US 'Lacks Knowledtge to Launch Land War'

Telegraph.Co.UK ^ | Sept 19, 2001 | Ahmed Rashid

[AGAviator]

FYI

[AGAviator]

In northern Afghanistan the anti-Taliban United Front has already pledged 15,000 fighters to the US-led alliance. If it is given American air cover, its forces could quickly capture the major cities in the north.

However, its forces have little presence in the Pathan belt in the south and it is here that the main war will be fought.

The "Northern Alliance" connection is wishful thinking for the part of Afghanistan where OBL followers will be.

[2ndMostConservativeBrdMember]

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[mafree]

"The US armed forces do not have a single soldier or officer who speaks Pushtu [the principal language of the Taliban]," said a senior Western military official.

So what- we don't have to talk, just fire!!

[Mulder]

So what- we don't have to talk, just fire!!

Exactly!

You sure as hell don't need to be able to speak their language to line up one of the scumbags in your crosshairs.

[rumrunner]

Almost all Afghans speak Dari anyays.

[error99]

"..."The US armed forces do not have a single soldier or officer who speaks Pushtu [the principal language of the Taliban]," said a senior Western military official. ..."
I think THEY had better be learning some ENGLISH real soon!
Lesson # 1 INCOMING !

[AGAviator]

I guess you assume that everybody is a target, and it won't matter if they're trying to communicate some information to you, such as an ambush or a land mine in the area.

[Texasforever]

I have just one question, if we have all of the loyal Muslim-Americans, why are they not represented in our armed forces? The American Japanese joined up in droves after Pearl Harbor. It would seem to me that their protestations of being good Americans do not extend to any type of service to their country.

[dalebert]

Underestimating Bush again and the press is all worked up. Don't forget Bush is a Texas poker player.

[MJY1288]

There is a big difference between us and them, We win the fight for our freedom and security, what do they go back to when they have won? the answer is.... to continue to be under the thumb of a religous finatic who kills the first person who crooses him.

We will make them look much like the feared Iraqi "Elite Republican Guard" = Girl Scouts, Lackies, Punks, slackers and cowards. The reason why the russians had so much trouble with these Afghan rebels is they have the same motivation...

[Travis McGee]

bttt

[AGAviator]

The lack of intelligence stems from Washington's decision effectively to ignore developments in Afghanistan from 1989 after Moscow withdrew its forces.

Amazing. This means that all US "intelligence" about Afghanistan is from journalists, or from foreign intelligence services with their own agendas to pursue. Heck, maybe even from the Internet.

[Chapita]

bttt

[Libertarian_4_eva]

The problem is we can't stick our young men and women in pakistan a nation that itself can be on the verge of a civil war. Its another nation were the dictator has control of the capital but little of the rest of the nation.

[unamused]

Fuel/Air bombs speak all afghani languages...

[Chapita]

******************" guess you assume that everybody is a target, and it won't matter if they're trying to communicate some information to you, such as an ambush or a land mine in the area."*******************************************************************

I am sick of all the totally stupid remarks, such as "nuke 'em", and "kill them all"!

If there are many military leaders with this attitude, we are in for some very heavy casualties.

This isn't the time for emotional blustering!

[Polybius]

You sure as hell don't need to be able to speak their language to line up one of the scumbags in your crosshairs.

The point is that, in the middle of nowhere, it sure helps a lot to be able to talk to the locals when you are looking for the bad guys.

The Soviets were successful in small unit commando raids on the Afghanis by finding local people who knew the whereabouts of this or that group of Afghani fighters, bribing a local to betray their location and then ambushing them.

[Storm Orphan]

We were attacked by a vicious terrorist group. These terrorists are being supported by a relatively small segment of the Muslim community. Please do not condemn all members of a race or religion for the barbaric acts of a few. We are at war against the terrorist groups and the rogue government regimes that harbor them. With few exceptions, the rest of the world is allied with us against these groups, but we are not at war with an entire people or race or religion. We must rid the world of the scourge of terrorism, while continuing to respect and defend the rights and lives of the innocent.

Thanks,

Jim Robinson