But who was supposed to say no? The SF officer on the ground who did not have line of sight but was being told they had positive ID on military age males, weapons and no children? Or the helicopter pilots who were given a target, and who don't have the technology to provide any better or worse information?
The problem is that US Forces are almost permanently on a overkill strategy where the answer to this problem was using Hellfire missiles, in the same way as dropping artillery into Iraqi towns in the 2003 invasion.
Taliban dismounts from a SUV die quickly against helicopters, taking time to check the vehicles were hostile via an overflight or "warning shot" should be a valid tactic. But that is not for a specific flight commander to make.
The problem is that US Forces are almost permanently on a overkill strategy where the answer to this problem was using Hellfire missiles, in the same way as dropping artillery into Iraqi towns in the 2003 invasion.
Taliban dismounts from a SUV die quickly against helicopters, taking time to check the vehicles were hostile via an overflight or "warning shot" should be a valid tactic. But that is not for a specific flight commander to make.