Four Star Fools

I just watched the joint News Conference of Secretary of Defense (Retired Four Star) Lloyd Austin and The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A Miley.

My conclusion is they are both naive about the Taliban’s intentions in Afghanistan. They keep insisting that the Afghan Army is well equipped and well trained. Really?

Just wait until the Taliban starts dragging their wives and children out into the street and slitting their throats. Just wait until every government official fears opening any door or starting any car out of fear of being blown to bits. Just wait until the Mullahs denounce the current Government and order the Muslim population to join in the fight to topple it.

Regardless of their qualifications, it seems to me that these two men are looking through rose colored glasses. They have a naive view of the type of ruthless behavior that these Taliban fighters, or any other Muslim related militia groups, can exhibit.

This time next year I believe the Taliban will be back in charge, and Afghanistan will continue to be a shithole training camp for any terrorist group that hates the United States.

These two 4 stars are as naive about the Taliban as our leaders were in 1969 in Vietnam.

Don’t get me wrong. These men are in a no win situation. Regardless of who is President, Secretary State, or what ever, the minute we are out, Afghanistan will return to the same Muslim Shithole it has been for centuries.

Agree to a degree. Real question is are you willing, or willing to send your 18 year old son there to fight and maybe not come home?

The armed forces today are volunteers. You may be to young to rember that in the Nam era there was a DRAFT. Be careful what you wish for.

Agree to a degree. Real question is are you willing, or willing to send your 18 year old son there to fight and maybe not come home?

The armed forces today are volunteers. You may be to young to rember that in the Nam era there was a DRAFT. Be careful what you wish for. Originally Posted by reddog1951

i can assure you Jackie is old enough. and so am i. i was within 3 years of turning 18 and Vietnam being an active US military campaign. all my older cousins either joined the Air Force or Navy when they knew their number was coming up to avoid the Army and Marines.

Agree to a degree. Real question is are you willing, or willing to send your 18 year old son there to fight and maybe not come home?

The armed forces today are volunteers. You may be to young to rember that in the Nam era there was a DRAFT. Be careful what you wish for. Originally Posted by reddog1951

Are you aware that combat operations in Afghanistan ended in 2014?


https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/27/w...ghanistan.html


3 U.S. Soldiers Died in Afghanistan: Why This Fight Drags On

In 2015, 10 American troops were killed; nine were killed in 2016; and 11 in 2017. In 2018 so far, 12 American soldiers have died in combat in Afghanistan along with four other coalition soldiers.



Instead of spreading tens of thousands of troops across the country, patrolling and fighting militant groups from small outposts, the new approach means the American military stays mostly behind the front lines, relying on Afghan troops, American airstrikes and special operations forces to hold territory.

Of course every American soldiers death is a tragic loss but the risk reward ratio, is now better than it ever was in the past.

What reward you ask? That the Taliban can be held back from total control of the country which is what will happen ( I predict ) before 2021 ends. When, not if, the Taliban retake Kabul, we will see a bloodbath that will shock the conscience. The Taliban will return to their war on women and we will be able to do nothing but sit and watch.

I was against "street patrols" in Afghanistan and Iraq for that matter, from the beginning of both wars. I won't get into what we could have, should have done different.

Right now, since combat operations have halted for the last 7 years, our training and air power have kept the Taliban at bay.

But now we are not only removing our trainers but we are removing all air power that that is the biggest mistake we are making. With no air support, the Taliban fighters will severely out number government forces and as we have seen over the last few days, government forces are either surrendering to the Taliban or fleeing into Pakistan.

In my opinion and that opinion is mostly based on what retired 4 star General Jack Keane says, which is that we should have kept the Bagram Air base and continue to fly in support of the Afghan forces.

Without that air support, there is no hope at all that the government can hold back the Taliban.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/gen-keane-biden-wrong-on-lack-of-mission-accomplished-but-right-on-public-view-of-afghan-war

Keane also reacted to Biden speaking Thursday about how he does not want to send "another generation" to a war that has "no reasonable expectation of achieving a different outcome" than the one at present. The president reportedly added that the Taliban is not strong enough at this point to retake Afghanistan as it had prior to U.S. and NATO involvement.
The Fox News contributor suggested Biden appeared to be half-right.

"Frankly I disagree with that," Keane said. "Here's why. The president is right. We have not been fighting on the ground in Afghanistan since 2014 when we ended combat operations. What have we been doing? Very robustly we have been providing an intelligence capability to the same forces he referenced, the 300,000.

"But here's the kicker. We have been providing decisive air power. [The Afghans are] the ground force and we're providing the air power to stop the Taliban."
Keane said Biden has essentially misjudged that. By removing all troops, including air support for Afghan militia, he takes away the major defense against the Taliban retaking Kabul or worse. Without proper air power, the infantries may soon not be able to withstand Taliban insurgence.

"The Taliban will begin to mass at some point to take down the major cities in Afghanistan. They're holding back now until the United States is all gone. Then we'll see that. That is when air power would be incredibly effective and decisive to be able to stop that," the former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army added.

I just watched the joint News Conference of Secretary of Defense (Retired Four Star) Lloyd Austin and The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A Miley.

My conclusion is they are both naive about the Taliban’s intentions in Afghanistan. They keep insisting that the Afghan Army is well equipped and well trained. Really?

Just wait until the Taliban starts dragging their wives and children out into the street and slitting their throats. Just wait until every government official fears opening any door or starting any car out of fear of being blown to bits. Just wait until the Mullahs denounce the current Government and order the Muslim population to join in the fight to topple it.

