60 Minutes special on SF in A'stan
Thought I'd pass this on. Looks interesting.
60 Minutes spent over two months with a Green Beret unit, as they trained a group of Afghan soldiers, and then went into battle with them against the Taliban.
Lara Logan's report, examining a strategy requested by the president to train more Afghan troops, will broadcast this Sunday, January 31, at 7 p.m. ET/PT, on CBS.
v/r
Mike
A review of this TV programme
Found on:http://blog.freerangeinternational.com/ and in this report today Babatim reports: http://freerangeinternational.com/blog/?p=2610 (please ignore the photo of the intrepid reporter).
Here is a taste:
Quote:
Of course the segment has all the annoying crap one associates with Special Forces – only using first names, wearing sunglasses to “protect their identity,” and digitizing all who do not have sunglasses on, as if the Taliban has an arm in America which is going to hunt these guys down some day. The Taliban do hunt down ANA Commandos in their home villages and kill them, but none of the ANA commandos have their faces digitized or identities hidden.
Far more about the reporter than the report
Quote:
– only using first names, wearing sunglasses to “protect their identity,” and digitizing all who do not have sunglasses on, as if the Taliban has an arm in America which is going to hunt these guys down some day.
...and did not protect their identity. All those guys were recognisable to anyone taking an actual interest.
Where I come from, if you talk to a camera, you're simply disqualifying yourself from the description of "quiet professional." There is no good reason to do it. Nothing wrong with USSF, but this was mistake.
What is a quiet professional?
Here's the link if you missed the initial viewing.
I thought the report was odd if not disturbing. One thing that I would submit that transcends the color of your beret- if you don't live in the area where you operate and don't know the people, then everything will appear a threat.
I was left considering the question-
What is a quiet professional? I used to think it was the Hy Rothstein's in El Salvador and the Jim Gants in A'stan.
Mike