Scrat;1139681 wrote: I've been looking around for information about what is going on in Afghanistan. What I've come to think is that the intelligence gathering capability of the insurgents there is quite good. Nato troops have found handy cam footage of themselves not just out on patrol, they have found footage of themselves leaving and returning to their bases. Some soldiers fear they may even know their personal information.
In my wanderings I found this article about a Polish geologist who was captured and beheaded. The official story was he was prospecting for minerals ect.
Polish man beheaded in Pakistani militant video | World news | guardian.co.uk
All well and good. Innocent enough you would think. Then today I find this.
Where's bin Laden? Science may hold the answer - USATODAY.com
I think there's a connection. I think the guy was part of this team looking for Osama. It's pretty amazing that the Taliban knew it also.
Intelligence is half the battle. I think the US/NATO is in for a very hard time.
The intelligence gathering of the insurgents should be good, after all, they are right there on the spot. Whether it is accurate or not is another thing.:-3
Taliban intel is good.
Taliban intel is good.
Scrat;1139698 wrote:
Handycam footage of patrols, taken just an hour before is accurate intel.
I am speaking of commentary, not handycam footage. Also, handycam footage has been known to be staged sometimes, or are we to believe all we see. hear and read?
Handycam footage of patrols, taken just an hour before is accurate intel.
I am speaking of commentary, not handycam footage. Also, handycam footage has been known to be staged sometimes, or are we to believe all we see. hear and read?
Taliban intel is good.
Jester;1139731 wrote: It doesnt matter now- Obama is in charge, your not going to get him to unleash the US Military. He won't do it, ever. This could be over in a years time if you let the military do thier job- but this is another vietnam with Obama as CiC. Thats a whole nother factor involved.
We dont need to control the trade routes, just harrass them. Bomb every road, foot trail and tunnel for a year, carpet bomb it till the only thing that can cross it is a laden donkey.
Control it by drone continuously after that, day and night, if it moves bomb it.
It's a matter of continual pressure, there doesn't need to be a win.
To paraphrase a comment Henry kissinger made about Vietnam. The taliban don't need to win all they need to do is not lose. The US lost in Vietnam not because the military weren't up to the job. It looks like you haven't learned anything and still think brute military force is the answer to everything. What you are talking about is a military occupation which will solve nothing in the long term and you will end uo leaving with your tail between your legs again.
The US military's unconventional fighters are the best in the world Spot-
I suppose the irony that it was the US military that trained the mujahadeen and the taliban in guerrilla warfare and when they were fighting the russians and supplied weapons is completely lost on you as well.
Incidentally they are perhaps second best the British are best though I don't suppose you can admit that:sneaky: Bet they don't show Rambo three on american TV any more-it would be a bit confusing I expect.
We dont need to control the trade routes, just harrass them. Bomb every road, foot trail and tunnel for a year, carpet bomb it till the only thing that can cross it is a laden donkey.
Control it by drone continuously after that, day and night, if it moves bomb it.
It's a matter of continual pressure, there doesn't need to be a win.
To paraphrase a comment Henry kissinger made about Vietnam. The taliban don't need to win all they need to do is not lose. The US lost in Vietnam not because the military weren't up to the job. It looks like you haven't learned anything and still think brute military force is the answer to everything. What you are talking about is a military occupation which will solve nothing in the long term and you will end uo leaving with your tail between your legs again.
The US military's unconventional fighters are the best in the world Spot-
I suppose the irony that it was the US military that trained the mujahadeen and the taliban in guerrilla warfare and when they were fighting the russians and supplied weapons is completely lost on you as well.
Incidentally they are perhaps second best the British are best though I don't suppose you can admit that:sneaky: Bet they don't show Rambo three on american TV any more-it would be a bit confusing I expect.
Taliban intel is good.
Jester;1139683 wrote: That depends on how many resources the US is willing to commit, how much the UN gets involved, and whether Obama is seeking to 'cut a deal' with them.
I think its too early to tell yet how good thier intel is. Afghanistan has geographical difficulties that enhance the tali's effectiveness, in some areas we will be forced to boots on the ground fighting.
But, to think the Tali stands a snowballs chance aginst the US military is a futile thought.
Do a Google on the first, second and third Afghan wars - The British Empire was the US of the time and managed to get there arses whooped :wah:
The Afghans know their territory and it is one hell of an advantage to then - look how well the Russians coped for all their technology.
I think its too early to tell yet how good thier intel is. Afghanistan has geographical difficulties that enhance the tali's effectiveness, in some areas we will be forced to boots on the ground fighting.
But, to think the Tali stands a snowballs chance aginst the US military is a futile thought.
Do a Google on the first, second and third Afghan wars - The British Empire was the US of the time and managed to get there arses whooped :wah:
The Afghans know their territory and it is one hell of an advantage to then - look how well the Russians coped for all their technology.
