" If had fifteen minutes with General Petraus"

[JackLuis]

Given the keyboard Generals here abouts, I went over to Small Wars Journal to see what they had to say about, McChrystal's stepping on his own dick.

"My brief advice would be to suggest five changes that may help turn the tide in Afghanistan – but they require a paradigm shift in how our political leaders decide troops should engage and how aid organisations and civilian policy makers place moral judgements on development."

"Jason Thomas is a former Regional Manager for a USAID Implementing Partner in Afghanistan. He has also worked extensively in the Civil War area in Sri Lanka as well as being a senior political advisor in the British House of Commons and the former Leader of ACT NZ the Hon Richard Prebble. He lives in Melbourne Australia.

Jason just returned from an eight month mission to Afghanistan implementing a key plank of the counterinsurgency strategy. As well as nearly being caught by the Taliban, threaten to be killed by the former Governor of Ghazni, Usmani and working in partnership with the US military. "

Echos of 1963 chimed in my ears. They said the same thing about Special Forces then, back before the Army had really adopted the tactics advocated at that time.

But in 1964 things began changing, and SF was adopted into the Army's Chain of Command Structure. That's when the rural development corps, was turned into "Regional Forces" and the "Big Army" took charge.

Officers don't get points for running a Regional Development Corps, they get points for doing Soldierly things, Hielo Assaults and Armored Advances!

As was said, "One clusterfuck after another, Corpral Klinger, it's the Army way."

 

[Carnevil9]

All I know is, "McChrystal" sounds like a refreshing new lemon-based soft drink from McDonald's.......Carney

 

[JackLuis]

They also had this.
"Bing West, New York Daily News opinion.

Gen. David Petraeus, who turned around a losing war in Iraq, is taking over as the commander in Afghanistan at an equally perilous moment in a more complicated war. He will confront three immediate issues - the handling of which could well define whether NATO forces succeed or fail...

First, at the strategic level, Afghanistan can be stable only when Pakistan moves against the Taliban...

The second task Petraeus faces is at the operational level of war. He authored the Field Manual on Counterinsurgency, or COIN, that has become the textbook for waging this conflict. ...so far the Pashtun tribes that gave rise to the Taliban movement have not bought into that contract. The Pashtuns have accepted projects, but rarely reciprocate by pointing out the Taliban hiding in plain sight among them or by urging their young men to join the government forces. This is the nub of the problem inside Afghanistan itself...

The third task awaiting Petraeus is at the tactical level. He must be very careful about the morale of his troops, who feel the rules of engagement have become too onerous. The worst outcome would be for our soldiers or Marines to avoid the hard areas because they felt they couldn't fight aggressively..."

 

[amicus]

Charlie Rose pulled up two previous interviews, one with McChrystal, one with Petraeus.

McChrystal, at least in the interview I saw, came across as a dedicated soldier; Petraeus came across as pandering to political pressure.

From what I understand from two different commentaries, the Rules of Engagement have basically tied the hands of the military in Afghanistan from having any chance at accomplishing anything. For instance, they are required to give a weeks notice before the search any particular home or village.

One interview went so far as to suggest that American troops could not fire unless fired upon and in some cases are forbidden to carry weapons into hostile areas.

Even some Liberal commentators acknowledge that giving a July, 2011 withdrawal date has completely demoralized Coalition troops who know the Taliban will just wait for the withdrawal to begin.

There are also questions being asked as to how far the attitude expressed by McChrystal and his top Aids has spread throughout the armed forces. If many high ranking Officers and staff have such a low opinion of Obama and his Cabinet members, the dissention created could demoralize even further.

Far from being a 'Brilliant Decision' of Obama replacing McChrystal with Petraeus, it is being viewed as a demotion from Centcom to a single combat area and then the orders being giving to prepare for a withdrawal of forces a year from now.

