Big Hammer vs Small Hammer

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After 911 I was very afraid that the US was going to use the Big Hammer approach of putting in a 100,000 or more troops in Afganistan to take out Al Qaeda and the Taliban. I knew from the British and Russian history that that wasn't going to work in Afganistan. The Afgans have a habit of kicking invaders a$$es going back to Alexander.

I was pleasantly surprised that the Bush Admin accomplished the task of defeating the Taliban and Al Qaeda through the use of small teams, use of indiginous peoples (Northern Alliance) and air power. It was beautifully accomplished in short order. Score one for the Bushs and boy do they know how to do it right. (Don't bring up Tora Bora thats another matter).

So going into Iraq I knew WMDs etall was a sales pitch, but the feeling was that the Bushs had thought it through both the going in and what they wanted to accomplish in the after math. Well we all now know what we got. Incompetence at every level. You reading that Mr Cheney, your incompetent no matter what you would like to think or I for that matter, thats how its going to read in the history books. Or maybe you will go down as being venal? Anyway the the long and short of it was that the US went back to what its familar with and thats using a sledge hammer to hit a tack.

Taking out Sadam wasn't the mistake it was the means and methods that were faulty. That is the problem with the USA it only knows how to use a cannon to swat a fly. Even the old manual on how to defeat an insurgency relies on organizational methodlogy. Fighting religious extremeism requires an amorphic strategy to defeat it.

[frogger]

Originally Posted by tabs

I was pleasantly surprised that the Bush Admin accomplished the task of defeating the Taliban and Al Qaeda through the use of small teams, use of indiginous peoples (Northern Alliance) and air power. It was beautifully accomplished in short order. Score one for the Bushs and boy do they know how to do it right. (Don't bring up Tora Bora thats another matter).

Is today Alternate Universe Day?

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Originally Posted by frogger

Is today Alternate Universe Day?

Cute is allright, but in the long run it don't make it.

The passage U refer to was back in the day when Bush had a 90% approval rating. Remember back that far? It sure looked like they knew what they were doing.

For guyz who have been around the block they sure turned out to be a disapointment. I still shake my head in bewilderment.


I guess the fate of Nation States turns on stuff like this. No matter how hot of a hand a Nation has, stupid ***** happens and everything can turn on that decision.

[frogger]

You cannot call an enemy defeated unless they admit they are defeated and wish to end all hostilities. The Administration figured that routing the enemy from the major cities and encampments would be enough. I don't think the enemy saw the Mission as Accomplished. [edit] It kind of reminds me of those pesky Colonial terrorists a few years back.

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Originally Posted by frogger

You cannot call an enemy defeated unless they admit they are defeated and wish to end all hostilities. The Administration figured that routing the enemy from the major cities and encampments would be enough. I don't think the enemy saw the Mission as Accomplished.

Hey you got great hindsight vision there....

The point being is that we still have a large percentage of Afgans who like us, they still havn't rallied around the flag to get rid of us like they did the Brits and Russkies.

Now have the Bushs since the fall of the Taliban taken their eyes off the Ball in Afgan and Pakistan...YOU FKING BET THEY DID. They are now getting themselves into position to lose Pakistan. Just guess what that means? You think they/we got troubles now, think about a REAL Islamic Theocracy having their hands on Nuclear Weapons.

Hey Shaunie you been to India..exactly what do you their reaction is going to be if Pakistan becomes an Islamic theocracy with Nukes.....let me guess does it have anything to do with going Ape *****.

[frogger]

No hindsight. I just take exception to this phrase in your original post. Would you rather I took to correcting your grammar?

the Bush Admin accomplished the task of defeating the Taliban and Al Qaeda

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Originally Posted by frogger

No hindsight. I just take exception to this phrase in your original post. Would you rather I took to correcting your grammar?

Your fking busting my balls over sematics..shame on U, your smarter than that..your not at all like MRM.