Afghanistan Strategy

[Archangel M]

Maybe my military strategy education is incomplete, but does anybody else find this "this is when we will attack/this is where we will attack" strategy a bit "odd"?

I always thought that surprise was a basic military concept.

 

[Makalakumu]

The announcement probably more meant for the media then anything else. I can think of a thousand Machiavellian reasons why "they" might be doing this, but the bottom line sure seems that we are making the Taliban's job a heck of a lot easier.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Maybe my military strategy education is incomplete, but does anybody else find this "this is when we will attack/this is where we will attack" strategy a bit "odd"?

I always thought that surprise was a basic military concept.

Do you know it's not a feint? D-Day was built up and carefully leaked, with the wrong date and landing zone. I hope our military leaders know better than to tell the whole story to the press.

 

[Archangel M]

I believe that they are already engaged in the offensive right now aren't they?

 

[seasoned]

Well it use to be a war with a country, now it is a war in a country. I guess by telling them ahead of time, then we know who ever is left there must be the enemy. The rules of engagement have change from what I heard on TV. If snipers are firring on your position, you can't fire back unless you see someone with a gun in their hands. If a person shoots at you and then leaves the building without his weapon in his hand, he gets a pass. A hell of a way to fight a war.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I believe that they are already engaged in the offensive right now aren't they?

Are they? Are they were we're being told? Are they nowhere else?

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Well, using the same tactics the Russians used for what, 11? years without effect didn't work. Maybe running an ad in Cave Weekly and inviting them to a battle might.

 

[grydth]

From the very beginning, we have allowed our enemies to define us, and the conflict, by their maniacal rules...... THEY send a disguised bomber into a market or hotel to blow up a batch of innocents and it is called a brave act of a holy warrior entitling the killer to a back rub from Allah and 72 virgins.... WE hit a mosque where cut throats are hiding behind children and: EEES WHAR KRIME!!!!!!!

Both Bush and Obama yielded the bully pulpit and the public opinion war to these cannibals..... so can it be any surprise that we now have to take out public announcements and ask 'mother may I?' before shooting back?

 

[CanuckMA]

Obama and Bin laden in the Octagon.:jediduel:

 

[Makalakumu]

Well, using the same tactics the Russians used for what, 11? years without effect didn't work. Maybe running an ad in Cave Weekly and inviting them to a battle might.

That's a good point actually. If you can draw the enemy to open battle with the US, they are going to die...hands down.

 

[Ken Morgan]

By warning them three possible things will happen, they will run away to fight another day, they will stay and fight, or they will send reinforcements to help with the fight.

If they run away you can almost guarantee that every road and mule track is being watched and the people leaving are being shadowed.

If they stay and fight, they can’t win. The allied firepower in a stand up fight is just too great and you kill them. Yes some will slip away, but considering many of the fighters and not from the area, the friendly locals know, who’s who.

After 9 years, I tend to trust the allied militaries in knowing their business.

 

[Brian King]

Surprise is great if it is achievable, but, counting on surprise when you don’t have it, is an invite to failure. Building up the forces to take to the field and training them to the mission, stock piling the munitions and other necessary supplies needed, these things will be noticed in the current environment without even taking into account that this is not just a US/NATO operation but has major elements of Afghan military also involved. With a free press and embedded journalists, local military and tribesmen, and a buildup of forces into the local, I rather suspect that we could not have achieved any element of surprise prior to the start of the current campaign.


Regards
Brian King

 

[Hudson69]

Kind of off subject here but why dont we remove all of the imbedded reporters, take Congress out of making any orders for the military and just tell the Generals and Admirals what we want and set them loose without any tying of hands.

I am military and every unit I have served with Army and Air Force understands and follows the Geneva Convention. If there is a problem with this then stick a camera on every helmet, tank, Hummer, Bradley, F-16, F-15, Cobra, Blackhawk and Apache and let someone review the tapes to go along with the reports afterward. I truly believe that 99.9% of the military will do their best not to hurt any non-combatants and keep collateral damage to a minimum without CNN there to second guess the troops.

Just my .02 only.....