President Trump New Afghanistan Strategy

[CeresExpo2000]

Say we are not leaving.

Say we are going to win but run the long war without declaring timetables.

That's the way we won the war against Japan.

FDR never said "We will send 10,000 troops to this island and then cut and run in 9 months."

That just gives the enemy a heads up!

President Trump appears to be listening to the generals around him.

[CeresExpo2000]

Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator Graham give the President Trump speech a Thumbs Up!

[Farmer77]

Trump’s betrayal is complete as military-industrial complex rises to power 

Quote

If one moment stands out as the clearest signal yet of US President Trump turning his back on supporters, it was his announcement this week to re-escalate American military intervention in Afghanistan.

His signature campaign promise of putting “America First” and ending the folly of overseas wars launched by previous administrations was shredded on prime time television when he gave orders for thousands of more US troops to be sent to Afghanistan. The already 16-year war in that country – America’s longest – will now go on indefinitely longer.

 

[CeresExpo2000]

4 minutes ago, Farmer77 said:

Trump’s betrayal is complete as military-industrial complex rises to power 

 

Leaving Afghanistan would allow ISIS to move in.

President Trump has moved to Plan B.

[Dark_Grey]

28 minutes ago, CeresExpo2000 said:

Say we are not leaving.

Say we are going to win but run the long war without declaring timetables.

That's the way we won the war against Japan.

FDR never said "We will send 10,000 troops to this island and then cut and run in 9 months."

That just gives the enemy a heads up!

President Trump appears to be listening to the generals around him.

"Came for the war, stayed for the poppies"?

Afghan is a waste of our time, in my very under-educated opinion. It's a desert mountain range with pockets of Muslim settlements spread around the area. Very difficult for combat and surveillance. Great for the War Machine, though - lots of contractors itching to try out new equipment and sell us the latest tech for this cash cow of an occupation. I just don't see the merit in being there unless there is a greater strategic element I'm missing.

[CeresExpo2000]

Just now, Dark_Grey said:

"Came for the war, stayed for the poppies"?

Afghan is a waste of our time, in my very under-educated opinion. It's a desert mountain range with pockets of Muslim settlements spread around the area. Very difficult for combat and surveillance. Great for the War Machine, though - lots of contractors itching to try out new equipment and sell us the latest tech for this cash cow of an occupation. I just don't see the merit in being there unless there is a greater strategic element I'm missing.

We have been there for 17 years.

The local government is a mess.

 

[Mr.United_Nations]

How in anyway is Afghanistan a desert?

[Dark_Grey]

2 minutes ago, CeresExpo2000 said:

Leaving Afghanistan would allow ISIS to move in.

President Trump has moved to Plan B.

This is the only reason to be there. But even then, it becomes an exhaustive new campaign to filter ISIS out from the 32 million local Afghanis

[CeresExpo2000]

1 minute ago, Dark_Grey said:

This is the only reason to be there. But even then, it becomes an exhaustive new campaign to filter ISIS out from the 32 million local Afghanis

President Trump did not like the SITREP from the generals.

"We are not winning."

[RAyMO]

Its probably possibly the right thing to do. Not that I expect a US victory - a stale mate later rather than sooner.

What nags me is Why did he spend 4 years or more using twitter to say he'd do the exact opposite.

Is this a case of "who knew afganistan could be so difficult"

Edited August 22, 2017 by RAyMO
grammar spelling

[Dark_Grey]

2 minutes ago, Mr.United_Nations said:

How in anyway is Afghanistan a desert?

The lack of bodied water combined with high day time temperatures in large swaths of the country.

Wiki

Quote

A landlocked mountainous country with plains in the north and southwest, Afghanistan is located within South Asia^[10][105] and Central Asia.^[106] It is part of the US-coined Greater Middle East Muslim world, which lies between latitudes 29° N and 39° N, and longitudes 60° E and 75° E. The country's highest point is Noshaq, at 7,492 m (24,580 ft) above sea level. It has a continental climate with harsh winters in the central highlands, the glaciated northeast (around Nuristan), and the Wakhan Corridor, where the average temperature in January is below −15 °C (5 °F), and hot summers in the low-lying areas of the Sistan Basin of the southwest, the Jalalabad basin in the east, and the Turkestan plains along the Amu River in the north, where temperatures average over 35 °C (95 °F) in July.

