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Mikhail Gorbachev: victory in Afghanistan is 'impossible'
Telegraph ^ | 10/27/10

Posted on 10/27/2010 8:23:43 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster

Mikhail Gorbachev: victory in Afghanistan is 'impossible'

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former leader of the Soviet Union, has warned that Afghanistan risks turning into another Vietnam, telling Nato that victory is impossible.

Published: 10:42AM BST 27 Oct 2010

Mr Gorbachev, who pulled Russian troops out of Afghanistan in 1989 after a 10-year war, said the US had no alternative but to withdraw troops.

"Victory is impossible in Afghanistan. [Barack] Obama is right to pull the troops out. No matter how difficult it will be," he told the BBC.

Mr Gorbachev added that as the Soviets prepared to withdraw from Afghanistan, the US was training militants, "the same ones who today are terrorising Afghanistan and more and more of Pakistan".

He said that because of this, withdrawal would be more difficult.

"But what's the alternative - another Vietnam? Sending in half-a-million troops? That wouldn't work."

His comments came amid news that Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, will attend a Nato summit next month, to discuss plans for Russian forces to return to Afghanistan.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; gorbachev; putin; russia; sovietunion; vietnam
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To: mrmeyer

“Ideally speaking, adopt a total war/total victory, nothing is off the table platform a la WWII. Unleash the entire might of the U.S. Military. No more PC bullsh*t”

ABSOLUTELY agree with you!
All wars since WWII which the US has been involved have been fought as a scrimmage rather than playing to win. In addition, to fighting to win, we MUST stay in the conquered country at the minimum of a generation to change attitudes and the culture.
If we as a country are unwilling to give it our “all”, we should NOT send American boys over for ANY reason.


41 posted on 10/27/2010 10:22:34 AM PDT by texteacher
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To: stuartcr

“How do you distinguish who is the enemy and who isn’t?”

In which American war victory did we worry about distinguishing the enemy from a non enemy in the country on which we declared war?
If we have to distinguish enemy from non enemy maybe we should wait until they are all our enemy.


42 posted on 10/27/2010 10:30:39 AM PDT by texteacher
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To: texteacher

The key here, is...’the country we declared war on’. I don’t believe we’ve declared war on any country, have we?


43 posted on 10/27/2010 12:28:29 PM PDT by stuartcr (When politicians politicize issues, aren't they just doing their job?)
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To: stuartcr

That is the real question, how to define victory.


44 posted on 10/27/2010 1:18:51 PM PDT by ops33 (Senior Master Sergeant, USAF (Retired))
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To: stuartcr

“... I don’t believe we’ve declared war on any country, have we?”

No, only military engagements.


45 posted on 10/27/2010 3:01:21 PM PDT by texteacher
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To: rednek

Afghanistan was conquered by the Greeks, the Parthians, the Persians, the Huns and the Mongols.


46 posted on 10/27/2010 6:17:20 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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To: Tublecane
I dont believe in fighting /sacrificing american blood in a cause that we are not in to win . There is no excuse for not using all our power to win other wise we should not be there at all , and as you stated we could win in short order if we didnt have a bunch of PUSSIES IN CHARGE, Complete and total victory no matter what , or leave NOW . To fight a war in this manor is ABSURD .
47 posted on 10/31/2010 8:31:08 PM PDT by Billk (Bill Kay)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Gorby is a lib idiot. Vistory is impossible for him only.
Soviet troops had a different approach so Taleban was shitting their pants in caves most of the time before Gorby desided to go home.
And still commies had power for a few more years there.

The main problem with A-stan is it is not worth to hold a boot there. That is the main reason why one haven’t ‘conquered’ that. If one had a will both Russians, US or even France could vaporise A-stan in a year.


48 posted on 11/08/2010 7:09:35 PM PST by cunning_fish
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