"We're The Redcoats" In Afghanistan

Ralph Peters blasts the military's unwillingness, now back by Trump, to walk away from Afghanistan:

A fundamental problem in Afghanistan is that Americans have been dying for a woefully corrupt succession of governments in Kabul for which young Afghans have been unwilling to die. Our new strategy includes a tougher line on corruption, but the damage has been done. What seemed expedient to ignore turned fatal.

Our self-absorbed counter-insurgency strategy assumes that the people will rally around the government we support. But that didn’t happen in South Vietnam, and it didn’t happen in Afghanistan. In both cases, a flood of American wealth turned petty thieves into crime bosses with cabinet posts, while the national army stumbled along and the common man with an empty purse had faint hope of justice.

In Afghanistan, illiterate farmers in remote valleys see their country far more clearly than we do.

...

In 2001, we did the right thing by going to Afghanistan to slaughter terrorists. But we were fools to stay. Afghanistan is strategically worthless. Tragically, former President Barack Obama backed the wrong war when his turn came, abandoning the strategic prize of Iraq because of a campaign promise to concentrate on Afghanistan — which he called the right war — to prove his security chops.

Where is the US general with the integrity to ask himself why, after 16 years of American support and self-sacrificing combat, the Afghan central government has been losing province after province to ill-equipped, poorly trained guerrillas who were characterized to me by one of our top generals as tactically inept “idiots”?

I could hear a proud and complacent British general saying the same thing about George Washington’s army. In Afghanistan, we’re the Redcoats.

Don't be the Redcoats.

MORE: The failing NY Times likes anti-war Trump and the leaks that promote him.

Comments

[Captain Hate]

If Ralph Peters is against something, by definition it's the correct course of action.

[Captain Hate]

Newsmax prints a lot of complete nonsense:

http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-2020-campaign/2017/08/21/id/808880/?ns_mail_uid=32944113&ns_mail_job=1749181_08222017&s=al&dkt_nbr=010104br6cu4

[sbw]

Back in 2008 I started a book. Self-published two years later.

I still stand by my conclusion that the next big war would be the war of ideas because they can cross borders virally.

1) teach children to defend themselves against words, words, words

2) work to convince others to value both society with others and peaceful problem resolution.

3) recognize you must defend against some others who will try to control or kill you for their own reasons.

4) understand that principles are experiences/processes shown to have worked reliably in the past, can work now, and are projected to still work in the future ... and that they must be understood, passed on, and re-validated by each new generation.

I am proud that what I wrote back then still seems to stand the test of time.

[henry]

sbw, with all that our kids are taught to be afraid of words and to seek safe spaces where they can control the words used. Also know as how to lose the next war before it even starts.

[narciso.]

This is the kind of hot take i expected from Dana ward, the taliban are an outgrowth of isi and general intelligence, the ttp even more so.

[DebinGA]

I lack confidence in the top brass promoted during the BOzo years and now advising Trump.

[Clarice Feldman]

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/08/22/president-trump-begins-familiar-strategic-process-pakistan-assigned-ownership-of-afghanistan-extremism/#more-137524

I read--and I can't remember where now--the strategic changes in place when we retook Mosul--small teams, not massed forces led by a group leader which infiltrated known ISIS groups and killed them. Didn't look like the Iraqi teams were the Redcoats--more like the American rebels. A huge shift in tactics. DJT knows it's only a matter of time before the Dems knife him (and out troops) in the back again so I expect we will not be doing the war their slo mo , ineffecient PC way.

[Captain Hate]

Although Iggy has history on his side on this, I don't think Mattis is planning on losing. So I'm torn...

[narciso.]

