Winning the war

[Two Rivers]

I was watching the military channel. The war in Afghanistan will never be over if the Marines do not stop running every time they get fired on.

Not to be disrespectful but it seems when they get fired on they hightail it. Would it be better if they stayed and just wiped out the guys shooting at them. Instead it looks like they run back to there base with tales of glory.

Is that the policy to not kill thy enemy over there. Just let them regroup so the next time they see you start shooting..

Also is it a nine to five war. Looks like they start off in the morning and try to get back to there base before dark.

Or is it a reality TV show for the ratings.

[quicksix]

Ask the Russians for strategy advice

[ShakinJoe]

Making an ashtray out of the middle east is not PC but needs to be done.

[Joeaksa]

More or less the same as Vietnam. Once the politicans get involved, its over. Might as well pull out as we will never win with the ROE that we have now...

Would love to see a message sent to Saudi and Iran embassies, as well as broadcast on worldwide media like this:

"There will be a submarine or aircraft "on station in the Middle East" 24/7/365 from this date on. It will be carrying a nuke device that is targeted to Mecca, the holy site for the islamic religion. ANY terrorist strike against any American asset or even one killing or injuring of an American by any islamist organization will result in the complete and total destruction of Mecca. If this does not work then a second missle or bomb will be dropped on Medina, the second most holy site of islam.

Additionally all prisoners held by all terrorist organizations will be turned over in 3 days time, otherwise we will begin targeting mosque's around the world. Your call, you are completely in control. You follow our demands and instructions there will be peace on Earth and no one will be harmed. If the terrorists choose not to follow instructions then you will be bombed back where you came from, into the stone age."

They wanted "holy jihad" on America and the west. Ok, now you have it. When we play ball, we play HARDBALL.

[azasadny]

I'm no military strategist, but what you guys have said makes sense to me. We cannot "win" a war in Afghanistan as they are "tribal" in nature and have not had a civilized nation in several hundred years and will likely never have one again.

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by azasadny

We cannot "win" a war in Afghanistan

Unless we can have a platoon on every street corner of every little POS village until the end of time.

Even if we did win, what's the prize?

I say lets GTFO and let them implode. Yeah, so we'll get compared the Russians in the 80s. Shiite happens. We knew that going in. We should have pulled out the minute we got OBL, put his head on a stake on the front lawn of the White House (none of this anonymous burial at sea crap), and called it good.

[John Rogers]

Read the book "No Easy Day" and it talks about how things changed in Afghanistan from the start of the fighting to the the present. Near the end every mission had to be cleared by lawyers and they were saying that loud speakers should be used to "warn" the possible bad guys to come out or they would be hurt........As noted, it is the politicians that screwed things up!

[Hugh R]

Nobody has ever conquered A-Stan, Nobody. And they all played by a much more aggressive set of rules than we ever would.

[Two Rivers]

One thing that really bugged me was when the guys getting fired on called for air support.
Sorry boys there is a snow storm forecast your on your own. Are the guys flying air support afraid they might kill innocent people And. If the people in the village are so innocent would they not report the terrorist in the first place.
I'm beginning to think the military channel is a fake to some extent.

I am a veteran and when we went on patrol or on alert we had every asset of support available to us 24/7 weather not being a factor in if we got help or not.

[gamin]

What do you expect from soldiers that were given "time out, I'm stressed" cards in boot camp. Follow that up with the "rules of engagement" they must operate under and you have our new progressive wimp military. Yes, I am a vet and I'm not proud of what we have become as a military or a country.

[BeyGon]

It isn't the Marines that are backing off on purpose, they are told what and when, it's always tough when you are the ones with your hands tied behind your back.
That and who is going to help the US when they know we are pulling out to leave them on their own. Ask that Doctor in Pakistan how it feels to have helped obama kill OBL. He's rotting in pieces in jail for his help.

[Rot 911]

Originally Posted by gamin

What do you expect from soldiers that were given "time out, I'm stressed" cards in boot camp. Follow that up with the "rules of engagement" they must operate under and you have our new progressive wimp military. Yes, I am a vet and I'm not proud of what we have become as a military or a country.

There have never been "stress cards" issued in basic. Just something someone made up to show that "their military" was tougher than "today's military." Might want to check out this: snopes.com: Military Stress Cards

As for today's combat arms personnel? They can hold their own with any previous generation. I didn't see the tv show so can't comment on that.

[flatbutt]

I vote for Joe. Heck he could even fly the mission. But you all know that in reality we'll never be able to take those measures.

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

I vote for Joe. Heck he could even fly the mission. But you all know that in reality we'll never be able to take those measures.

Joe just isn't PC. but the place might look ok turned into green glass.

[rsNINESOOPER]

American defense contractors are "winning" every day. The trillions of dollars being handed over to private companies for aircraft, guns, ammo, food, fuel, technology, etc. is pleasing to those who are profiting.

Anyone who thinks we are there for legitimate reasons is allowing themselves to be mislead. The war in Afghanistan is also employing tens of thousands of people. What would happen if the war ended tomorrow? would all those people come home to our high paying manufacturing jobs?. Sadly any discussion about any war is by nature a Parf subject because it's either politics or religion (both sides) that spills the blood. Either way it is hugely profitable for private companies.

When it goes to parf we all know what will happen. The narrow minded zombies of the distorted perspective brigade will turn it into an insult fest. It's quite sad that an entire forum of people who yearn for intelligent discussion have that spoiled by a half dozen members of the narrow minded zombie brigade.

I challenge anyone to spend time with a calculator and break down the "defense" budget and not become frothing angry. Ill add that there are millions upon millions of Dollars that go unaccounted for every year. So how is it that I received a letter from the govt stating I owed them 27$ from my 2002 tax year in 2011?
The idiocy and rampant corruption is mind boggling.

[rsNINESOOPER]

I'm beginning to think the military channel is a fake to some extent.



I am a veteran and when we went on patrol or on alert we had every asset of support available to us 24/7 weather not being a factor in if we got help or not.

First, thanks for your service to our country. It's people like you who helped build our country and make it what it is today. Sadly our good name is being destroyed as we type away

You are on the right track with suspecting the military channel is fake. Do a little searching to see who the channel is affiliated with which will lead to discovering who its owned by. At that point with more digging you might see how it benefits the top of the chain to win the propaganda war and get paid. This isn't conspiracy theory stuff just a way to get your own info and draw your own picture of what it looks like behind the curtains.


As far as soldiers running from a fight and being home before dark that is just a result of following orders. Any of the guys I know who have been to the mid-easts various theatre's of war would prefer to ignore higher ups and just get the job done, they are tough as carbide. On the flip side a couple of the toughest marines I know (now home for good) who come from military families and vote republican say "what is the fu<¥Ing point?" "Nothing to win and its not making Americans safer".

If we put half our "defense budget" into programs that work we would be getting somewhere.

[patssle]

The Afghanistan war was won 3 months after 9/11 by special forces on horseback and air support. The Taliban and Al-Q fled to Pakistan.

Too bad Bush-league and now Obama thought we could fix the rest of the country. And their little opium drug war.

[quicksix]

Patssle,okay,I'll bite.
Enlighten me with the facts of the"opium drug war",how the US is aiding and abetting,
and who is profiting.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by Two Rivers

I am a veteran and when we went on patrol or on alert we had every asset of support available to us 24/7 weather not being a factor in if we got help or not.

Which conflict(s)?

[dennis in se pa]

Rich people get richer through wars. This has been a common denominator throughout time. George Orwell reminded us of this, but we seem to have forgotten.