MARJAH, Afghanistan—As Capt. Anthony Zinni monitored a live video feed from a Predator drone circling overhead, he spotted four men planting a booby trap in the middle of the road here. For Capt. Zinni, one of the officers responsible for approving airstrikes in the nine-day-old battle for Marjah, it seemed like an easy call: The men were digging a hole alongside a road where a Marine supply convoy was scheduled to pass within hours. But just as he was about to give the order to strike, Capt. Zinni spotted even-smaller white figures on the video running along the path south of the canal. Children. Maybe 50 feet from the men planting the booby trap. "It's not a good shot," Capt. Zinni said, ordering the Predator drone to delay the strike. "It's not a good shot." View Full Image Reuters Afghan civilians look at U.S. Marines during an operation in Marjah, Afghanistan, on Sunday. NATO forces, nine days into a major offensive against the Taliban in Helmand province, say it could take at least a month to secure the region because they want to avoid civilian casualties.[Read more...]