Exactly the red coats in that case ended up being Islamic state, like the villain in house of spies, the nature of small unit warfare that galula recommended in Algeria, that had some success in tal afar. This was having done success in south Vietnam as molar pointed out until the diem coup

Dumb luck undone alert mossos officer prevented the catastrophe smb outlined in the last thread

[Jim Eagle]

Ralph Peters knows more than Mattis? or Kelly? or the JCS? Its easy to be a LC. Making the jump to Colonel and beyond takes a lot of command knowledge and execution. Where did he fall flat. He is a naysayer, or as the Flemish call them "piss vinegaar" - sour puss - always whining. Never positive about anything that our command structure does.

Sour Grapes from a Sour Puss!

[narciso.]

Since he got the travel pause right I listen to what he points out:
https://sethfrantzman.com/2017/05/19/photo-essay-peshmerga-and-the-war-on-isis/

[Barbara]

I agree, JiB. Peter's makes for a lively interview, but what ever happened to the time when we backed our President and military leaders as we went into action?

These days, the media can always find someone like Peters who is willing to undercut the President before he even takes action. He should know better.

[Dave (in MA)]

Somebody over at Insty pointed out that the Command Master Chief of the USS John S. McCain is a...

You guessed it, sociologist.

[RattlerGator]

Good link, Clarice!

We need to have *much* more faith in Trump here, too. I saw Eric Prince last night on Tucker's show. He wasn't pleased with the apparent commit of 4,000 additional troops.

But that isn't what the President announced, is it?

In that link provided by Clarice, Conservative TreeHouse had a damn good TL;DR image they posted on this matter:

https://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/afghanistan-strategy-1.jpg

YMMV, but that damn sure works for me.

[narciso.]

That griddle is working overtime:
https://mobile.twitter.com/paulcadario/status/899954835910479872

This is your brain on frum

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Korea was a war that could have been won.
Vietnam was a war that could have been won.
Afghanistan is not.
What strategic value does it have? It gives Iran and Pakistan a cheap easy way to punish us while we do nothing to them and provides no linked value or jumping off point to any other region besides the benighted -stans to the north. It also puts us at a disadvantage to Russia while keeping its southern flank protected by our own troops but provides us with no great pressure on Russia itself. Together that all amounts to a significant negative strategic value.

George Santayana is our friend. Other countries are not.

[Barbara]

Eric Prince last night on Tucker's show. He wasn't pleased with the apparent commit of 4,000 additional troops.

I wouldn't think he'd be pleased given his proposal for Afghanistan. (Contractors "advising" the ANA and operating under ROEs essentially set by the Afghan National Government.)

I can't tell you how happy I was to hear President Trump describe his plan in general last night. Especially the part about changing those ridiculous Rules of Engagement that have evolved from bad to worse over the last fifteen years.

[Porchlight]

I was going to post the same TL;DR that RattlerGator did. Hard to disagree with any of that and it is an accurate summary of the speech.

[Porchlight]

He wasn't pleased with the apparent commit of 4,000 additional troops.

That's from a report, not the speech.

I'm not in the business of believing this stuff until I see it officially confirmed - has that happened?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Ignatz,

Did you know the Saudis and the GCC have built up an impressive fighting force organized as small, independent units? Did you know they are beating the crap out of ISIS and are working with the Iraqi Army and the US Army?

Every army that has been defeated in Afghanistan went there with the idea of conquest and colonization. All we are doing is killing terrorists. The Afghanis can do whatever they want with their government: constitutional republic, monarchy, tribal league, or something they come up with on their own. It's up to them whether they embrace Sharia law and whether they send their daughters to school. We are no longer trying to remake them in our image.

ALL this is about is killing terrorists and making sure that they don't get nuclear weapons from Pakistan. We are stuck there until that is accomplished.

I do not think pulling out unilaterally is the best course of action. We already saw what happened when Obama pulled out of Iraq.

[Clarice Feldman]

MM, that was the original plan in Iraq00get Saddam and his henchmen and turn it over to the locals. Thank Colin Powell for persuading Bush otherwise and dragging this out.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Porchlight,

No it has not been confirmed anywhere, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was a little detail placed in a fake report to spot leakers.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Clarice,

Long ago, my heart sank when I saw that State was getting involved in Iraq. I knew nothing good would come of it.