Despite having numerous rivers and reservoirs, large parts of the country are dry. The endorheic Sistan Basin is one of the driest regions in the world.^[107] Aside from the usual rainfall, Afghanistan receives snow during the winter in the Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains, and the melting snow in the spring season enters the rivers, lakes, and streams.^[108][109] However, two-thirds of the country's water flows into the neighboring countries of Iran, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan. The state needs more than US$2 billion to rehabilitate its irrigation systems so that the water is properly managed.^[110]

 

[CeresExpo2000]

2 minutes ago, RAyMO said:

Its probably possibly the right thing to do. Not that I expect a US victory - a stale mate later rather than sooner.

What annoys me is my he spent 4 years or more using twitter to say he'd do the exact opposite.

Is this a case of "who knew afganistan could be so difficult"

For 17 years the goal was to train the Afghanistan military to maintain control over their own country.

It didn't work out.

[RAyMO]

I am guessing that trump knew the goals when he was twitting

 

 

[CeresExpo2000]

Just now, RAyMO said:

I am guessing that trump knew the goals when he was twitting

 

 

It used to be just the Taliban causing trouble.

Now ISIS has moved in.

[Dark_Grey]

15 minutes ago, CeresExpo2000 said:

For 17 years the goal was to train the Afghanistan military to maintain control over their own country.

It didn't work out.

I don't know if it can. Again, we are talking about pockets of people, some of whom are nomadic, separated by large distances and on top of that very little modern infrastructure. That makes managing a population extremely difficult.

[FLOMBIE]

Just now, Dark_Grey said:

I don't know if it can. Again, we are talking about pockets of people, some of whom are nomadic, separated by large distances and on top of that very little modern infrastructure. That makes managing a population extremely difficult.

And they are a clan culture. It's kinda hard to fathom for us what that even means. 

[RAyMO]

14 minutes ago, CeresExpo2000 said:

It used to be just the Taliban causing trouble.

Now ISIS has moved in.

Ah, a different class of terrorist.

Is the Taliban even listed as terrorist in the US?

since the Taliban is fighting ISIS will the Allies team up with them ala Syria.

This will become a drawn out war - Allies will be fighting the Taliban - who will resort to type and persist. ask the Russians, the French, the British and at least a couple of Presidents.

 

Edited August 22, 2017 by RAyMO

[Dark_Grey]

1 minute ago, FLOMBIE said:

And they are a clan culture. It's kinda hard to fathom for us what that even means. 

Was it McCain that called this years ago? He warned that we didn't fully understand the culture and the regions we were up against. That led to Bush Jr.'s war failure number 1. Democracy and freedom is not necessarily a "one-size-fits-all" solution.

[Farmer77]

Just now, RAyMO said:

This will become a drawn out war - Allies will be fighting the Taliban - who will resort to type and persist. ask the Russians, the French, the British and at least a couple of Presidents.

Yep and the military industrial complex will continue to reap profits while ensuring a new boogie man is found hiding in every cave ensuring war is perpetual.

[CeresExpo2000]

1 minute ago, Dark_Grey said:

Was it McCain that called this years ago? He warned that we didn't fully understand the culture and the regions we were up against. That led to Bush Jr.'s war failure number 1. Democracy and freedom is not necessarily a "one-size-fits-all" solution.

I wonder what the General (Boots on the Ground) is thinking?

More Mother of all Bombs?

[FLOMBIE]

1 minute ago, Dark_Grey said:

Was it McCain that called this years ago? He warned that we didn't fully understand the culture and the regions we were up against. That led to Bush Jr.'s war failure number 1. Democracy and freedom is not necessarily a "one-size-fits-all" solution.

No idea. I think there were many who had that in mind. I think the problem isn't an incompatibility with democracy, but rather that they need their own version of it. And I know people who grew up in a clan society and completely hated it. 

[Farmer77]

Just now, CeresExpo2000 said:

I wonder what the General (Boots on the Ground) is thinking?

Probably someting along the lines of

"haha I cant believe that idiot Trump is gonna let us do whatever we want"

[Dark_Grey]

1 minute ago, CeresExpo2000 said:

I wonder what the General (Boots on the Ground) is thinking?

More Mother of all Bombs?

The MOAB was firstly an intimidation tactic. It was to let them know we aren't messing around anymore, hence why the casualties were kind of inconsequential. Now ISIS knows we can hit them underground. The problem is that you can't intimidate someone who is willing to die for their cause. Especially if they believe martyrdom is a net positive

[RAyMO]

Democracy as we know it is over rated. imo.

[RAyMO]

3 minutes ago, Farmer77 said:

"haha I cant believe that idiot Trump is gonna let us do whatever we want"

Follwed quickly by "hold on a second, are WE going to held responsible for what WE do"

Lack of a political buffer may be inhibiting