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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
 Posted - 10/26/2001 : 15:39:58 [Permalink]
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quote:
1. Of course not. My point was, I don't think our govt. wants to replace the Taliban with something equally nasty (or nearly so). Hitting the Taliban front lines now might allow the NA to take Kabul, producing an NA government "fait accomplis", before we're ready with some better alternative.
2. Well, I don't purport to be a military expert. But I still think they've probably made a judgement that the current force levels are "good enough" to do the job... at least for now.
3. Hear, hear.
-- Donnie B.
Brian: "No, no! You have to think for yourselves!" Crowd: "Yes! We have to think for ourselves!"
1. OK, I'm being somewhat contrary these days (a lack of sleep still  ). Thanks for the clarification. Question though...are we really certain that we have a better alternative or are capable of a better alternative. Or should we look to the government in exile for Afghanistan...they did a pretty good job of it until the Soviet invasion.
2. Me either - that's just practical experience. We had a clear mission then and it was outlined fairly well in our stand up orders. Now I'm just a PFC playing the same guessing game.
3. Good to see at least one non controversial point I've made recently. 
"Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith. I consider the capacity for it terrifying." ~Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. |
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Donnie B.
Skeptic Friend
417 Posts |
Posted - 10/26/2001 : 16:59:59 [Permalink]
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quote:
Thanks for the clarification. Question though...are we really certain that we have a better alternative or are capable of a better alternative. Or should we look to the government in exile for Afghanistan...they did a pretty good job of it until the Soviet invasion.
Well, I for one am not at all certain we have a better alternative. There hasn't been much in the news about this lately. A couple weeks ago there were reports that we were talking with the former king, apparently with the idea of having him head some sort of transition government. I wasn't aware that he had a real "government in exile" in place, though.
Of course, it's a moot point until the Taliban are exfoliated.
By the way, there have been reports of American air strikes on the Taliban's front-line positions over the last few days. Perhaps we now have our ducks in a row. Or maybe not, and we're giving our leaders more credit than they deserve.
-- Donnie B.
Brian: "No, no! You have to think for yourselves!" Crowd: "Yes! We have to think for ourselves!" |
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ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2001 : 19:09:16 [Permalink]
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It might be a good idea for us to back off and then come back and bomb them again, and again, and again, ad infinitum, keeping Afganistan from ever being able to function other than in a primitive way. Perhaps, eventually, they might be willing to *cough up* the guilty parties in order to get back to any kind of normalcy.
ljbrs 
*Nothing is more damaging to a new truth than an old error.* Goethe |
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Mespo_man
Skeptic Friend
USA
312 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2001 : 08:41:16 [Permalink]
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quote:
It might be a good idea for us to back off and then come back and bomb them again, and again, and again, ad infinitum, keeping Afganistan from ever being able to function other than in a primitive way. Perhaps, eventually, they might be willing to *cough up* the guilty parties in order to get back to any kind of normalcy.
ljbrs
Nice sentiment ljbrs, except that war is *normal* in Afghanistan. You have an entire generation of boys and young men who, since 1979 have known nothing but war.
Bombing isn't going to do it. If you want to avoid bombs, you dig a deeper hole. There a are many miles of tunnels and cave complexes all over the country. Or better yet, build tank and bunker decoys from the Iraqi and Serbian schools of deception and let the U.S. military blast them to bits. That way, the U.S. brass can report "progress".
The Taliban and Northern Alliance have a few points in common. They are both tough and tenacious. But, it ends there. The Taliban are well motivated, well led, and disciplined. The Northern Alliance have few of those attributes. And just who in the Hell in the Pentagon thought that the Northern Alliance, after being on the defensive for 6 years, would suddenly turn around and walk over the Taliban? A good offensive requires logistics, coordination, clearly defined objectives and assignments, a time table and a mirad other sundry things. And all the petty infighting and squabbles have to be put aside.
So, what's the alternative? Get U.S. (and British) ground troops in fast. There simply is no substitute for lining a turban-head up in your cross-hairs and pulling the trigger.
How about Mazar-e-Sharif as a pre-Ramadan present? That means down and dirty block-by-block and house-by-house fighting.
This is NOT a Nintendo war. Stop pressing the bomb release and start pressing the trigger. You won't make progress on the political front until you make progress on the military front.
(:raig |
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Garrette
SFN Regular
USA
562 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2001 : 04:42:37 [Permalink]
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Ditto Mespo.
My kids still love me. |
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