[skeeter]

Successfully invaded - yes, exactly. But the british and russians lost alot of soldiers trying to establish garrisons in that country for no discernable results.

Afghanistan is not Iraq - its a wild country. I've thought from the beginning we needed to avoid a prolonged engagement there, kick ass and then promise to come back & kick ass again if they misbehaved.

[Eagles6]

Britain left after they achieved their goals. Russia lost because we backed the other side

I don't disagree with you but on the other side of the coin is the fact that jihadis from all over the world come there, as a moth to the flame, to die for mohammed (may piss be upon him). Just as in Iraq, tens of thousands of "martyrs" earned their virgins and are now not causing grief somewhere else.

On the other hand "commander zero" has no intention of winning a war against his muslim brothers. If that is the case...

[Psalm 144]

Afghanistan is not Iraq - its a wild country. I’ve thought from the beginning we needed to avoid a prolonged engagement there, kick ass and then promise to come back & kick ass again if they misbehaved.

___________________________________________

Exactly.

[Ev Reeman]

How to win in Afghanistan

1. Get rid of Karzai as he sanctions corruption.

2. Eliminate any deadline for withdrawal of troops

3. Eliminate the foolish ROE that Obama used to hamstring our troops

4. Replace the tribal mentality with a viable and sustainable representative government like the one we started in Iraq

5. Educate the populace

6. Train and equip Afghanis to hold and secure their own country

7. Develop the mineral resources of Afghanistan to replace the drug trade

8. Win over the hearts and minds of the Afghani people

9. Hold free and fair elections

10, Build and maintain a basic infrastructure

In other words, do what it takjes to nation build starting from the ground up and the grass roots.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Afghanistan is not Iraq - its a wild country. I've thought from the beginning we needed to avoid a prolonged engagement there, kick ass and then promise to come back & kick ass again if they misbehaved.

That's a hollow threat and both the Afghanis and the Pakistanis know it - they understand the US political situation and the power of US doves as well as anyone else. And Pakistan will not leave Afghanistan alone. The Islamists and the Pakistani military will begin restoring the Taliban to power the second we leave, and Afghanistan will again turn into a safe haven for Islamic terrorist outfits.

As for Steele, the man is a publicity-hungry buffoon. The RNC's response to Obama's election was the intelligence-insulting token appointment of Steele, and they've gotten burned very badly.