Strategic Realities: Re-Thinking Afghanistan

[rangerrebew]

Strategic Realities: Re-Thinking Afghanistan
By Jeff Goodson
May 18, 2017


Afghanistan may be the most complex theatre of irregular warfare in the world .  The country is a black hole of physical, religious, social, ethnic, cultural, political, economic, military and historical cross-currents, rendering conventional strategy there awkward at best and impossible at worst.  In re-thinking Afghanistan—and assessing the Pentagon’s new Afghanistan strategy—we need first to  confront some hard strategic realities head-on.  Four, in particular, stand out.   

http://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2017/05/18/strategic_realities_re-thinking_afghanistan_111411.html

[Fishrrman]

I "think" it's time for us to get the heck outta there, and let them rot.

They've consumed enough of our blood and treasure.

[austingirl]

It is not worth one American life or limb. It sickens me to think of the sacrifice of our troops for nothing. What a waste of money to build schools and roads there. We should use our money at home.

[Free Vulcan]

Until you deal with Pakistan and Iran, you can't deal with Afghanistan. Plus Pakistan is a nuclear power, and Iran is close.

[endicom]

Pre-thinking is what was needed and still is.

I agree that economic factors are key in reducing corruption. People facing the prospect of starvation are not going to care how they get money. But relying on the usual international suspects to build the economy? Like they've improved economies from Cape to Cairo?

Pakistan? I would want to see if we can get Musharraf on our side. He knows his country and he knows the West and he is a sharp knife in the Pakistani drawer.

[dfwgator]

Get out then nuke the poppy fields.