Article

2013-08-13 Afghanistan

What Are We Fighting For? ISAF Commander Re-Explains What 'Winning' Means in Afghanistan

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by trailing wife 2013-08-13 00:00|| || Front Page|| [2 views ] Top

#1 They will be doing good if it lasts 10 minutes. Talking in terms of ten years is pipe dreams.

Posted by abu do you love 2013-08-13 02:42|| 2013-08-13 02:42|| Front Page Top

#2 "He indicated that winning the war is no longer about defeating al Qaeda."

"These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. The Taliban must act, and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate."
George W. Bush, Statement To Joint Session Of Congress September 20th 2001

"We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them. "
George W. Bush, September 11th 2001

Looking at this development, why would a rational, hostile and immoral international actor come to the conclusion that a mass fatality attack on the continental US is not a winning move but a suicidal mistake?

Precipitous withdrawal and an end to any aid to Afghanistan is a bad option which will have bad consequences. However all other politically viable options are even worse.

"It sounds dreadfully noble"

I disagree. Giving aid to liberated Afghanistan is enabling an evil entity.

There might be an argument for this policy based on realpolitik but I haven't heard one yet that was convincing.

The Afghans may be SOBs but they're definitely not our SOBs.
</rant>

Posted by Elmerert Hupens2660 2013-08-13 04:00|| 2013-08-13 04:00|| Front Page Top

#3 Dunford indicated that winning the war involves nation-building.

Max Headroom could not have said it better. Thank you General Dunford.

Posted by Besoeker 2013-08-13 06:34|| 2013-08-13 06:34|| Front Page Top

#4 Nation building you say?

Sounds to me that Obastard could solve three problems at once here.

1. Draft all plumbers, electricians, carpenters etc. into the CBs and deploy them to A'stan.
2. Unemployment falls so the economy picks up.
3. Open up unlimited immigration (registering them as Demos at the border) to fill all the jobs in construction that lazy Americans won't/can't do.

What more could he ask for?

Posted by AlanC 2013-08-13 07:39|| 2013-08-13 07:39|| Front Page Top

#5 However all other politically viable options are even worse.

Screw nation building. The alternative would be to back a strong tribe. Should have trained them and equipped them to give hell to the tribe that is the relative main source of all the problems, to take the fight to their villages and headmen. To paraphrase - When they're up to their ass in Tajiks, its hard for the Pashtuns to remember to stick it to the Americans.

Posted by Procopius2k 2013-08-13 08:51|| 2013-08-13 08:51|| Front Page Top

#6 "It sounds dreadfully noble"
I disagree. Giving aid to liberated Afghanistan is enabling an evil entity.

Precisely my point, Elmerert Hupens2660. Sounding noble and being noble are very often not at all related. Although the problem is dumping money on the government of Afghanistan as it is presently constituted, I think. Supplying schools, digging wells, training the locals to build gobar gas facilities, solar water disinfectors, and build roads... and generally move from the eighth century to the twelfth or so, with a concomitant awareness of the world beyond the next village, these are not bad things that might survive our leaving. Not all of Afghanistan is like the Pashtun provinces, according to what I've read.

Posted by trailing wife 2013-08-13 09:56|| 2013-08-13 09:56|| Front Page Top

#7 Screw nation building.

Like giving aid vs, teaching skills, nations must be built by their inhabitants. What we did in Germany and Japan was to change the direction of nations that were already fully grown. Rebuilding, if you will, rather than building. There was a time when I thought differently, but I was wrong.

Posted by trailing wife 2013-08-13 10:01|| 2013-08-13 10:01|| Front Page Top

#8 Is that helicopter pad on top of the embassy ready yet?

Posted by Ebbang Uluque6305 2013-08-13 12:07|| 2013-08-13 12:07|| Front Page Top

#9 message to future antagonist nation-states should be:
"No more nation-building. Pull the same shit and we'll come in, kill you all and break things, then leave."

Posted by Frank G on the road 2013-08-13 12:36|| 2013-08-13 12:36|| Front Page Top

#10 We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them. "
George W. Bush, September 11th 2001

Pakistan?

Posted by Paul D 2013-08-13 12:42|| 2013-08-13 12:42|| Front Page Top

#11 Is that helicopter pad on top of the embassy ready yet?

Ospreys this time baby, first class all the way.

Posted by Shipman 2013-08-13 17:28|| 2013-08-13 17:28|| Front Page Top

#12 Ospreys this time baby, first class all the way.

Assuming we can free up the air wing from its dog transport duties.

Posted by SteveS 2013-08-13 18:35|| 2013-08-13 18:35|| Front Page Top

#13 That'd be the Rapid Umbrella Forward Force, otherwise known as the RUFF Riders.

Posted by swksvolFF 2013-08-13 18:48|| 2013-08-13 18:48|| Front Page Top

23:04 Iblis
22:38 texhooey
22:07 SteveS
22:06 Pappy
21:58 trailing wife
21:54 Redneck Jim
20:24 Silentbrick - Oil Rig Insanity Division
20:18 Uncle Phester
20:15 Zenobia Floger6220
19:31 JosephMendiola
19:30 JosephMendiola
19:22 Procopius2k
18:48 BrerRabbit
18:48 swksvolFF
18:35 SteveS
18:32 Uncle Phester
18:29 swksvolFF
18:26 swksvolFF
17:49 Classical_Liberal
17:29 Shipman
17:28 Shipman
17:23 Ebbang Uluque6305
17:22 RandomJD
17:02 swksvolFF