[Barbara]

Right, Porchlight. I meant to mention that. Before the speech, that was the "inside" information on what the President would say.

I was relieved that he didn't say anything of the sort. It's more in keeping with his method of operation. So, someone either cooked up that number and fed it to the media, and/or it was never part of the President's plans in the first place. It might prove useful to find out who gave the media that figure.

[Old Lurker]

Words which should never be linked "Thank Colin Powell"

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Larry Schweikart‏ @LarrySchweikart 4m4 minutes ago

Yesterday's volunteer meeting to work the Trump event in Phoenix had more than double the numbers expected.

Yeah, he's "losing support"

=====================================

Meanwhile, Fox is ginning up interest in the potential for violence. I turned off the live feed due to the salivating over it.

It looks to me like the mayor has allowed protesters to get pretty close to the entrance of the auditorium, which means people will have to run a gauntlet of howling anti-Trump people. Also present will be Bikers for Trump for protection of Trump supporters, so the potential for fisticuffs looms large.

The Mayor should be chastised for not protecting citizens, if you ask me. I think the governor should call up the National Guard.

[Captain Hate]

Thank Colin Powell for persuading Bush otherwise and dragging this out.

So good to have that rancid turd on the outside, although him stabbing the Bushes in the back is funny in retrospect.

[Porchlight]

Agreed, MM and Barbara. I lean toward the "leak to catch leakers" theory. There were a number of players at Camp David a few days ago, and I'm betting not all of them (or their staffs) have been cleared as potential leakers.

[henry]

Oh, Russian collusion found. NY AG Schneiderman doing the colluding, not the finding.

[Captain Hate]

The Mayor should be chastised for not protecting citizens, if you ask me.

That ham faced loser's grin in the photo on an earlier thread reminded me of McOffal.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Let's all remember that before Bill Kristol backed John McCain in 2000, he spent MONTHS trying to get Colin Powell to run. Alma Powell dug her feet in because she was afraid for his safety.

It was only when Powell put the kabosh on the idea that Kristol went to McCain. And when Bush won, Kristol would meet with McCain in DC for nefarious plotting (they were spotted at a restaurant as regulars).

Which reminds me that ANY candidate or action that Kristol supports is pretty much a "no thanks" for me.

[Clarice Feldman]

If anyone can find out who did the Presidential approval poll touted by the waPo today and what the demographics were, I'd appreciate it. Probably Peter Hart (Hillary with a 13 pt lead) and well, you know hamburger helper polls they use as well as I do.

[narciso.]

The constanza of diplomacy

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/paul-pillar/netanyahus-priorities-us-responses-21979

[Abadman]

The problem is the terrain and lack of infrastructure. It is hard to have a central government when it takes hours if not days to get somewhere. It is even harder to project power. I'm not sure bigger is necessarily better in Afghanistan.

In my opinion we need to change our definition of winning. I think a lighter footprint with an emphasis on managing and monitoring local areas to reduce Taliban activity acknowledging it will not be eliminated.

This seemed to be the strategy in 2005 when I was there and at the time it seemed to be working. Or at least it wasn't worse than out current strategy.

Afghanistan is not going to be won with overwhelming strength of conventional forces. This should be obvious to anyone who has spent any time there away from Bagram or Kabul.

Just my opinion, and I'm Med Corps so what would I know

[Rocco]

Sure hope this whanon dude is for real

https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/6v84ps/whanon_on_pol_regarding_trump_speech_rally/

[Captain Hate]

I hope the Pillar column will stand alone as the dumbest thing I'll encounter today.

[narciso.]

The abc poll had an 11 point d advantage 33/22 and 42% independents that's some stroganoff noodles

[narciso.]

No bret Stephens did that today, comparing trump to pol pot, no one in his audience knows who pol pot is, use the night king, leader of the white walkers

[Dave (in MA)]

If Ralph Peters is against something, by definition it's the correct course of action.

