Afghanistan - Powell Doctrine

Great article GW - I especially agree with the following:


"If you're determined to fight a war, choose a commander whom you trust and a strategy that you back, and then give your military leaders all the resources they say they need to achieve your objective.

If you can't do that, if your objective isn't clear, if the American people and the international community aren?t with you, then order a withdrawal and explain why.

For God's sake, don't ratchet up slowly, buying time with the bodies of dead and wounded American soldiers, while you try to sell the wrong war in the wrong place against the wrong enemy to the American people."

Great article GW - I especially agree with the following:


"If you're determined to fight a war, choose a commander whom you trust and a strategy that you back, and then give your military leaders all the resources they say they need to achieve your objective.

If you can't do that, if your objective isn't clear, if the American people and the international community aren?t with you, then order a withdrawal and explain why.

For God's sake, don't ratchet up slowly, buying time with the bodies of dead and wounded American soldiers, while you try to sell the wrong war in the wrong place against the wrong enemy to the American people."

Amen. Wow...is this so obvious and common sensical, or what?

yeah, it makes one wonder what gets in the way of these politicians seeing clearly.

Frankly, I wish every one of them had to stand in a military base hangar and watch young men and women, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, say goodbye as they deploy to the war zone.

and, I wish that every member of Congress and every policy wonk on the Administrations staff had to be present at Dover AFB when the flag draped caskets come back--perhaps then, they would realize the price that so many have paid...and for what?

and perhaps if the chairmen of the boards of every media outlet had to do the same thing--without benefit of camera crew or producer--just the CEOs who are so greedy about ratings and market share--perhaps then, we could get a reasonable, common sense approach to both policy and news coverage in this country.

Amen. Wow...is this so obvious and common sensical, or what?

In my heart of hearts I agree with you completely and feel we need to pull out from Afgan immediately, but, then what? This would be such a defeat that it would embolden the Taliban/Alqieda to do almost anything. I listen to NPR a lot and the experts they have on there say that our "nation building" efforts are so corrupt that for every dollar we tell the Afgans we are spending to "rebuild" their country, almost none of it ever gets to them. Think about it: the "contractors" that are over there just trying to make a big wad of money are, in effect, our "ambassadors of good will". It's disgusting.

Commentary: Afghanistan isn't worth one more American life | McClatchy

"It can fairly be argued that not a single affirmative answer can be given to Gen. Powell's eight questions with regard to the actions now planned or underway in Afghanistan. Had those questions been asked about Iraq in early 2003, not a single affirmative answer could have been given."

in summary, Retreat!

(he says after feeling rather Bob'ish tonight after a long week at work. )

I can give you one good reason to finish what we started there, the fact that if we do not, we will be back there losing lives again 15 years from now. The only real issue is our current commander in chief, who clearly is more worried about getting re-elected than doing what's needed. That, IMHO, sums up democrat leaders in a nut shell. (Ok, so I guess I wasn't feeling so Bob'ish after all. )

The bodies of American soldiers are being used to buy time and political cover for our eventual "honorable withdrawal."

I want us out of Afg. now. Each week the total number of lost lives in the wars is getting larger and it hurts to see so many young ones gone.

Afghanistan is some rough terrain.

Oh my what a great read that article is! The last paragraph is the best.

in summary, Retreat!

(he says after feeling rather Bob'ish tonight after a long week at work. )

I can give you one good reason to finish what we started there, the fact that if we do not, we will be back there losing lives again 15 years from now. The only real issue is our current commander in chief, who clearly is more worried about getting re-elected than doing what's needed. That, IMHO, sums up democrat leaders in a nut shell. (Ok, so I guess I wasn't feeling so Bob'ish after all. )

I think no matter what sort of "success" is achieved, we could still be back there in 15 years. With the way things are going, we could be there for the next 15 years right now. After that we still may need to keep going back. I don't see the benefit in making a big down-payment right now in lives and casualties.

I too would love to see us out of the Middle East. But I don't see it happening because I think that ego gets in the way. Many leaders don't want to say we were "defeated" even though I don't see it that way. If we must fight the Taliban then I prefer thinking like Sun Tzu. This sounds like a better plan to me than to keep adding troops and to stay indefinitely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All warfare is based on deception.

Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.

If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him.

If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand.

The Art of War

By Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu was a general in ancient China around 400 B.C. Many ideas connect to the idea of Tao, such as being in harmony with nature, and understanding yourself and your enemy. One of the most important ideas is that it is better to not fight than to fight, but if you must fight, then fight with everything you have.

let's ask the decider what to do next

I too would love to see us out of the Middle East. But I don't see it happening because I think that ego gets in the way. Many leaders don't want to say we were "defeated" even though I don't see it that way. If we must fight the Taliban then I prefer thinking like Sun Tzu. This sounds like a better plan to me than to keep adding troops and to stay indefinitely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All warfare is based on deception.

Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.

If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him.

If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand.

The Art of War

By Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu was a general in ancient China around 400 B.C. Many ideas connect to the idea of Tao, such as being in harmony with nature, and understanding yourself and your enemy. One of the most important ideas is that it is better to not fight than to fight, but if you must fight, then fight with everything you have.

Gidget
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fighting and killing the taliban because they harbored bin laden is as idiotic as killing german citizens because they harbored hitler. we cannot ever win this war. there never has been a nation in afghanistan of any permanence. the ambivalent locals know, as did the south vietnamese, that like the russians, we will eventually leave.