Regardless of their qualifications, it seems to me that these two men are looking through rose colored glasses. They have a naive view of the type of ruthless behavior that these Taliban fighters, or any other Muslim related militia groups, can exhibit.

This time next year I believe the Taliban will be back in charge, and Afghanistan will continue to be a shithole training camp for any terrorist group that hates the United States.

These two 4 stars are as naive about the Taliban as our leaders were in 1969 in Vietnam.

Don’t get me wrong. These men are in a no win situation. Regardless of who is President, Secretary State, or what ever, the minute we are out, Afghanistan will return to the same Muslim Shithole it has been for centuries. Originally Posted by Jackie S

Agreed.
We should have
1) been more aggressive in getting UBL
2) left the area shortly after getting UBL
3) Greatly modified the ROE

Agree to a degree. Real question is are you willing, or willing to send your 18 year old son there to fight and maybe not come home?

The armed forces today are volunteers. You may be to young to rember that in the Nam era there was a DRAFT. Be careful what you wish for. Originally Posted by reddog1951

Your point? Approximately 2000 servicemen had combat related deaths in 20 years in Afghanistan. This is a historically low number. Should it have been lower? Yes. Did the mainstream media, the Democrats and Republicans have the stomach to make it lower? No.

The Doctor who confirmed UBL's location and helped the CIA is still in a Pakistan prison serving a 20 year term last I checked.

Point is, if you go to war, go to war to win. Otherwise, it continues to smolder until you decide it isn't worth it any more. We won WWII because we had the will and means to decimate the enemy (as an aside, the defeated side became our allies in historically short order). Korea, different story (not present during that time), but Nam was a disaster...different terrain, different "rules" and we lost because we didn't want/need to win.

Mideast, Afghanistan et al problem has gone on for centuries and US doesnt have the resolve to decimate to win (nor any other country, I think). They are zealots, we're not unless directly threatened. Yeah, nuke them and see where that goes.

If Taliban, or other fanatics attack or pose a direct threat to US, definitely take them out with appropriate response. Otherwise, it's their turf problem.

Otherwise, reinstitute the draft (I'm too old and safe) and fight to win by decimation.

'r' - I also lived through Nam - but did not serve.

I agree with you. Good post of common sense.
As I have previously written - Afghanistan is a hell hole which kicked out brits, russians, and us.

The only thing they like better than killing each other , is killing outsiders.



Count on a Civil war bloodbath from the Taliban - they did it after the russian left - and will do it again.

Leave them to their own violent devices - tand if they chooe to act out against America - find teh actors - as we did UBL - and kill them.

send a message

But fiden would much rather pay them than stand up for America and Americans peoples.

he just gave Iran carte blanche to create nuclear weapons.

End game there - Israel will protect itself and nuke Iran first.

Pray it does not escalate, as did teh assassination of ArchDuke Ferdinand in Sarajevo that precipitated WW1

https://youtu.be/u79_zYmMEVo

Agree to a degree. Real question is are you willing, or willing to send your 18 year old son there to fight and maybe not come home?

The armed forces today are volunteers. You may be to young to rember that in the Nam era there was a DRAFT. Be careful what you wish for. Originally Posted by reddog1951

I am getting close to 75 years old. I was drafted before my 19th birthday. I was sent to Vietnam where I received terrible wounds on my lower legs.

I earned the right to call out our top military men.

Web can not cure the ills in Countries where religious fervor rules peoples lives. The Muslims really believe that shit. And most are willing to die in the name of their Diety.

JS - god Bless you for your service - good Sir!!

I just watched the joint News Conference of Secretary of Defense (Retired Four Star) Lloyd Austin and The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A Miley.



This time next year I believe the Taliban will be back in charge, and Afghanistan will continue to be a shithole training camp for any terrorist group that hates the United States.
Originally Posted by Jackie S

So the Proud Boys will be setting up shop there? The CIA and Special Ops will take 'em out with surgical drone strikes...will be easy to trace with their individual fruit pie wrappers littering the trails.

We can not cure the ills in Countries where religious fervor rules peoples lives. The Muslims really believe that shit. And most are willing to die in the name of their Diety. Originally Posted by Jackie S

I agree. Pashtuns are crazy MF’rs and there’s nothing we can do to uncrazy them. Cultural norms there are SO different than in the west that they think we’re the crazy ones.

And thanks for your service.

So the Proud Boys will be setting up shop there? The CIA and Special Ops will take 'em out with surgical drone strikes...will be easy to trace with their individual fruit pie wrappers littering the trails. Originally Posted by matchingmole

your ability to draw in ridiculous parallels never ceases to amaze me.

your ability to draw in ridiculous parallels never ceases to amaze me. Originally Posted by The_Waco_Kid

"any terrorist group that hates the United States"======Proud Boys

"any terrorist group that hates the United States"======Proud Boys Originally Posted by matchingmole

oh yeah. we've got to watch out for those Proud Boys. they are everywhere! such a huge threat to America...


The total number of Proud Boys members is unknown. Reports estimate membership between several hundred up to 6,000.[62][63][64] In July 2018, the Proud Boys L.A. branch had 160 members and up to 300 pending applicants, according to the unidentified Proud Boys L.A. president.[65]



between them and the KKK you might be able to fill a small basketball arena.



they are also anti-fapping. but they had to amend that to "once a month" .. does that make them "progressive"?



.. and a pledge not to masturbate.[12][56][57][58][59][60] The masturbation policy was later modified to read: "no heterosexual brother of the Fraternity shall masturbate more than one time in any calendar month"


BAHHAAAA