I do like this quote, though:

"Those sailors did not have the
basic seamanship skills, but by God,
they got their sensitivity training,
they got their race relations training,
they got their sexual harassment training."

[narciso.]

I got that from here:

https://mobile.twitter.com/YossiGestetner/status/899767618277605381?p=v

[GUS]

A few weeks back WEE DOUCHE BAG was caught BY ME, pretending to be a different and friendly poster. In the NIGHT shift He slipped up, and I took him apart. He neglected to change his user name back and posted.
Anything this clown says is a lie.

Also,
Wasn't Afgan, the GOOD WAR, the RIGHT WAR, the WAR we MUST...UH uh uh uh uh uh uh uh OKIE DOKE, win???

[pagar, a bacon, ham and sausage supporter]

"I lack confidence in the top brass promoted during the BOzo years and now advising Trump."

Me too! DebinGa@10:10
----------------------
"Especially the part about changing those ridiculous Rules of Engagement that have evolved from bad to worse over the last fifteen years."

IMO, any one who was imprisoned under these bad ROE's should be released immediately because their sentence was totally under command influence.

[Jane (Stand against the Coup)]

DUdu that might be true, but Pelosi Schumer and you would demand that they lower the tax for congresspeople and make their insurance free. So you lose too.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Did you know the Saudis and the GCC have built up an impressive fighting force organized as small, independent units? Did you know they are beating the crap out of ISIS and are working with the Iraqi Army and the US Army?--

There is no question we and even at times the Iraqis and Afghans can kill lots of foot soldiers. [I remain unconvinced the Saudis have any impressive fighting forces, as would the Houthis in Yemen, but maybe they're making progress. It's still irrelevant and may in the long run be detrimental to us]
We killed gigantic masses of Koreans and Chinese and Vietnamese and still didn't win those wars.
The people we're killing are not threats to the US. The threat to the US is Saudi Arabia far more than the ISIS foat guckers. The threat is an expansionist Islam.
Unless and until we take on the seats of power in that expansionism; the Kingdom, Iran, Pakistan and now Turkey we are not fighting a winnable war if stopping the expansion of Islam is how we define victory. And that better be the definition because that is the threat and it always has been.
"Taking them on" doesn't mean destroying them but it does mean a credible threat exists that if they don't stop their expansionism they will be destroyed and imminently.

Europe is seemingly beyond hope and faces a different expansionism of mass migration largely from other countries than the big four. They have the means to end it obviously but it seems less and less likely they have the will.
We'll see.

[Marlene]

Good Morning! I'm dreading the return of Congress after Labor Day. They have 12 legislative days in September and we will know (if we don't already) how uncooperative the GOPe,Uniparty and other random a**holes will be in stifling Trump's agenda. Between Ryan's staged townhall with Tapper and the interview on MSNBC with Susan Collins,I'm in a mood. The only good thing about her interview is that it got lost in the eclipse excitement. We get it Susan,you don't like Trump,pander to the moonbats in southern Maine (sorry cboldt) and turn your back on the 2nd District,who by the way,voted for Trump.

[cboldt]

henry - good link to "Russian collusion fraud." Note that a good number of bigwig GOP are also beneficiaries. As long as the Russian money is funneled through a dual US/Russian citizen, all legal.

Rocco - I would expect a SC for Hillary announcement to come via more formal and less energetic channels. The rally tonight is officially part of the Trump campaign. I think the Reddit poster is winging it, and just hoping to be proven right. Do that enough times, and eventually you get a hit - like Jeane Dixon.

[Old Lurker]

No sweat, Marlene. In those 12 days they will get 13 appropriation bills and all other budget related matters signed into law and also an increase in the Debt Ceiling.

What? You doubt Paul Ryan and his 100 day plan?

[sbw]

Killing terrorists is one way to make them stop. Trump wants to to choke their logistics.

