How We Lost the War We Won: A journey into Taliban-controlled Afghanistan

[Mythos]

Interesting article.

Now, you may not agree with the conclusions of the writer (personally, I believe he is right) but it makes for interesting reading on Afghanistan. Especially how the "new" Taliban are much more loose on issues like women education and work, technology etc. Also, a lot of them seem to believe that the leadership of the Taliban should not necessarily go to Omar again. The senior commanders believe that winning this war is going to take time and sound committed to actually following the schedule.

[Zephyrus]

Forces with their hands tied behind their backs. They are sitting ducks so i'm not surprised.

[Heinz Guderian]

I had no idea RollingStone published articles like this.

[Siblesz]

Quite a nice article. Perfect summary of the severity of the situation.

[Clouse123456]

Wow afganistan prepares for the status Quo.Back to openly stoning women again! Anyone here find the America giving up on this region a good thing?

[Gauvin]

How We Lost the War We Won
A journey into Taliban-controlled Afghanistan

NIR ROSEN

Posted Oct 30, 2008 9:19 AM

!?

[Captain Jin]

We lost? I'm pretty sure it's still going on.

[Treize]

The only way to win an assimetrical war is by shooting everything to pieces (chechenia) or do as the enemy want's (ireland).

[craziii]

The only way to win an assimetrical war is by shooting everything to pieces (chechenia) or do as the enemy want's (ireland).

quoted for the truth, just like vietnam. but even then, usa still lost. I mean, can we commit genocide to win the war?

[christof139]

quoted for the truth, just like vietnam. but even then, usa still lost. I mean, can we commit genocide to win the war?

USA did not lose the military war in Vietnam but lost the political war and the realization that the war was not necessary to begin with had a lot to do with the USA withdrawal. The war was a result of the Cold War and was a mess that shouldn't have happened to begin with. The OSS, forerunner of the CIA, that had worked with Ho Chi Minh against the japanese during WWII advises our governemnt to support HO when the French were defeated and withdrew from Vietnam. Due to Cold War paranoia and politics we unfortunately did not do this.

Chris

[Heinz Guderian]

USA did not lose the military war in Vietnam but lost the political war and the realization that the war was not necessary to begin with had a lot to do with the USA withdrawal. The war was a result of the Cold War and was a mess that shouldn't have happened to begin with. The OSS, forerunner of the CIA, that had worked with Ho Chi Minh against the japanese during WWII advises our governemnt to support HO when the French were defeated and withdrew from Vietnam. Due to Cold War paranoia and politics we unfortunately did not do this.

Chris

You lost in Vietnam to guys in straw hats.

[touchmaster]

USA did not lose the military war in Vietnam but lost the political war and the realization that the war was not necessary to begin with had a lot to do with the USA withdrawal. The war was a result of the Cold War and was a mess that shouldn't have happened to begin with. The OSS, forerunner of the CIA, that had worked with Ho Chi Minh against the japanese during WWII advises our governemnt to support HO when the French were defeated and withdrew from Vietnam. Due to Cold War paranoia and politics we unfortunately did not do this.

Chris

History is gonna repeat it's self in 2 weeks. ^_^

[Captain Jin]

That's not true at all.

[Faramir D'Andunie]

Interesting read, +rep for finding it. Seems this whole conflict is reaching a stalemate. I wonder who will profit from that.:hmmm:

I am starting to believe the theory of 9/11 beeing an attempt of Al-Qaeda to drive US into a war in Afganistan and pull a..hmm... how to say it...the soviet kind of defeat there.

[Captain Jin]

Except we're not losing by any means. The taliban clash with our forces daily and get handled but the issue has always been that there isn't enough troops there to conduct offensive operations and then follow on missions afterward. IE you can push them back and take their ground but ISAF was too spread thin. The USMC is diverting almost every Marine unit now from Iraq to Afghanistan and I guarantee you'll see massive impact from the boost in troops in Afghan, especially because its the Marine Corps who is particularly good at fighting guerilla warfare.

[Siblesz]

Except we're not losing by any means. The taliban clash with our forces daily and get handled but the issue has always been that there isn't enough troops there to conduct offensive operations and then follow on missions afterward. IE you can push them back and take their ground but ISAF was too spread thin. The USMC is diverting almost every Marine unit now from Iraq to Afghanistan and I guarantee you'll see massive impact from the boost in troops in Afghan, especially because its the Marine Corps who is particularly good at fighting guerilla warfare.

You didn't read the article, did you?

[humvee2800]

Shafiq laughs. "The Russians were stronger than the Americans," he says. "More fierce. We will put the Americans in their graves."

So strong they lost many times more men and acheived far less with far more casualties on the afghan civilian side, riiight.

[Guderian's Duck]

Amazing read.

[Garrigan]

Except we're not losing by any means. The taliban clash with our forces daily and get handled but the issue has always been that there isn't enough troops there to conduct offensive operations and then follow on missions afterward. IE you can push them back and take their ground but ISAF was too spread thin. The USMC is diverting almost every Marine unit now from Iraq to Afghanistan and I guarantee you'll see massive impact from the boost in troops in Afghan, especially because its the Marine Corps who is particularly good at fighting guerilla warfare.

Sure, most ground confrontations will be one by US forces. But thats not enough. Afghanistan is notoriously hard to subdue, I dont think the forces there will be able to subdue the Taliban. Military might isnt good enough for this conflict I'm afraid.

[Mythos]

I am starting to believe the theory of 9/11 beeing an attempt of Al-Qaeda to drive US into a war in Afganistan and pull a..hmm... how to say it...the soviet kind of defeat there.

It's not a theory. Even bin Laden admitted that this was the plan from the start.