[Newfy]

I agree completely Eyebrock. I just get annoyed at the armchair experts who don't really have a clue.

The sad thing is that before the Taliban took control, many of the bigger cities such as Kabul were very modern at the time. And it is those cities that are mainly benefiting now. It's the rural areas that are worst off.

[ridenrain]

I also like the continuous negative spin that an insurgency can never be defeated.
Might want to ask the Tamil Tigers about that one.

[Akhenaten]

ridenrain ridenrain:

I also like the continuous negative spin that an insurgency can never be defeated.
Might want to ask the Tamil Tigers about that one.

Or the FLQ...
Or the IRA...
Or...

[Newfy]

Akhenaten Akhenaten:

ridenrain ridenrain:

I also like the continuous negative spin that an insurgency can never be defeated.
Might want to ask the Tamil Tigers about that one.

Or the FLQ...
Or the IRA...
Or...

IRA? You must be joking, right?

[Akhenaten]

Nope. They weren't 'defeated' but when was the last time they let off a bomb? It's a long story but my take on it is their own finally got sick of the violence-only option and their motives were not addressed until they tackled them politically.

If the taliban dropped their weapons, forgot about IED's for a while and took the political route there would be very little NATO could do besides listen.

[Newfy]

Akhenaten Akhenaten:

Nope. They weren't 'defeated' but when was the last time they let off a bomb? It's a long story but my take on it is their own finally got sick of the violence-only option and their motives were not addressed until they tackled them politically.

If the taliban dropped their weapons, forgot about IED's for a while and took the political route there would be very little NATO could do besides listen.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/u ... 826197.ece

Only a matter of time.

[poquas]

Like it or not, there’s one commonality between Afghanistan and Vietnam make/made both unwinnable.

You can never know who the enemy is, where they are, or when they going to try and kill you.

At best, they’ll just bide their time. If you need an example, look at the way Iraq is going. The insurgency has never stopped, and once the occupation is over, that country will revert to a full blown civil war.

[Newfy]

poquas poquas:

Like it or not, there’s one commonality between Afghanistan and Vietnam make/made both unwinnable.

You can never know who the enemy is, where they are, or when they going to try and kill you.

At best, they’ll just bide their time. If you need an example, look at the way Iraq is going. The insurgency has never stopped, and once the occupation is over, that country will revert to a full blown civil war.

There's that word again, "unwinnable". Have you been to Afghanistan? Do you know the situation on the ground?

[poquas]

Newfy Newfy:

There's that word again, "unwinnable". Have you been to Afghanistan? Do you know the situation on the ground?

My brother in Law is there right now. You can never know who the enemy is, where they are, or when they going to try and kill you. Those are his words.

[Scape]

You mean like organized crime? Why have laws then? Criminals don't go around in uniforms either. Well, perhaps some do like the Hell's Angles but that is for notoriety. And what if we just packed up and left, it still is a problem that will wash up on our shores. It's not like the situation will solve itself.

[Newfy]

poquas poquas:

Newfy Newfy:

There's that word again, "unwinnable". Have you been to Afghanistan? Do you know the situation on the ground?

My brother in Law is there right now. You can never know who the enemy is, where they are, or when they going to try and kill you. Those are his words.

I'm sorry but i wouldn't say never. But then everyone's experience is different.

[poquas]

Ok, let me ask you and anyone else who thinks there’s a hope in hell of winning.

Who do you kill? The old man who hates you for being there? The six year old kid who wants you dead because you are part of the invaders that killed his mother and as soon as he can is going to carry a gun or make bombs? The woman who’s teaching her children that you are evil and all those that look like you are evil?
How do you find them?

You can’t kill all the people who hate you or the values you represent. They are unidentifiable.

How many Canadians are worth sacrificing for a political idea? Americans, Brits?

As a hypothetical example, if the US were to invade Canada, you can bet I’d be part of an insurgency, and I don’t look particularly menacing. On the street I’m an older, friendly as hell, occupied Canadian. At night, I’m doing everything possible to kill invaders.

[Newfy]

poquas poquas:

Ok, let me ask you and anyone else who thinks there’s a hope in hell of winning.

Who do you kill? The old man who hates you for being there? The six year old kid who wants you dead because you are part of the invaders that killed his mother and as soon as he can is going to carry a gun or make bombs? The woman who’s teaching her children that you are evil and all those that look like you are evil?
How do you find them?

You can’t kill all the people who hate you or the values you represent. They are unidentifiable.

How many Canadians are worth sacrificing for a political idea? Americans, Brits?

As a hypothetical example, if the US were to invade Canada, you can bet I’d be part of an insurgency, and I don’t look particularly menacing. On the street I’m an older, friendly as hell, occupied Canadian. At night, I’m doing everything possible to kill invaders.

But you're making assumptions that alot of the Afghans hate us which is simply not true.

[ridenrain]

Who do we hit?
IED team.
Bomb making or material sourcing people.
Groups of young foreigners walking across the border from Pakistan to join the jihad.
We hit all of them and we do a very good job too.

You have your head stuck in old Vietnam movies.

[poquas]

ridenrain ridenrain:

Who do we hit?
IED team.
Bomb making or material sourcing people.
Groups of young foreigners walking across the border from Pakistan to join the jihad.
We hit all of them and we do a very good job too.

You have your head stuck in old Vietnam movies.

Great! More cheerleading from someone who'd rather give advice but doesn't have the guts to enlist.