The Art Of The Deal!
Posted on 08/21/2017 11:18:28 PM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom
In outlining his vision for applying “principled realism” to the war in Afghanistan, President Trump Monday night insisted there will be no precipitous American withdrawal. Though he didn’t specify the number, Trump will be sending additional troops — likely up to 4,000 — to Afghanistan. That would boost our commitment to just above 12,000 men and women in uniform.
And they’ll be expected to accomplish what 140,000 US and allied troops couldn’t achieve at the peak of our engagement, when the Taliban was considerably weaker.
We all must hope that, by a miracle, the new strategy of enhanced training for the Afghan military (and a slap on Pakistan’s wrist) somehow defeats the Taliban. But miracles are in short supply in Kabul. One suspects that this new initiative springs less from rigorous analysis than from the emotional attachment felt by senior officers who’ve seen their troops bleed and can’t bear the prospect of a meaningless sacrifice, of simply walking away.
We have a magnificent, well-led military, but rare is the general who understands the economic principle of “sunk costs,” that you can’t redeem a bad investment by investing even more. When money is gone, it’s gone. The same applies to lives.
A fundamental problem in Afghanistan is that Americans have been dying for a woefully corrupt succession of governments in Kabul for which young Afghans have been unwilling to die. Our new strategy includes a tougher line on corruption, but the damage has been done. What seemed expedient to ignore turned fatal.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I am just glad Ralph is retired, because he’s a Clintonista.
if they salt the ground, they are done for
a war is never won until the enemy loses its will to fight, it doesnt matter what firepower you throw at them , it aint over until they lose the will
Poor planning on his part, given he hooked his wagon to the wicked witch of the West. Wonder what she promised him?
The Art Of The Deal!
Trump redefined the mission tonight as killing terrorists
The mission is not trying to turn Afghanistan into the type of society with the type of government we think they should have
The taliban seems to be their preferred government so
We are going to have to sort out the fact that all taliban are not terrorists
Russia is doing it by working with the taliban to go after ISIS and we need to do it too. The enemy of our enemy strategy.
Killing people who plot or aid terrorism against us to is an achievable mission but it is going to take a major adjustment in recognizing who are the terrorists that threaten us vs who are extremists fighting to impose an extreme govt in their own country and who have the support and sympathy of their own people to do so. By warning Pakistan, Trump has indicated they need to stop playing for both teams. Nation building in Afghanistan is not our military mission.. Destroying international terrorists is.
“a war is never won until the enemy loses its will to fight, it doesnt matter what firepower you throw at them , it aint over until they lose the will”
Agree. It seems to me that our diplomatic corp and military should concede that Afganistan is a country in name only. And, thereby work at the tribal level instead. That’s where the real power centers are located, with the tribal leaders...
A MOAB a day keeps the Taliban away!
The need to create a small drone that snipes of terrorists with 3 round bursts of .50 caliber rounds. It would be a lot cheaper than a hellfire missile.
Break up Arghanistan and create a country for each major tribe.
What he says here is, however, right.
>> And they’ll be expected to accomplish what 140,000 US and allied troops couldn’t achieve at the peak of our engagement,
Really, Ralphy? It’s the same damn mission with the same damn constraints?
Idiot.
It looks to me like “perpetual war for perpetual peace”.
Nothing would please me more than to be wrong.
What he says here is, however, right.Based on what?
Ralph Peters is a squeaky little nevertrump douche speaking from failed policies of bureaucrat dictated rules of engagement.I hope Trump is right (and I’m wrong) on Afghanistan
You are wrong and you've been wrong you little twerp and the situation in Afghanistan is proof.
John McCain likes President Trump’s speech and that’s enough for me.
Still true today.
That’s the Donald Trump that a lot of his earliest supporters voted for.
The second half of your post concerns Peters, and not dp0622.
Regarding Peters et al... their motive is #NeverWin.
Trump gave a great speech. The objectives, financing, and means were clearly stated in terms never stated before. And he was upfront about the influences which shaped his final assessments. Sure, it wasn’t a red-meat speech, but it was a pragmatic, realistic presentation of a reasonable plan for the complex situation that preceded his Presidency.
>> That’s the Donald Trump
Where the contraction confirms this is still the Trump we voted for — especially by virtue of his statements and actions.
poppies
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