Posted on 09/17/2009 3:28:13 AM PDT by Scanian
ONE of the many great things I took from my Army career was the rule that "the maximum effective range of an excuse is zero meters." But excuses are all we have in Afghanistan.
Among the worst of the countless follies that make an old soldier sick is the endless excuse-making for the sloth and cowardice of the Afghan National Army and the extortion culture of the Afghan Police -- while Taliban warriors fight to the bitter end.
The bottom line is that Taliban fighters are willing to die for their cause, while the Afghan soldiers we've tried to train don't even show up for formation. And the NATO-trained cops are so corrupt they've driven Afghans into the arms of the Taliban.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
It could be that Afghan troops figure the US will pull out at some point, perhaps before victory...and they’ll have to live with the Taliban. Besides, they think we’re stupid and naive, fighting for ‘intangibles’ like freedom and justice. They’re still tribal.
Interestingly, a decent percentage in our own country tend to share the same belief.
Ummmmmmmm...I remember a similar situation in Viet Nam. Am I just dreaming this morning?
If we’re going to tie our soldiers hands with an onerous ROE that will get them killed, I see no reason to continue this. We need small special units that can hit fast and continue picking off leaders.
If we are going to nation build, Afghanistan is a poor candidate. If I were going to consider giving it a go, I would install a government and show them how it is done. If there is no interest on the part of the people in continuing moving into the 21st century, surround them to contain the damage they can do and let them kill each other. Just do what we can to keep Pakistan’s nukes out of their hands.
It’s just a totally suck time to have such a weak leader. We are getting our lunch money stolen from us around the world and Obama just hands it over.
Bring back Napalm and Carpet Bombing.
“Ummmmmmmm...I remember a similar situation in Viet Nam. Am I just dreaming this morning?”
Yeah, Marvin the Arvin was not exactly known for his dedication or courage under fire.
Although, I am told, there were certain units that fought well at times.
They probably had good leadership, unlike the rest of the corrupt lot.
Hopefully, it is not as bad in Afghanistan.
I’m with Ralph Peter’s on this. Pull all the troops out and fight this with Spec Ops and air. We’re backing the wrong people and ending up with another Vietnam.
LLS
That WILL happen, and everybody with a room temp IQ knows it.
We have as much chance of fundamentally changing Afghan society as we have of bailing out an ocean with teaspoons.
In 20 years, our interlude in that nation will be a footnote in history.
Afghanistan has NEVER been a nation, except in the minds of foolish foreign leaders. It’s a collection of tribes, period. We are pouring our blood into a sieve.
I agree. It will continue to be a boil on the ass of the world as long as it is left to fester.
“Another deadly problem for our troops stems from the Rules of Engagement, which give the Taliban the advantage. In numerous firefights, our troops have been denied air or artillery support as they fought for their lives. Why? Because the Taliban won the propaganda war with false claims of “innocents killed by US firepower,” convincing politically correct US generals and pols that using our military might to win alienates Afghans (who just want us gone, anyway).
“How long will Washington politicians — from both sides of the aisle — continue to misuse our troops for a muddled Afghan policy that has no strategic coherence and defies common sense? Do they all subscribe to the John Kerry Theory of Military Service and believe that our soldiers and Marines are expendable losers?
“It’s one thing to sacrifice our troops in a great cause. It’s something else to throw their lives away.
“Months ago, I wrote that Afghanistan was shaping up to be President Obama’s Vietnam. But the situation’s worse: In Vietnam, whenever our soldiers or Marines got in a fight, they could call for fire support and hear an immediate response: “On the way!” In Afghanistan, the response is, “Are you 100 percent sure there are no civilians in the area? Sorry, you’re on your own.”
“And no one in Washington cares.”
Just leave it alone, and use Predators to kill terrorist leaders, the way we do in Pakistan and Somalia.
It’s stupid to have our troops killed for nothing more than pouring water onto sand.
Thats always been the rule in Afghanistan.
Nobody wins. Not even the Afghans. Its not about to change.
Months ago, I wrote that Afghanistan was shaping up to be President Obama's Vietnam. But the situation's worse: In Vietnam, whenever our soldiers or Marines got in a fight, they could call for fire support and hear an immediate response: "On the way!" In Afghanistan, the response is, "Are you 100 percent sure there are no civilians in the area? Sorry, you're on your own."
This is why I oppose any further Afgan involvement. Obama, the Illegal Alien, anti-American communist, and secret Mudslime, is deliberately feeding our courageous troops into a no-win, bloody meat grinder just to get them murdered.
As a former Marine, I cannot/will not support the wanton loss of our military. There is a NO WIN attitude coming from Wash DC (and has been since at least the 1950’).
When the USA changed from the War Department to the Defense Department, we have won lots of battles but no wars.
Wars are meant to defeat the enemy, not fight to a stalemate or withdrawal.
Re: “In Afghanistan, the response is, “Are you 100 percent sure there are no civilians in the area? Sorry, you’re on your own.”
The Taliban ARE civilians.
War is killing people and breaking thing until your enemy is crushed and broken. If it is anything else, we need to look very closely at the end game. Attempting to reduce civilian casualties is a good thing, but it MUST be balanced with the preciousness of the lives of our soldiers.
In Iraq we did have the challenge of befriending the population and get them firmly on our side.
I don’t like where we are going with this war in Afghanistan.
Seems quiet small an surgical was the way rouge polidiots ROE’s were countered in the past.
May be something to reconsider
Also any general officer that allows such to kill his troops he sent into harms way should be frag’d !
Obama is a POS poser playing xbox halo with real fighting men an womens lives. Our family an friends dying on his watch. LBJ II.
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