But don't hit them too hard

When I was in school I worked weekends as a bartender/waiter at a young peoples watering hole called The Rathskeller [not very original I know]. The owners were nervous about the occasional fight that broke out late at night; their solution was to tell their staff to break up the fights in a unique way...if necessary the staff was to get physical including ... "to hit them but don't hit them hard". I always thought this was a silly idea; it was unlikely to happen in the heat of the moment. I hasten to add that, at 6 foot and 170 pounds I was the baby of the staff and unlikely to do much damage if I hit anybody which I didn't.

The current rules of engagement in Afghanistan with their emphasis on avoiding civilian casualties unfortunately reminds me of the owners admonition. This is a worthwhile objective but can result in greater casualties to our troops. I think force protection must be the primary goal in any such situation.