Freakonomics would say the goal is to make uncivil society more unprofitable than civil society. Trump would agree.

And likely will propose taking the profitability out of illegal drugs, too.

[cboldt]

marlene - I am confident that your neck of the woods is not moonbat free 😀

[Clarice Feldman]

Thank you for the link, narciso.

[henry]

Australian scientists figure most global warming is natural... not man made.

[narciso.]

You're welcome clarice:
https://www.forbes.com/profile/len-blavatnik/

After rosneft, tnk is the 3rd largest player in Russia, wonder who he sold it to.

[cboldt]

Rumor has it that tonight's rally carries a "heat on Congress" theme. 😋

[Rocco]

I've read numerous times that Gorka is whanon, although I've absolutely no idea if that's true. But I sure would love to hear some good news about a special council.

[narciso.]

The usual peanut gallery throws nuts

https://mobile.twitter.com/YossiGestetner/status/900009061390929921?p=v

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Ignatz,

I simply disagree with you. I do not see how we can take on an entire religion which happens to be the largest in the world. More important to me is getting the militant arm to stand down or face the opprobrium of their own people. Re-frame the fight as civilization vs. barbarism, which Trump has already begun to do.

Afghanistan is right next to Pakistan. ISIS has already gone in. I don't want those crazies getting their hands on nukes, which is not an unlikely scenario if we pull out.

[Marlene]

cboldt,I've been stuck in the cabin all summer until now,so I've been able to avoid people. :)
Tomorrow I'm going to start driving again,woo hoo! Hubby will only let me practice on the gravel road here in the woods for a few days.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

The regimes in Tehran, Riyadh, Ankara and Islamabad are not the religion. They are the militant arm and the engine driving the foot soldiers and the expansionism.

[narciso.]

What is gotnisch for a 1,000 Alex:

www.washingtonexaminer.com/democratic-senators-press-for-more-information-on-sebastian-gorkas-alleged-neo-nazi-ties/article/2632193

[cboldt]

MM - Christians still outnumber Muslims.
I don;t think framing the issue as civilized vs. barbarians is the only way, or even the best way. My view is that the religions represent different civilizations, and of course each civilization is entitled to find itself the superior one. An attempt to peacefully combine civilizations is doomed, and the side that sticks to its own "superiority complex" will be the ultimate victor.

That is roughly the basis for the FACT that the leaders of Western (what used to be Christian) civilization are deliberately committing that civilization to suicide. Their view of the future has no room for religion.

Anyway, if the PTB would decide to avoid mingling gasoline and air, the risk of explosion would not come to be.

[Buckeye]

And likely will propose taking the profitability out of illegal drugs, too.

I have often thought we should have made wiping out the poppy fields a top priority.

[Old Lurker]

Got some left over Agent Orange do you, Buckeye?

[rich]

>>>But I sure would love to hear some good news about a special council.

Posted by: Rocco | August 22, 2017 at 12:18 PM<<<

He is busy tightening the screws to Manafort and Page. Pretty sure there is some obscure Treasury form or FEC disclosure that wasn't filled out properly.

[Man Tran]

We spent some time hanging out with Peters a number of years ago. Like the NR gang in those days, he made a lot of sense. However, when I brought up the contractors like Blackwater, he went off like a Roman candle. He correctly noted that a lot of washouts drifted into that bunch, but my gut alarm went off like it was off kilter.

Foat guckers: definitely stealing that.

[rich]

mark me down as skeptical about the wh/anon ... hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.

[sbw]

we should have made wiping out the poppy fields a top priority

We did. Jacking up the price and profitability of what remains.

Economics 101.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Ignatz,

I just think you're wrong. Events will either bear me out or you.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

The Associated Press‏Verified account @AP

BREAKING: Court official: Attack suspect reveals terror cell wanted to strike Barcelona monuments, imam planned to self-immolate.
9:43 AM - 22 Aug 2017
===================

Well, what a coincidence.