Speculations ranges all over the place, with some saying the entire event will blow over soon, to those who think the division between the President, the Commander of the Armed Forces will widen and many experienced Officers will resign.

Serious stuff going on.

Amicus

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

War is diplomacy via other means. Our goal in Afghanistan was to destroy the al Qaeda bases. And we did it in several weeks.

Today our goal is to provide mercenary services to a corrupt regime.

 

[Huckleman2000]

[...]Today our goal is to provide mercenary services to a corrupt regime.

In effect, yes.

 

[JackLuis]

What no comment on the COIN philosophy working or are you all just want to rant?

McChrystal is a hard on Ranger, expecting him to act like a Beltway Brigadier and paint the rocks on his compounds, like the Diplo's want is asking too much.

Essentially, the COIN Doctrine of strategic hamlets and local force development is right out of SF-101, circa 1963. It doesn't happen fast however because you're changing peoples behavior, rather that blowing them to Hell.

I don't see Petraus changing tactics much, but he has got to develop his relationship with the Afghan Government and push Development on the local political levels.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

War should always be about destroying people and stuff. I mean, your average gook and wog has been doing the same shit for centuries; they cant learn. So its better to send them home to Jesus.

 

[JackLuis]

War should always be about destroying people and stuff. I mean, your average gook and wog has been doing the same shit for centuries; they cant learn. So its better to send them home to Jesus.

That's why they call it war, Jimbo. What we are doing in Afghanistan is fucking around, spending money and getting Generals promoted.

Arc Light Kandahar and the Afghans will change abruptly. Playing nice makes us look like fools to the Afghans.

 

[TE999]

Arc Light Kandahar and the Afghans will change abruptly. Playing nice makes us look like fools to the Afghans.

That, in essence, is the game we should be playing. It's better to be feared than loved. The word now is Petraeus will be or is reviewing the Rules of Engagement with an eye towards reducing or eliminating them. Then maybe we can get somewhere.

 

[JackLuis]

Plowing the poppies with B52's would change the dynamics I'll bet.

 

[TE999]

Plowing the poppies with B52's would change the dynamics I'll bet.

Agent Orange would be even better...or Round-Up. No seeds left.

 

[JackLuis]

Agent Orange would be even better...or Round-Up. No seeds left.

I wonder if an A-10 wouldn't make a decent crop duster? Or a C-130 for bigger fields. Ranch Hand did it with C-123's.

Oh hell! We can use those extra C-17s that Congress wanted to buy?

 

[TE999]

Oh hell! We can use those extra C-17s that Congress wanted to buy?

I wonder if those political campaign contributions from Boeing had any influence on that decision? Nahhhh...our Congresspersons are above all that...they're honorable persons.

I can see a squadron of those big mothers spraying Weed-B-Gon on the poppy fields...not only would the Afghan economy collapse, but the rehab clinics over here would be swamped with junkies wanting methadone on a stick.

 

[JackLuis]

I wonder if those political campaign contributions from Boeing had any influence on that decision? Nahhhh...our Congresspersons are above all that...they're honorable persons.

I can see a squadron of those big mothers spraying Weed-B-Gon on the poppy fields...not only would the Afghan economy collapse, but the rehab clinics over here would be swamped with junkies wanting methadone on a stick.

It would be cheaper, quicker and more humane in the long run to spray and stand back. Once the Drug Lords see their warehoused drugs appreciate 300% and no more bribes for imports, they'll cash out on the peak and go to Dubi.

But with no more bribe money from the drug trade, how long can the Taliban survive?

Cutting off the resources of the enemy is War, "Spray Baby, Spray!"

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I say kill every male in the country. Bomb every hamlet. Then drop salt from the airplanes.

 

[JackLuis]

Kucinich: ‘We are losing our nation to lies about the necessity of war’

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, making a speech to the House of Representatives on Monday, had a few choice words to describe the situation.

"We are losing our nation to lies about the necessity of war," the iconoclastic Democrat opined.