Yep, the ones in charge know it's gonna end bad for them.
But, where do you go after centuries of lies?
To Christ?
They've drawn a lot of lines in the sand over the years, but, when 240+ Taliban can ambush 30 Marines and get their proverbial arses handed to them (50+ Taliban EKIA) and not accomplish a single Marine KIA, just how do they expect to back up their blathering?
The only thing they have going for them is annoyance...