The Taliban Tamers
The new good news is, three entire Taliban training compounds have been wiped out by U.S. Special Forces, reports Jason Straziuso of the AP.
The bad news is, that is akin to taking out three KOA campgrounds, serving only tent campers. Minus the nifty Coleman halogen lights and bright neon outdoor garb of the campers therein. And no Airflows, not even ca. 1970. What a coup. Remember that U.S. taxpayers paid through the nose for this earth-shattering victory.
More bad news is that the Taliban fighters were only driven out. "Drove out" is not a mission accomplished moment.
Our leaders should perhaps be mindful of King Pyrrhus's costly victory over the Romans (as reported by Plutarch): "(T)he Roman camp was quickly and plentifully filled up with fresh men, not at all abating in courage for the loss they sustained, but even from their very anger gaining new force and resolution to go on with the war."
If the Taliban fighters are not destroyed, they will return to the fight as soon as they consolidate and reorganize. Capturing them wouldn't have been very beneficial anyway, since there was no mention of Al Quaida fighters being present. The Taliban is not the threat.
The U.S./NATO commanders are portraying this action as a model for "taming the Taliban." I must be operating in another dimension, because taming an enemy is a darn site less desirable than actually defeating them. You tame captive lions, not people. Certainly not people who are passionate about their cause.
Would somebody please explain how these military actions are making us any safer from the threat, which is Al Quaida? Has anybody explained how the Taliban is a threat to America?
The internal politics of a country should not be a concern for American military power.
The bad news is, that is akin to taking out three KOA campgrounds, serving only tent campers. Minus the nifty Coleman halogen lights and bright neon outdoor garb of the campers therein. And no Airflows, not even ca. 1970. What a coup. Remember that U.S. taxpayers paid through the nose for this earth-shattering victory.
More bad news is that the Taliban fighters were only driven out. "Drove out" is not a mission accomplished moment.
Our leaders should perhaps be mindful of King Pyrrhus's costly victory over the Romans (as reported by Plutarch): "(T)he Roman camp was quickly and plentifully filled up with fresh men, not at all abating in courage for the loss they sustained, but even from their very anger gaining new force and resolution to go on with the war."
If the Taliban fighters are not destroyed, they will return to the fight as soon as they consolidate and reorganize. Capturing them wouldn't have been very beneficial anyway, since there was no mention of Al Quaida fighters being present. The Taliban is not the threat.
The U.S./NATO commanders are portraying this action as a model for "taming the Taliban." I must be operating in another dimension, because taming an enemy is a darn site less desirable than actually defeating them. You tame captive lions, not people. Certainly not people who are passionate about their cause.
Would somebody please explain how these military actions are making us any safer from the threat, which is Al Quaida? Has anybody explained how the Taliban is a threat to America?
The internal politics of a country should not be a concern for American military power.
posted by rangeragainstwar at 2:22 AM
3 Comments:
Blitzer,
I was unable to post you comment, so I will append it below:
Blitzer has left a new comment on your post "The Taliban Tamers":
1 week of full push & 22 casualties...
--Thank you for also pointing out the human cost.
Agree totally with you. Seems like one more similarity to Vietnam tactics/strategy and just as futile. Everytime one of the talking heads on TV says we need to stay in Iraq until the Iraqis can stand on their own I think of our prior "success" with Vietnamization. GunshowJoe (GSJ)
GSJ,
I'm with you, and this issue has been addressed in previous postings. Simply stated, and army is for external threats, and police are to protect and serve. When both are aimed at population suppression, they lose their democratic flavor.
Merry Christmas,
Hohoho,
Jim
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