Posted on 10/27/2001 1:21:26 PM PDT by mercy
Schwartzkopf told us that 'Snake Eaters' don't win wars. I've brought this up a few times here on the forum for discussion since the world was turned upside down on 9/11. Despite all you great ret. Spec. Ops. guys who have tried to say Schwartzkopf was 'yesterday's army' I respectfully disagree.
Like Ike warning about the Military-Industrial complex .... General S. was telling us the plain truth. Perhaps this new kind of war will prove to be successful once we establish massive forward bases in Afghanistan and from there, strike out ACROSS and THROUGHOUT the Middle East with terrible and sure .... Swift Death.
Perhaps we SHALL see (someday) Gratifying headlines from all points announcing the mysterious cropping up of groups of very dead terr cells even through Europe. Thus signaling the re-emergence of a brighter day, finally, for the Western World.
But it is absolutely imperitive that we take first things first. We are not going to take even a corner of Afgahanistan for establisment of a massive, massive forward base of operations going at this as we now are. A real war on terrorism cannot be fought unless we have total control of some forward base of operations some where near the M.E. If not Afgahanistan then perhaps half the coast of Pakistan. Regardless, in order to insure this we must have a REAL war Against the Taliban and other, new fighters now coming from far and wide. IF not to establish a base then merely because destroying the Taliban is what we said we were going to do. The US must start sticking to it's word as a FIRST step toward defeating Islamist world wide.
Unless we can get Schwartzkopf to come out of retirement or 'miracle of miracles' there's another Schwartzkopf hiding just under the joint chiefs level ...to fight an actual war with hundreds of thousands of infantry and thousands of tanks, Bush will continue to lose this war.
I doubt that there ARE any new Schwartzkopfs. Clintoon decimated the General Staff. Thus the laying of the 'Get Out of Jail Free Card'. The excuse to prosecute a Viet Nam style police action and keep the news cameras completely out of it. Thus never allowing proof of the ineffectiveness of such a losing propositonal excuse for a war.
It won't work. This policy, already plainly evident in this so called war, will strenghthen and embolden the Islamist terrs world wide and we are guaranteed massive Islamist strikes here at home. If the American people are not moral enough to insist on a real war when nothing else will do .... the Islamists will do it for us. And then we'll really be playing 'catch-up'. Same ole same ole.
Thank you, Navy Vet.
Phew! mercy ... you honor me ... all is not lost ... I owe you one.
Our assignment on the Homefront .... stay FOCUSED ... show patience ... be resolved to a long confrontation ... have grit ... make those who came before us ... proud ... be proud ... be strong ....
Do not try to spin this war ....
DO YOUR PART ....
Thanks for your contribution however and hang in there.
Note to Staff:
There shall be no flaming of IllStillBe on an S. Fleming thread.
That is final.
The way to beat terrorists is to force them into the last corners of the earth where it is THEY who even then feel insecure.
That means that we have to be able to project military power anywhere we wish and whenever and for any duration. That takes a whole lot of air-power.
Air-power is not merely bombs and bomb delivering platforms. Rather, it is also tires and brakes and composite materials and the people who know how to make them, ship them, maintain them ... and train people to do all that.
Well an "expert" may tell you that we do not need all that because we are going to realize benefits of the locals over there, doing the right thing by bring to bear their own forces and law enforcement against the terrorists camped out on that soil.
Fine.
Right on up until we need to be able to back them up ... and then back up our back up.
In such situations, we do not have the luxury of waiting around until somebody builds the required materials and somebody trains the required personnel for all that logistical deployment.
Nope. You need it "right now" when you need it.
It may interest you to read a book, such as the story of General Ira Eaker, or that of Genral "Hap" Arnold, or that of General Marshall.
See what the secret of their later successes was: There devotion to logistical support for air-power ... BEFORE the Second World War, not just during it.
For leaving us WIDE OPEN in this regard and others.
Well, let's see there ole loopdoggydog if "ALL" my points can be summed up in "Have[ing] blind faith in your [oppressive] government;
1. It has been reported that terrorist operatives exist in almost 60 countries;
"Blind faith" or independently reported fact?
2. The enemy is elusive and therefore difficult to fight, especially in light of our weak human intel;
"Blind faith" or verifiable fact?
3. Bush & Co. have repeatedly stated that we will target Al Queda initially and then proceed to the next;
Okay, "blind faith".
4. Bush & Co. have also stated that behind scenes victories can't be publicized due to covert necessity;
While it might be a "blind faith" statement, it is usually the case in any war.
5. This NEW type of warfare is being fought on many fronts, some not militarily;
"Blind faith" or verifiable fact?
6. Since Afganistan is land-locked we need the surrounding nations' support to execute our plans; Unfortunately, this means considering the *sensitivities* and political concerns of those nations (much to our dismay);
"Blind faith" or verifiable fact?
7. Be patient. We'll be at this for years...but we WILL prevail.
Definitely, my "blind faith" opinion.
However, I don't understand the we've-lost-the-war-we-don't-stand-a-chance-we-might-as-well-throw-in-the-towel attitude. For crying out loud .... it's only been 6 weeks! How did things look 6 weeks into the Revolutionary War ..... or WWI or WWIII?
We need to be praying for our President and the other leaders.
We need to be finding ways to offer support to those who serve in the military.
We need to try to understand that this war is not being fought just with bullets and bombs but on many fronts .... such as cutting off the monetary resources of the enemy ..... and it takes time to trace the connections.
We DON'T need to be undercutting morale in this country by claiming that the sky has already fallen.
mercy ~~~ my little rant here is not aimed specifically at you. Those whom the shoe fits should put it on.
Sure you can...that was the whole point of me floating around out there in those tin cans so many years...so you and loopy can have your say.
And for the record, I don't believe everything I'm told by our government. But it's just too early in this campaign to be putting the screws to our leaders. Although some heads should role for not being prepared.
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