[jimmyk]

Pretty sure there is some obscure Treasury form or FEC disclosure that wasn't filled out properly.

Didn't we learn from Comey that such carelessness is never prosecuted? You're not saying there's a different standard for Republicans, are you?

[Dave (in MA)]

.

[henry]

thanks Dave, ROFL!

[Clarice Feldman]

Well, WH Anon made a certain prediction:DJT would announce the appointment of a special counsel today. If he's right, he'll gain credibility. If he's wrong, he'll be discounted. Anyone recall any other wHAnon predictions? Did they prove right?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

LOL, Dave.

[Buckeye]

Got some left over Agent Orange do you, Buckeye?

Careful OL, you are going to get both of us inducted into the "Bad Boy Hall of Fame"

But yes, that was what I was thinking.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Clarice,

The only one I know is the indictment on the 27th of July of the Anwan guy.

I don't go to 4chan so I depend on running across stuff that is copied and posted n the Reddit site. I probably missed a bunch of stuff.

QUESTION: Can a special counsel be appointed in secrecy?

[GUS]

Rodham didn't INTEND to WIPE OUT OVER 30,000 EMAILS under subpoena, the BLEACH BIT was for NON-INTENT.

No reason to prosecute. Give all of her PEEPS immunity. FIXED. the 'MATTER' is closed.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

News aggregator with a pro-Trump outlook. You can also follow them on Twitter.

https://www.maga.land/

[Rocco]

Did he have this one right?

https://i.redd.it/vwojzqic089z.jpg

[exdemocrat]

more on Awangate:
http://truepundit.com/fbi-suspects-members-of-congress-leaked-grand-jury-indictment-to-the-awans-doj-officials-possibly-implicated-too/

[narciso.]

To show reacted the Catalan parliament, they will give a medal to the mosses who (franked)
The investigation up but not the guardian civil or the national police, which actually was trying to track the cell down from abc (the Spanish one)

[Extraneus]

I don't see how it's a special counsel announcement. For one thing, that wouldn't be announced by the president. More importantly, it wouldn't be announced to at a political rally.

I would expect more of a somber "We hoped to avoid this, but the evidence is too strong" kind of thing, in a closed room at the DoJ with Trump far away and able to claim to have read about it in the papers.

He could even use one of Obama's exact quotes, just for fun.

[narciso.]

So the fellow who makes this declaration effendi chemlal is a little like the Kevin spacey character in usual suspects. The other mckenzie bros, ourakbir admits he actually rented the car, his brothrt didn't steal the id

[narciso.]

Good grief

www.newsweek.com/online-hate-crimes-be-taken-just-seriously-real-life-offenses-england-wales-653097?utm_content=buff

[Old Lurker]

ExDem's 1:16 link reveals why we are so so happy with Sessions...

I know. 4D Chess. I keep forgetting.

[Old Lurker]

Adm Kirby in training perhaps:

Re the most recent of four collisions:

"A Navy official said budget cuts and fiscal uncertainty as a result of the Budget Control Act of 2011 limiting defense funds may be to blame.

"As a result of decades of not having a competitor to drive fleet focus, high tempo and fiscal uncertainty and under funding, we are seeing fraying in surface and aviation," the official said. "By this review, the CNO wants to see how bad it is and then quickly address it."

I guess "quickly address it" means before we hit double digits?

I guess wrecking $1.6B ships has no impact on those pesky budgets, right?

Femall.

[maryrose]

Awan- gate just keeps getting more convoluted.
Of course they were tipped off.
Top suspects: Meeks or DWS.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Old Lurker,

Am seeing more hints that compromised navigation systems might be involved. I am hopinig this is just the answer they are giving to make the press run off in that direction, since the thought that we have ships with useless electronics is pretty scary.

You can relieve a lot of admirals and captains and get new competence in place. I don't know what we do if the electronics has been compromised.

