U.S. airplanes are dropping medical supplies and weapons into Kobani to help protect the Syrian town from ISIS. Twenty-eight packages were dropped in and around Kobani on Monday but it is believed that one of them drifted away from its targeted zone and landed into the hands of an ISIS fighter. The U.S. military issued a statement that they blasted the package. However there is a video of a supposed ISIS fighter taking hand grenades and mortar rounds from a crate.
Link to the story: http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/22/world/meast/isis-threat/index.html
How should the U.S. prevent unwanted people from taking the supply crates? Are the airdrops really the best way to deliver the supplies?
the united states should build temporary bases and have grounded troops only to secure the packages. They should be there until all the packages are retrieved and secured and then leave. This is outrageous to me how ISIS has the ability to take AMERICAN supplies from AMERICAN airdrops. How are we so oblivious to the "hows" and "whys" but so informed on were to drop bombs?
Well, I wouldn't suggest dropping supplies next to my enemy. Dropping supplies off in the distance near the back of my allies lines would be ideal. Are the airdrops necessary, yes most likely. Driving up to Kobani, I can imagine, is probably not an option right now. It's a war zone. Supplies on wheels would be massive targets. At least with air drops, we can destroy them if they land in the wrong area. That is of course what the U.S. military are claiming.
I agree with both of what Dylan and Alexis said. The best way to go about delivering supplies to our allies is to either drop them from a distance or build temporary bases in a secure zone to have them distributed across the areas. In no case should our enemies even have a chance to get their hands on supplies.
This is a part of war, sometimes supplies is captured by your enemies, it happens. We should destroy the supplies if it gets into the wrong hands of course, but for whatever reason that didn't happen here.
There isn't really away to prevent unwanted people to take the supplies other than making sure they are aiming correctly. Although airdrops may be the best way for delivering the supplies.
I agree with Sami. However I've also seen images and heard firsthand stories of ISIS troops with HUMMVEES, and MRAPS (look them up. These vehicles are some of the best military machines in the world and are pretty freaking awesome.) They also have tanks. This is a threat unlike anything we've seen in decades and needs to be treated as such. Accidents happen. Its how you learn and respond to the accident that matters.
Heres a standard MRAP (In US Hands). They can withstand an IED blast. I personally know service men who say that they owe their lives to this
This is a HUMVEE that has been stolen by ISIS.
And lastly, this is an ISIS tank...
-- Edited by Zachary Francine on Saturday 25th of October 2014 07:37:31 PM
Since it is possible for ISIS fighters to get their hands on these supply crates, I don't think it is the smartest option to air drop the packages. Our soldiers should be delivering these packages by ground to help the Syrian town.
There is always a risk of losing supplies to the enemy in any type of war or confrontation. those supplies are much better of being destroyed than falling into the enemy hands. the U.S should be more concise and careful with their airdrops and if this continues to happen they should cease. but this is nothing to worry about as of now.
It's a war so there's bound to be a time where the opposition gets hold of some of our supplies. Plus, air-dropping supplies does not have 100% accuracy, so it's almost inevitable that a package drifts off where we don't want it to. However, like the others said, we should take extra precautions in delivering supplies through temporary bases, etc.