Taliban intel is good.
Jester;1140511 wrote: Well- thats kind of what Im saying- if we are attacked then we strike back with intense fury and leave our attackers dead in the sand, no if's, ands or buts.
I'm leaning more isolationist than ever before, but we still have national interest abroad, lets say for instance a US registered Chevron oil tanker gets siezed in the suez by muslum (thug) pirates- I say we declare open war on anything other than an official regestered vessel in the region- everything that sails unregistered gets blown out of the water without wanrning. Then we simply pull back until we are needed again- unilateral force to protect US interests. It still needs to happen outside of the US since we need to trade with other countries.
Just where are our 'borders'?
Twelve miles off your coast - just like everyone elses.
I'm leaning more isolationist than ever before, but we still have national interest abroad, lets say for instance a US registered Chevron oil tanker gets siezed in the suez by muslum (thug) pirates- I say we declare open war on anything other than an official regestered vessel in the region- everything that sails unregistered gets blown out of the water without wanrning. Then we simply pull back until we are needed again- unilateral force to protect US interests. It still needs to happen outside of the US since we need to trade with other countries.
Just where are our 'borders'?
Twelve miles off your coast - just like everyone elses.
Taliban intel is good.
posted by scrat
Don't give me that line about them coming here. We could have one of the safest borders in the world if we wanted it. If a Saudi living in the US sets off a bomb we throw every Saudi in America out, citizen or not.
OK I've got to ask. Why didn't you do that after 911?
posted by jester
We didn't loose 'in' Vietnam we lost at home. there is a difference.
Way off topic so i shall resist the urge.
I have also fully factored in All forces when I said the Us Military are the best fighters in the world, bar none!:D Thought that would get you going. I know a couple of commandos that would shake their heads at such illusions.
posted by jester
Ive said it before here and I will probably say it again- the US is a benevolent force in the world, more so than we are a selfish force-
Believe it or not on the whole I would be inclined top agree with you. Of course that's because of the liberal and democratic principles you learned from the europeans.
then you blow it by coming out with crap like this.
What the US needs to do is careless and just bomb the living crap out of the taliban (and others like them) and forget trying to protect the civilian populations they use to shield themselves in.
After a few times, the civilians will move out, and we can have a clear go at them unhindered. Thats will shorten wars, make then cost less and save american lives. We already take the ration of crap for doing what we do the nice way, we might as well do it the expedient way and take the crap that comes with it.
*shrugs*
Going after the taliban after 911 would have made sense and would have got you a lot of support. You can blame GW and his administration for pissing all the goodwill you had into the wind. Obama, for all you disagree with him might just get that support back.
Of course taliban intel is good. For all you might think of them they are not stupid people-apart from a belief in an invisible god that tells them what to do and who to kill.
posted by Bryn mawr
Do a Google on the first, second and third Afghan wars - The British Empire was the US of the time and managed to get there arses whooped
SSSHH! Don't mention the empire. You did but I think you got away with it.
Don't give me that line about them coming here. We could have one of the safest borders in the world if we wanted it. If a Saudi living in the US sets off a bomb we throw every Saudi in America out, citizen or not.
OK I've got to ask. Why didn't you do that after 911?
posted by jester
We didn't loose 'in' Vietnam we lost at home. there is a difference.
Way off topic so i shall resist the urge.
I have also fully factored in All forces when I said the Us Military are the best fighters in the world, bar none!:D Thought that would get you going. I know a couple of commandos that would shake their heads at such illusions.
posted by jester
Ive said it before here and I will probably say it again- the US is a benevolent force in the world, more so than we are a selfish force-
Believe it or not on the whole I would be inclined top agree with you. Of course that's because of the liberal and democratic principles you learned from the europeans.
then you blow it by coming out with crap like this.
What the US needs to do is careless and just bomb the living crap out of the taliban (and others like them) and forget trying to protect the civilian populations they use to shield themselves in.
After a few times, the civilians will move out, and we can have a clear go at them unhindered. Thats will shorten wars, make then cost less and save american lives. We already take the ration of crap for doing what we do the nice way, we might as well do it the expedient way and take the crap that comes with it.
*shrugs*
Going after the taliban after 911 would have made sense and would have got you a lot of support. You can blame GW and his administration for pissing all the goodwill you had into the wind. Obama, for all you disagree with him might just get that support back.
Of course taliban intel is good. For all you might think of them they are not stupid people-apart from a belief in an invisible god that tells them what to do and who to kill.
posted by Bryn mawr
Do a Google on the first, second and third Afghan wars - The British Empire was the US of the time and managed to get there arses whooped
SSSHH! Don't mention the empire. You did but I think you got away with it.