This Is My Weakness: Please Exploit
Q: If the US publicly announces that it’s changing its rules of engagements to order troops away from battles with terrorists hiding in Afghan houses, then what will all the Taliban consequently do?
A: That’s right, move into those very houses and urban centers where we can’t blow their brains out!
Was this another of Joe “only-5%-of-the-Taliban-really-hates-us” Biden’s brainwaves?
Doubtless, we’re in a tough spot. Hamid Karzai’s ineffective yet democratically elected government is understandably angry about civilian deaths and this might improve relations with our Afghan partners significantly.
But the cost could be high.
Hopefully, this is only stage one of a two-part strategy: we make public the nice first part (no fighting around houses) but keep quiet on the not-so-nice second part (kill all the Taliban as they scurry for cover in Afghan family homes throughout the country).
Just so long as President Obama’s love-thy-enemies treehuggery isn’t starting to infect the military.
[Note: I don't believe the last sentence, it's there for rhetorical flourish: see here for why the US military laughs in the face of hell's minions.]
June 22nd, 2009 at 16:43
Four years is too long!
June 22nd, 2009 at 19:19
And lest we forget the utterly insane policies by where we give actual timelines for withdrawals? Hell, nothing like giving ObL and Uncle Al Qaeda a date for when we’ll vacate an Area of OPerations….so all they gotta do is lay low and wait us out, and once we gather our skirts and roll out, they crawl back out of their spider holes and start all over again.
June 22nd, 2009 at 19:27
Like it, Steve. As you say, we’re telling ‘em where to hide out and for how long.
Is this the fabled retreating-without-the-appearance-of-surrendering strategy?
June 22nd, 2009 at 22:05
This will lead to more American deaths. I don’t understand how the “Commander and Chief” can support it.
June 23rd, 2009 at 10:41
Because, Carol, we are evil capitalist-colonialist-oppressors, and we shouldn’t be helping other people gain their freedom, remember?