[Old Lurker]

MM, a) it is hard to figure how a hacked system could make all the electronics blind to nearby traffic, especially radar like used on every boat longer than about 20'. b) how many times have we been told that the navy posts, you know, human watchers looking in all directions just in case, you know, the fancy electronics get Game Boy'd. c) I remain dumbstruck that after the Fitzgerald another captain in the same regions would not have everybody on the lookout to ensure that he would not become the next former ship driver in the USN.

[matt, deplore me if you must]

I liked what I heard last night. Trump outlined a no nonsense approach that hold the Afghan and Pakistani governments to account. What I would expect out of Mattis, Kelly and the others.

One really doesn't want to mess with Mattis. he is out there trying his best to repair the damage done by Sec's Touchy and Feely.

"We are warfighters and wen win." We rain hell down upon our enemies, or let them know that if they test us we will. Very Big Stick. He needs to speak softly at some point, but even there, Trump's actions have been sound.

He called NATO on the carpet and then upped our contribution. he is trying to wean Western Europe off of Russian natural gas and give them options.

The military has lost a lot of its experienced warfighters, but I think we still have enough to make a difference in Afghanistan and the Tribal Areas. Catch them crossing the border and clear out their safe havens.

Basically Bush and Obama would not go into Cambodia, if you will. I think Trump will give DoD the leeway to do so if they must. Socom's, Drones, attack aircraft. Like what they are doing in Iraq, which looks to be working.

BTW, the Iraqis last week asked the Iranians to butt out of their country. I don't know if you caught that. We'll see what happens, but even the Shia are sick of being Iranian tools.

All of these things have developed since January.

Israeli-Arab cooperation, marginalizing Erdogan, renewed hope and on the ground results in Iraq and against ISIS in Syria. All of these strategies have been supported by this administration. Not a peep recently out of the Russians over Syria, either. lately.

But wait! Statues!

[sbw]

I don't know what we do if the electronics has been compromised.

Sextants.

Not really. Inertial navigation systems like submarines use.

[narciso.]

Its certainly a factor, which twit thought the defense cuts were a great idea, was that Garfield or mcturtle, now who leaked this slide:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4812956/McMaster-lobbied-Trump-Afghanistan-miniskirt-photo.html

[RattlerGator]

In my opinion we need to change our definition of winning. I think a lighter footprint with an emphasis on managing and monitoring local areas to reduce Taliban activity acknowledging it will not be eliminated.

[ ]

Just my opinion, and I'm Med Corps so what would I know

Posted by: Abadman | August 22, 2017 at 11:25 AM

You realize you've already received your wish, right? Iggy seems to be overlooking this, too. These areas of responsibility -- with economic consequences for failure to be constructive, as defined by the United States, that is long overdue.

And it is controlled by the President -- Congress trying to screw that up will be very problematic for them. Special interests trying to screw that up will be very problematic for the special interests when you have an administration that knows how to play the perceptions game and punch back much harder than it was punched.

All in all, I'm feeling pretty damn good the way this is shaking out.

[Captain Hate]

Upping the ante, YouFools?

http://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=371230

[Captain Hate]

Is TruePundit a reliable site? I'm tired of getting burned by some of the shit that gets linked.

[cboldt]

CH - I take TruePundit as a junk site. Not saying everything there is junk, just giving a few word description of my impression, which is based on checking some of the claims made from there, over the past half a year or so.

[henry]

RG, our Chitown Lurker warns "abadman" is our troll.

[RattlerGator]

Oh, hell.

[Captain Hate]

Thank you, cboldt.

[narciso.]

The parallels are clear

https://sethfrantzman.com/2017/08/19/from-charlottesville-to-barcelona-same-hate-different-narratives-implications/

[Rocco]

Not too comforting. Five years ago researchers at Texas University hijacked a drone by feeding it false GPS information and coordinates.

http://mashable.com/2012/09/18/defense-contractor-gps/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29#M85m56UQuuq5