Not sure what the Spanish will make of this.

Originally Posted by inbredyokel666

Originally Posted by KGB_resident

What is the purpose of the article? Just to inform? Rather to destroy Euro-Atlantic military brotherhood, to endanger the operation in Afghanisatan with clear intention to ruin NATO.

I would imagine it's to embarrass the Spanish into action.


Not sure what the Spanish will make of this.

Not much-they wilo be too b usy throwing donkeys of tall buildings or killing other animals in the name of fun before going for a short sleep

Originally Posted by inbredyokel666

Not sure what the Spanish will make of this.

Paella?