How does a war end?

Gerald · 10-12-12, 02:35 PM

Afghan, U.S. troops at Jaghatu Outpost. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/For The Post)

Quote:

JAGHATU, Afghanistan — The platoon sergeant poses a simple question to the men of 3rd Platoon: “What do you consider success on a mission?”There is an uneasy silence in the dark chow tent. In a few months, the U.S. Army will bulldoze its portion of the base, part of America’s slow withdrawal of combat forces from Afghanistan. All that will remain here in this isolated place is a small Afghan army camp and a mostly empty government building with a mortar hole in its roof, the sum total of 11 years of U.S. counterinsurgency efforts in this district 65 miles south of Kabul.

Quote:

Sgt. Gary M. Waugh, a soldier on his second Afghan tour, takes a stab at answering the question. “Us not doing a thing,” he says. “Not firing our weapon.”A few of the soldiers rest their chins on the butts of their rifles. A diesel generator drones in the background as the platoon sergeant surveys his men.

“Right answer,” he replies.America’s war in Afghanistan has consumed close to $500 billion and cost more than 2,000 American lives. By December 2014, the last American combat troops are scheduled to leave the country. American-led combat operations are expected to finish by the middle of next year. But the war is already ending at little outposts throughout Afghanistan as the U.S. military thins its ranks and tears down bases.

How does a war end? In Jaghatu, these soldiers are learning one way. It ends with resignation, isolation, boredom and the soldiers of 3rd Platoon striding out of the chow tent and into the bright light of a warm September day. Now that they had defined mission success they had another question: What exactly was the mission anymore?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...0a9_story.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...9_gallery.html

Note: 7:30 PM ET

Oberon · 10-12-12, 03:25 PM

If it can end without the same sort of scenes as was seen in Saigon in 1975, then I think we can be considered lucky. Since the Taliban isn't an organised army in the manner the NVA was then I think it'll be a fairly organised handover of control. Followed by about two years of insurgency, a civil war, and the collapse of government back into the hands of the Taliban...well...I say two years, it could be two months, but I think that if the Taliban move that quickly then the USAF will have some work given to it.
Either which way, this isn't the end of the war, it's just another phase in it. There's still going to be Allied troops in Afghanistan, not as many, but they're still going to be there and they're still going to get killed.

eddie · 10-12-12, 03:43 PM

If the Afghans don't want the Taliban to take over again, then they better fight! Its not our job to stay there forever, nor the UK's or any other Ally who has men and women serving there.

BossMark · 10-12-12, 03:46 PM

Not sure at all how this is going end at all, but its about time our troops were with drawn as it is a total senseless loss of young life.

GT182 · 10-12-12, 04:55 PM

I say it ends by the US finally learning one lesson..... Stay out of a war you know you can never win. The Russians finally learnt that after 20 years of a fight they couldn't win. Too bad we didn't learn that from them and Viet Nam.

Takeda Shingen · 10-12-12, 05:24 PM

This should never have gotten to the point we are at now. Our reason for going into Afghanistan was to get the people behind 9/11. What it became was another nation-building exercise and we all can see how those end up. Once we turned that corner, this sort of end was inevitable. All the bad guys had to do was sit back and wait for us to leave, which they did. We can give a date for withdraw or not, it doesn't matter. They've got eyes on the ground and can see us leave.

Jimbuna · 10-12-12, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddie

If the Afghans don't want the Taliban to take over again, then they better fight! Its not our job to stay there forever, nor the UK's or any other Ally who has men and women serving there.

Precisely....leave them to what they are are prepared to stand up for.

Oberon · 10-12-12, 07:35 PM

I found this an interesting read when it came up on the BBC a while ago:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19634728

Let's hope that this go around lessons have been learnt and will stay learnt.

eddie · 10-12-12, 08:15 PM

Thanks for that Oberon, a very good read!

TLAM Strike · 10-12-12, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

I found this an interesting read when it came up on the BBC a while ago:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19634728

Let's hope that this go around lessons have been learnt and will stay learnt.

Very good article there Oberon, I agree with him.

All we have given the Afghan people is that we have removed a sadistic, Islamist government and replaced it with a corrupt and incompetent Islamist government.

em2nought · 10-12-12, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

Let's hope that this go around lessons have been learnt and will stay learnt.

LMFAO

10-12-12, 03:43 PM	#3
eddie Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,023 Downloads: 99 Uploads: 0	If the Afghans don't want the Taliban to take over again, then they better fight! Its not our job to stay there forever, nor the UK's or any other Ally who has men and women serving there. __________________ Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. I'm kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not what you are going to remember about me. Al Capone

10-12-12, 03:46 PM	#4
BossMark Fleet Admiral Join Date: May 2011 Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire Posts: 15,272 Downloads: 278 Uploads: 0	Not sure at all how this is going end at all, but its about time our troops were with drawn as it is a total senseless loss of young life. __________________ Never trust the Tories look what Thatcher and Major did in the 80s and 90s and look what the wicked witch May is doing now doing now Last edited by BossMark; 10-13-12 at 02:14 AM.

10-12-12, 04:55 PM	#5
GT182 Ocean Warrior Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Castle of Delaware Posts: 3,231 Downloads: 658 Uploads: 0	I say it ends by the US finally learning one lesson..... Stay out of a war you know you can never win. The Russians finally learnt that after 20 years of a fight they couldn't win. Too bad we didn't learn that from them and Viet Nam. __________________ Gary No Borders, No Language, No Culture =s No Country I'm a Deplorable, and proud of it.

10-12-12, 08:15 PM	#9
eddie Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,023 Downloads: 99 Uploads: 0	Thanks for that Oberon, a very good read! __________________ Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. I'm kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not what you are going to remember about me. Al Capone

10-12-12, 03:25 PM	#2
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	If it can end without the same sort of scenes as was seen in Saigon in 1975, then I think we can be considered lucky. Since the Taliban isn't an organised army in the manner the NVA was then I think it'll be a fairly organised handover of control. Followed by about two years of insurgency, a civil war, and the collapse of government back into the hands of the Taliban...well...I say two years, it could be two months, but I think that if the Taliban move that quickly then the USAF will have some work given to it. Either which way, this isn't the end of the war, it's just another phase in it. There's still going to be Allied troops in Afghanistan, not as many, but they're still going to be there and they're still going to get killed.

10-12-12, 05:24 PM	#6
Takeda Shingen Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 8,643 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	This should never have gotten to the point we are at now. Our reason for going into Afghanistan was to get the people behind 9/11. What it became was another nation-building exercise and we all can see how those end up. Once we turned that corner, this sort of end was inevitable. All the bad guys had to do was sit back and wait for us to leave, which they did. We can give a date for withdraw or not, it doesn't matter. They've got eyes on the ground and can see us leave.

10-12-12, 07:35 PM	#8
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	I found this an interesting read when it came up on the BBC a while ago: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19634728 Let's hope that this go around lessons have been learnt and will stay learnt.