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Title: Such a Waste of Fine Infantry
Source:
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URL Source: http://original.antiwar.com/huber/2 ... such-a-waste-of-fine-infantry/
Published: Nov 6, 2009
Author: Jeff Huber
Post Date: 2009-11-06 06:08:54 by Ada
Keywords: None
Views: 289
Comments: 21
So this platoon comes back to an Afghan village it hasn’t visited in three months. One of the village elders tells the platoon commander, "We ask you not to come here. It is better for us, and better for you." As the platoon leaves the village, the Taliban attack it and a four-hour firefight ensues. This compelling story, told by a Knight Ridder/Tribune correspondent, perfectly illustrates the futility of the foreign policy course we are pursuing, especially in Afghanistan. The U.S built a clinic in the village to "demonstrate to Afghans that they have more to gain from the Americans than from the Taliban." Last spring the Taliban blew the clinic up. The platoon commander takes off his helmet and sunglasses and explains to the village elders that the Taliban have been passing through their village on their way to attack U.S. outposts along the nearby Pech River. "Unless this is stopped, you have to understand that you’ll be getting regular visits from coalition forces," the platoon commander says. The elders politely tell him to bug off. The platoon splits into two squads and walks away from the village. The platoon’s Afghan translator asks the journalist if he has a mobile phone. "You should call your loved ones now to say that you care about them," the translator says. "I’m telling you, the walk home from here is not a joke." The platoon walks about 500 yards out of the village with helicopters patrolling overhead when gunfire sizzles down from the mountainside. Four hours later the fight is over. The platoon thinks they and the helicopters maybe killed five Taliban. There’s no way of knowing how accurate this assessment is. The platoon, thankfully, merely suffers two sprained ankles. What’s wrong with this picture? Everything. If the platoon isn’t there, nothing bad happens. If we hadn’t built the clinic, the Taliban wouldn’t have blown it up. If we didn’t have outposts along the Pech River, the Taliban wouldn’t pass through the village to attack them. Is it any wonder the village elders don’t want the Americans in their village? Is it any wonder Afghans don’t want us in their country? Our interventionist foreign policy creates many problems and solves few of them. It certainly doesn’t make us more secure. For every Islamo-hooligan we kill or capture we create two or more new ones. Our policies are strategically foolhardy. They’re tactically imbecilic as well. A platoon — roughly two-dozen troops — of the best-trained, best-equipped military in history, supported by helicopter gunships, got hung up in a four-hour battle with dudes who probably live in caves. The Americans are running out of ammo. The American helicopters fly in more machine gun bullets and grenades. The Taliban don’t have any helicopters to do that for them, but they don’t run out of ammo. Nearby U.S. bases provide covering artillery fire. The Taliban don’t have any artillery. "Gradually," the Knight Ridder correspondent says, "the Soldiers made it to safety. The firefight had lasted about four hours. The entire operation, from dawn until the return to base, went on for about seven hours." This is sorry stuff. This platoon, backed by airpower, didn’t defeat a Taliban ambush. It escaped from it, barely. What was the point of the platoon’s mission? It went into an Afghan village to act tough and got run out of town by a herd of goat ropers. That sums up our entire Afghanistan experience. Don’t confuse this firefight with one of those deals where the bad guys are mixed in with the population and Gen. Stan McChrystal’s goofy rules of engagement require our guys to tie both hands behind their backs and box with their chins. This was a straight up fight between our guys and an inferior force, and our guys were lucky to get out of it with mere joint sprains. It was a case of a tactical situation reflecting the bathos of the strategic mindset. High command sends 20-something-year-old lieutenant and his platoon of teenagers into a village to tell a bunch of old Afghans we’re not happy that the Taliban are passing through their village to attack us. The platoon leaves town the way it came, through a riverbed surrounded by high ground. The bad guys, who saw them come in, know exactly how to whack them coming out. Stanley McChrystal wants to put 40,000 or more Americans in this exact same position. As George Patton would say, "Such a waste of fine infantry." This is a sad patch in American history. We need to get our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan. The Pentagon and its rabid Long War followers don’t want that to happen, and I’m losing faith in President Obama’s ability to stand up to them. From what one reads, Obama is likely to let his generals put more good infantry into bad terrain on a pointless mission. Alas.
