Posted on 07/24/2010 6:09:36 AM PDT by gandalftb
He has decided a full-scale military encirclement and invasion – as American troops had done in Iraq's Fallujah – was not an appropriate model to tackle the Taliban in the southern capital.
Gen Petraeus is reported to believe that the operation must be a broad-ranging counter-insurgency campaign, involving more troops working with local militias.
The plan he inherited was criticised for placing too much emphasis on targeted assassinations of key insurgent leaders and not enough on winning over local residents.
Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, said yesterday that the US-led strategy in southern Afghanistan was undergoing sweeping changes.
Defections from the Taliban are crucial to the goal of ending the war within four years but Mr Holbrooke said only insurgent groups that had split with al-Qaeda, and willing to work within the framework of the Afghan constitution would be approached. More effort was being put into recruiting local allies on a district by district basis.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
This strategy of COIN goes directly at the Taliban. Our counter-terrorism strategy, as emphasized by McCrystal, is ongoing but will likley be more focussed on the Haqqani network in Pakistan.
Good move overall, not soimething that Karzai wanted, but necessary as the Afghan Army is not/will not be capable of fighting the Taliban.
“The plan he inherited was criticised for placing too much emphasis on targeted assassinations of key insurgent leaders and not enough on winning over local residents.”, from the headline piece.
Guess the modern day Phoenix Program was deemed not working well.
Mike
Great idea! The “hearts and minds” strategy has served us well.
Right. Next scene is desperate people clinging to skids of helicopters leaving the roof of the embassy. Bambi is just sacrificing our troops and waiting for...what?
Winning over the muslim locals is not the military's job anymore; it's NASA's. Send in the astronauts.
Remember boys & girls - body counts are only for Republican administrations!
Glad I wasn't taking a sip of coffee.
Absolutely. When possible to put an entire prefect in our column, then do so. When not, win that prefect over segment by segment, if necessary.
Eventually, you'll have the whole.
Condon, clear, control
lol
‘Gen Petraeus is reported to believe that the operation must be a broad-ranging counter-insurgency campaign, involving more troops working with local militias.’
That is exactly what happened in Iraq.
So just because they say they want something different than Iraq (Bush) doesn’t mean it’s actually different!
You’re correct. This is a defensive strategy whose primary purpose is to mitigate American casualties. It is precisely this strategy that has allowed the situation in Kandahar to occur in the first place.
The hearts and minds BS is a loser’s strategy. The Taliban/Al Queda terrorists should have been snuffed out years ago. Now we have this prolonged struggle that eats up our Army like a cancer.
I have about as much respect for Petraeus as I do for his predecessor, McChrystal. I can’t even bring myself to call the doofus a general. McChrystal’s ROE are still in place, by the way. They, too, area a loser’s rules.
Gen Petraeus is reported to believe that the operation must be a broad-ranging counter-insurgency campaign, involving more troops working with local militias. The plan he inherited was criticised for placing too much emphasis on targeted assassinations of key insurgent leaders and not enough on winning over local residents.I hope the whole assassination thing isn't entirely ruled out though. Thanks gandalftb.
“The Taliban/Al Queda terrorists should have been snuffed out years ago.”
How?
We should have nuked Tora Bora...but what did we do...we agreed to a cease-fire...brilliant and that is exactly why we are here today.
We should have killed Bin Laden and left the box.
Clinton blew it when he had the chance, Bush blew it when he had the chance and I am sure Ozero will blow it to.
Ever wonder why they just happen to let Bin Laden live?
Cordon.
But this is not the community organizing way. Obama has no learned to leave waarfare up to warriors. I still see the marks of failyre in an Obama attemt at politically correct warfare, to assuage his leftist critics who want to end it in defeat, just like they treasonously attempted with Iraq.
Patreus is a great man. ut I am skeptical about his situation. Obama may have made a chump out of Patreus, but time will tell. Mattis is an Obama convert. His conduct in the prosecution of the Haditha Marines reveals this. And he is at Patreus's back. Not good.
Pardon me for my skepticism.
I hope I am wrong, but I think not.
This way is better, this way the bad guys whom we would otherwise kill, will get a better chance to be able to sit down and calmly reflect upon the error of their ways to this point, and realize they need to change, and participate in peaceful dialog with their brother taliban and al quida members and put an end to this conflict...
Yep, this will work a hell of a lot better, it’ll be safer for our troops and the world in general...
(you know, I forgot...I’m on some really good meds right now that are causing me to think happy thoughts, and warm fuzzy bunnies hopping around in green breezy fields of grass and fluffy clouds in a bright sky...)
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