The key to 'surge' success

NY Post ^ | June 29, 2010 | ARTHUR HERMAN

[Scanian]

A commander had just been removed from America's fight in a distant Muslim country, with another general about to take his place. Almost everyone agreed that the war so far had been a failure, as the insurgents grew bolder and a fall into chaos seemed inevitable.

The lack of progress had the president on the political ropes, with plummeting poll numbers and the opposition party poised to take power in Congress and take revenge. The American public had become increasingly fed up over a war in which lives were lost without hope of victory.

No, not Afghanistan last week -- Iraq in the fall of 2006, when President George W. Bush decided to remove his top general, George Casey, and to put in a relative unknown named David Petraeus, to try out a strategy Petraeus termed a "troop surge."

Petraeus may be the most celebrated general in the world today, but he owes that reputation to a president who refused to listen to the nay-sayers, and who took an amazing leap of faith.

Bush is the unacknowledged other hero of the Iraq surge -- and President Obama could do far worse than to take a couple of pages from his predecessor's book.

In the fall of 2006, hardly anyone who didn't have a military commission or a teaching job at the War College knew what counterinsurgency was. But it was at the heart of Petraeus' plan to turn around the Iraq war.

[FrankR]

"Almost everyone agreed that the war so far had been a failure..."

The CIC is the failure. The ROE have hogtied our troops into being - basically - moving targets.

America has the ability and the manpower to strafe that place into a parking lot, but, our "civilian" commanders stand in the way. They are not afraid of the bullets and bombs, but simply of the WORDS...words of their leftist peaceniks who dance around in pink tights and sing Cumbaya.

WORDS that will come from a sissified and communistic media - the transformation is complete.

The Afghan war is SSDT..."Same Sh**, Different Theater". It's a Vietnam "redo", a Jimmy Carty flashback, a clinton Aspirin factory.

America has remembered everything, and learned nothing.

The democrats will never succeed in war, for they worry more about their "party" and staying in power, than protecting America and winning a war. For all the barbs and arrows they verbally throw at the GOP, it is in fact the democrat party that reeks of greed and hatred.

Everytime the dems get into power, this same thing happens...the economy goes south, we get into wars with no will to win, and the crooked, under-the-table dealings begin...Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and now obama. The GOP has to come in and clean up their messes, and it takes money to rebuild a house destroyed, then the dems slam the GOP's spending. But, there will never be a GOP that outspends this regime....never.

Remember in November.

[RobbyS]

Obama’s inner circle was at sixes and sevens over Afghanistan.The President did nothing to end this division, thus avoiding his main duty as commander in chief. We can succeed there only if he allows Petraeus to run the how unhindered by the civilians in the area, and tells Joe Biden to stay home, butt out, and zip his lip.

[anglian]

"But even more than a gifted commander, the war in Afghanistan requires a commander in chief who's committed"

Just ask McCrystal or a Gulf Coast resident.

[DrC]

“tells Joe Biden to stay home, butt out, and zip his lip.”

Great idea, but talk about Mission Impossible!!!! Obama’s selection of Gore as his running mate should have been the clearest signal possible that The One was not competent to handle the reigns of power. Apart from the inherent risks of putting such a buffoon within the heartbeat of the presidency, anyone with a modicum of common sense should have and would have recognized that having Joe Biden as second in command would complicate the execution of a coherent strategy for foreign and military policy. Joe is far too enamored of his own brilliance to ever contemplate keeping his yap shut. Obama made an abysmal choice back in 2008 and now is stuck with it.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

Surge? I'll tell you about a "surge"!

1. You Burn the poppy fields

2. You LEVEL all the compounds with bad guys (women and children included)

3. You make them FEAR "misbehavior" so they'll never mess with us again.

4. Then you come home "victorious".

...and if this is to harsh for you...

Then bring the troops home where they are safe instead of risking their lives in a war some people treat as a child's game with rules and umpires.

[Thunder 6]

“solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant”

The Tacitus option. Well played...

Regards,

[RobbyS]

Biden is one of those who is oblivious to his own limitations. I was plain embarrassed to see him questioning the likes of John Roberts. He reminds me of Bill Clinton, except that Clinton is really a bright guy. Both are likeable but either as a scintilla of honor. Biden is also as dumb as a stump.

[RobbyS]

That would also—paradoxically— give the Taliban the respect they are due as men of valor.

[RobbyS]

That would also—paradoxically— give the Taliban the respect they are due as men of valor.