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#1. To: Ada (#0)
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Still trying to shift the Middle East quagmire off onto the military, it wont work. ObamA is the CIC, he could if he wanted to, fire the lot of them, however he is not in charge. The Jews in charge will never let him bring the troops home. He made his own statement that withdrawal from Afghan is NOT an option. The buck stops at Obamas desk, not the Pentagon.
The platoon leaves town the way it came, through a riverbed surrounded by high ground. The bad guys, who saw them come in, know exactly how to whack them coming out. Geez.
Fish and vegetable meals will save wheat, meat, and fats for our soldiers and allies.
But, but Hillary and Obummer said they want Universal Healthcare and they will all behave when they get it !!
I went to a friend's funeral a few days ago, but in another part of the same town they were having a funeral for a 22 year old soldier killed in Afghanistan a couple of weeks ago. An only child too. Again, what a waste.
LOL Yesh, he's a captive puppet...FOFLOL
Ping
The article is by antiwar.com. Those at antiwar.com would say anything to put the U.S. military in a bad light.
The US military would do anything to put the US military in a bad light.
Take a look at the link at the top, that is antiwar.com website.
The US military would do anything to put the US military in a bad light.
It isn't the U.S. military speaking in that top article, it's anti-war.com speaking, while claiming to be speaking for the U.S. military.
Did you suckle Goldie's teat today?
“Gold is the money of kings; silver is the money of gentlemen; barter is the money of peasants; but debt is the money of slaves.”
Did you give Soros a blow job this morning?
I was wondering if you humped GWBush's ass with your GOP nose smelling aroma. You enjoyed it, didn't ya?
“Gold is the money of kings; silver is the money of gentlemen; barter is the money of peasants; but debt is the money of slaves.”
This from someone who bends over for Obama. Tell me, how does it feel to be a slut for the DNC?
I don't vote for either of your well-grounded political ploys. None of these used car salesmen that you plugged a nickel for have nothing to do with and for our heritage.
“Gold is the money of kings; silver is the money of gentlemen; barter is the money of peasants; but debt is the money of slaves.”
Last election, I voted for Chuck Baldwin. Who did you vote for?
Dr. Ron Paul.
“Gold is the money of kings; silver is the money of gentlemen; barter is the money of peasants; but debt is the money of slaves.”
Hey, you sad, strange, scared little man. Marguerite is 'varting' all over LP right now, you should run over there and sniff her seat. Does anyone know for certain that Vaguerite = Moldy-Box?
#2. To: Ada (#0)
#3. To: Ada (#0)
The Pentagon and its rabid Long War followers don’t want that to happen, and I’m losing faith in President Obama’s ability to stand up to them.
#4. To: Ada (#0)
High command sends 20-something-year-old lieutenant and his platoon of teenagers into a village to tell a bunch of old Afghans we’re not happy that the Taliban are passing through their village to attack us.
#5. To: Eric Stratton (#1)
#6. To: Ada (#0)
(Edited)
#7. To: Ada (#0)
The Pentagon and its rabid Long War followers don’t want that to happen, and I’m losing faith in President Obama’s ability to stand up to them.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”—Samuel Adams 
#8. To: PaulCJ (#0)
"What was the point of the platoon’s mission? It went into an Afghan village to act tough and got run out of town by a herd of goat ropers. That sums up our entire Afghanistan experience."
#9. To: Big Meanie (#8)
#10. To: PaulCJ (#9)
(Edited)
#11. To: randge (#10)
The US military would do anything to put the US military in a bad light.
#12. To: PaulCJ (#11)
#13. To: randge (#12)
The US military would do anything to put the US military in a bad light.
#14. To: PaulCJ (#13)
#15. To: buckeroo (#14)
Did you suckle Goldie's teat today?
#16. To: PaulCJ (#15)
#17. To: buckeroo (#16)
I was wondering if you humped GWBush's ass with your GOP nose smelling aroma.
#18. To: PaulCJ (#17)
#19. To: buckeroo (#18)
I don't vote for either of your well-grounded political ploys.
#20. To: PaulCJ (#19)
#21. To: PaulCJ (#15)
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