"Here Are 3 Big Mistakes The U.S. Made In Afghanistan" Topic
10 Posts
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Tango01 | 26 Jun 2019 10:24 p.m. PST |
"War is often filled with its share of mistakes and errors in judgment. It's the nature of this lethal business. Some are the result of changing circumstances on the ground, while others are more systemic. The United States has committed more than a few during its 18 years in Afghanistan. Indeed, the entire war is a story of one mistake after another, putting success or "victory" as we typically define it further out of reach…." Main page link Imho I would add a few other mistakes. (1) Not getting a handle on the culture of corruption that exists in almost every aspect of Afghanistan life. (2) The role of Pakistan in providing safe havens and permitting its madrassas to be used as recruiting centres. and (3) limiting military operations against the Taliban with rules of engagement that do not make sense (my favourite one was the one that did not permit the raiding of homes of suspected Taliban fighters at night)….
Amicalement Armand |
Thresher01 | 26 Jun 2019 10:44 p.m. PST |
Numbers 2 and 3 are just stupid. I suspect half the world, or more, falls under Category 1. |
bsrlee | 27 Jun 2019 5:56 a.m. PST |
I'd put No.1 as 'Not reading the British accounts of a near century of conflict with Afghanistan'. About the only thing that has worked since the days of Alexander the Macedonian is go in, kick everything flat and then get out, leaving a stern message you will repeat this if they don't behave. Pay/bribe the locals on your side of the imaginary dotted line to keep the neighbors from crossing the line. Repeat every 50 years or so. |
Lion in the Stars | 27 Jun 2019 1:56 p.m. PST |
agree with bsrlee. If we're going to use 'not reading British accounts of the conflict' as number 1, number 2 becomes 'going in anyway'.
About the only thing that has worked since the days of Alexander the Macedonian is go in, kick everything flat and then get out, leaving a stern message you will repeat this if they don't behave. Pay/bribe the locals on your side of the imaginary dotted line to keep the neighbors from crossing the line. Repeat every 50 years or so. That hasn't worked very well in Afghanistan (technically the Northwest Frontier, so Pakistan). The British were doing that, stomping the houses and fields flat every time, and were sending a couple divisions into the field every 2 years to go stomp someone. |
SBminisguy | 27 Jun 2019 2:12 p.m. PST |
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darthfozzywig | 27 Jun 2019 4:24 p.m. PST |
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SBminisguy | 27 Jun 2019 5:20 p.m. PST |
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USAFpilot | 27 Jun 2019 8:14 p.m. PST |
The biggest mistake we made was not leaving after we dropped the bombs. |
Thresher01 | 27 Jun 2019 9:44 p.m. PST |
Also, not taking out OBL when he was offered up on a platter, and then failing to do so right when the war started, too. Never trust the locals. Finally, not taking the war to the enemy, and permitting him/them to hide in safe havens in Pakistan, where they are virtually untouchable. One guy said he'd do that, but then never followed up as promised to clean house in Pakistan. |
Colbourne66 | 28 Jun 2019 5:16 a.m. PST |
"A practical solution would have been to commercialize a portion of the poppy industry into pharmaceutical companies that would create research, jobs, revenue; develop alternative crops where appropriate; and assist farmers with transitioning into another trade. Yet we quickly lost our patience." Not actually a very practical solution at all. Theres no way those involved in the opiate trade – both in the government and the Taleban – would let that happen. the illicit trade already provides hundreds of thousands of jobs and the trade is a significant part of the country's GDP. Plus Afghanistan doesnt have the infrastructure to produce opiates that would meet the pharmaceutical standards required. |
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