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The Thunder Run's From the Front for 06/19/2009 highlights:
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Sarah who writes: trying to grok posits an observation and an interesting question about Afghanistan:
She asks for your thoughts....
- David M
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The Thunder Run's From the Front for 06/19/2009 highlights:
AND MORE... - David MBill Roggio: US strikes target Mullah Nazir in South Waziristan
MAJ Daneker - My Point of View: Worst. Duststorm. Ever.
The Stone Report: Let’s have a Parade
Notes From Iraq: 18JUN09--Sandfall
Sorority Soldier: Don’t Take Life Sitting Down
British Forces Return Hotel to Iraqi Officials
IA Officers Complete Development Course
Joint Operations Center Nears Completion
Army Commander Meets With Shaykhs
Pentagon Admits Some Responsibility in Afghan Incident, But No Disciplinary Action Planned
U.S. Afghan plan has risks for troops, politicians
Afghan President's Alliances With Warlords Raise Concerns
US airstrikes, Pakistan military kill 43 Taliban
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Sarah who writes: trying to grok posits an observation and an interesting question about Afghanistan:
I've just never bought into the idea that Afghanistan is the "good war." My husband has actually had someone say to him that at least his upcoming deployment is to Afghanistan, which serves a purpose and has meaning, unlike Iraq. I wholeheartedly reject that idea. I also disagree vehemently with Pres Obama when he said, "Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice..." As Neal Boortz said recently, all wars are a choice.
I've been thinking about Afghanistan a lot lately, and I have a hard time feeling good about my husband going there. Frankly, I am not convinced that country deserves his effort.
Even if you disagree with the shifting goals in Iraq, at least most people can articulate what they were: finding WMDs, bringing democracy, leaving Iraq with some sort of intact system of government. Can the layman come up with any proposed goal in Afghanistan? I can't, other than, um, kill al Qaeda?
And maybe that in itself is the goal.
She asks for your thoughts....
- David M
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*A term of art from the artillery. Harassment and Interdiction Fires. Back in the day, when you could just kill people and break things without a note from a lawyer, they were pre-planned, but to the enemy, random, fires at known gathering points, road junctions, Main Supply Routes, assembly areas, etc - to keep the bad guy nervous that the world around him might start exploding at any minute. Not really relevant to today's operating environment, right? But, it *is. The UAVs we fly over Afghanistan and Pakistan looking for targets of opportunity are a form of H&I fires, if you really want to parse it finely. We just have better sensors and fire control now. Of course, now I have to call them UAS's, because someone got a Legion of Merit for the name change.Anyway, I call the post H&I Fires because it's random things posted by me and people I've given posting privileges to that particular topic. Another term of art that might be appropriate is Free Fire Zone.
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