Posted on 10/04/2009 7:54:39 PM PDT by Saije
One fundamental tenet of Gen. Stanley McChrystal's controversial Afghanistan strategy aims at avoiding precisely the kinds of attacks that killed eight American soldiers Sunday.
In what is being described as one of the boldest attacks of the Afghan insurgency, an estimated 300 militants sustained a day-long siege against a coalition outpost in Nuristan Province – a place where the rule of law is so tenuous and the terrain so forbidding that it is seen as one of the likeliest hiding places for Osama bin Laden.
It is also has fewer people than Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Beyond the request for more resources that has engrossed America, McChrystal's battlefield assessment proposes deploying American troops in a profoundly different way.
Rather than sending them to the farthest-flung corners of a far-flung nation to hunt down scores of militants hiding in remote mountain caves, it intends to protect the Afghan population first, giving the most Afghans the greatest opportunity of establishing something approaching a safe and normal life.
Fourth of McChrystal's "four fundamental pillars" for a new strategy is: "prioritize available resources to those critical areas where the population is most threatened."
In fact, the very troops in Nuristan forced to fight off unseen attackers firing down from ridge lines cloaked in inclement weather Sunday are poised to be redeployed under McChrystal's new leadership, according to the Washington Post.
The change in course does not promise fewer casualties. Rather, it intends to focus US soldiers on areas where their sacrifices can potentially lead to longer-term security gains.
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
I think Generals are supposed to avoid fighting the last war. Or in this case that last one five wars ago.
is it possible that McChrystal could have moved them sooner
Seems to me like that's the problem, when a socialist or communist is the CIC they never want to give any resources.
Just ask the troops in Somalia what happened when they asked for armor.
With any luck at all the army will put the congressional progressive caucus on a couple of planes to Cuba and start from scratch.
He 's a communist crypto-muslim and bald faced liar who never goes anywhere without his PR men telling him what to lie about next.
I think today the big lie is that the recession is over.
In this case, the General on the ground should have/take complete control of his command and do what he thinks right, win or lose. Politicians should provide or with-hold resources.
Battle is battle, and politicians have no clue.
Bet that 'Bama is trying to find someone to re-animate the corpse of McNamara.... Grump, grump, grump.
/johnny
In Afghanistan, it is *essential* that if you are going to retreat or retire, it has to be kept secret, then done with LOTS of armed support. It is a local tradition to see retreat or retirement as a sign of weakness, and open season for massacre and butchery.
This is what happened when the British left Afghanistan, while under the command of perhaps the most incompetent General who ever lived, Elphinstone.
Just makes me friggin thrilled he is taking some time off to relax with all the stress of having to be dodging bullets all day, every day. Eight of our kids dead because this narccisist SOB can’t squeeze up the intestinal fortitude to make a simple life saving decision. FUBO
‘”There’s nothing so much like God Almighty on Earth, as a General on the battlefield”. When did we lose that?’
We lost that when communication btwn battlefield commanders and the White House got really good, starting with Korea. True battlefield victories after that have been rare. Typically, we see mealy mouthed responses or just plain no guts. The current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania is the poster child for “no guts!” Our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are screwed with this chickens**t in the White House.
And how exactly is the general supposed to do that when he can’t get the necessary resources from zero for even a far less agressive strategy? When zero won’t even tear himself away from baseball and football long enough to even read the general’s report and approve more resources?
The kind of strategy change you want can only come from the administration, and we all know how likely that is to happen...
Actually the prevailing sentiment hereabouts seems to be that we should get the heck out of Afghanistan, mostly because Obama doesn't seem committed to it which means he's going to pull out sooner or later anyway and men are being killed for no good reason in the meantime. It's easy to see why some believe that, given how he seems either gripped by paralysis or completely disinterested, take your pick.
“In fact, the very troops in Nuristan forced to fight off unseen attackers firing down from ridge lines cloaked in inclement weather Sunday are poised to be redeployed under McChrystal’s new leadership, according to the Washington Post.”
~~~
If true,,,This is a retreat,,,
IIRC : JDAMS and Arty don’t need sunshine to kill the enemy!
Arc-Light Arc-Brite!!!...
Didn’t anyone see Jed Babbin on Huckabee this weekend? These generals are NOT of like mind to the Failure in Chief. It’s been suggested that both Patreus and McChrystal might resign if their efforts continue to be blocked by the anti military attitude of this abhorrent administration . Wait and see: this could be very serious and very telling very soon.
These generals are heroes: they know what they need and and they would never willingly put the lives of their men in harms way. Of course, they want to win the war!
The generals should resign. But they probably are too loyal to their men to leave them in the lurch. I hope they stop all offensives and go on defense. Simply have as little casualties as possible.
However he did find time for more serious national security discussions.
Radar sees through inclement weather....and rain, and wind, and snow.
Arty is affected by that.
13A
ooops....isn’t
ooops....isn’t
Now, that's the sort of military coup I could live with.
Get Obama and his whole administration on that plane, too. Handcuff them all, and let 'em off in Cuban airspace.
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