Al-Qaida At Its Weakest?

krashkart · 06-27-10, 12:36 PM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100627/...us_afghanistan

Quote:

WASHINGTON – CIA Director Leon Panetta said Sunday that al-Qaida is probably at its weakest since the Sept. 11 attacks because of U.S.-led strikes, with only 50 to 100 militants operating inside Afghanistan and the rest hiding along Pakistan's mountainous western border.
[...]
"We are engaged in the most aggressive operations in the history of the CIA in that part of the world, and the result is that we are disrupting their leadership," Panetta told ABC's "This Week."

I'm not sure whether to believe it. When this kind of good news comes along I usually get a sense that something isn't going right.

Skybird · 06-27-10, 12:45 PM

TV news just one hour ago. This month has been the most lethal for NATO in Afghanistan since the Afghanistan mission began. the enemy has grown so strong that a planned offensive got delayed. Obama's timetable to withdraw US troops, is openly put into doubt.

Trapped in the Afghan maze.

krashkart · 06-27-10, 12:51 PM

Obama made a promise that he could not keep, he had no idea what kind of a mess he would inherit. I have serious doubts that we'll be making any major withdrawals from the region in the next decade. Willingly, that is.

Tchocky · 06-27-10, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skybird

TV news just one hour ago. This month has been the most lethal for NATO in Afghanistan since the Afghanistan mission began. the enemy has grown so strong that a planned offensive got delayed. Obama's timetable to withdraw US troops, is openly put into doubt.

Trapped in the Afghan maze.

Taliban, surely.

Jimbuna · 06-27-10, 01:59 PM

I must admit, reading the CIA statement and seeing what is on the UK news does not help me make an informed choice as to whether the CIA statement is accurate or not.....I hope it is

gimpy117 · 06-27-10, 04:37 PM

Im sad to say that fighting Guerrillas didn't work in Vietnam and it still doesn't work today. Radical Islam is an idea not an army...and as long as they have the will there will always be a fanatic willing to pick up a gun, no matter how many tanks and jets we have.

Admiral8Q · 06-27-10, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gimpy117

Im sad to say that fighting Guerrillas didn't work in Vietnam and it still doesn't work today. Radical Islam is an idea not an army...and as long as they have the will there will always be a fanatic willing to pick up a gun, no matter how many tanks and jets we have.

I have to agree with you.

Skybird · 06-27-10, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tchocky

Taliban, surely.

Does it matter?

Afghanistan was not invaded over the Taliban, but Al Quaeda, btw.

I am about the timing of this message: claimed success regarding Al Quaeda when Afghanistan seems to be worse than ever.

krashkart · 06-27-10, 05:07 PM

Pitchin' it to the people. Washington would have us believe that there is still progress being made in Afghanistan. Still, I wonder what the numbers of dead look like on both sides. For nearly tens years of war (on two fronts, even) the US isn't doing too badly as far as combat fatalities.

Marka Ragnos · 06-27-10, 05:20 PM

And where is Bin Laden he has alluded capture for almost 10 years now.

I'm not an american (sadly) but i have alot of respect for the soldiers that fight everyday in a war they cannot win. America can bring down almost any government on this planet but you cannot bring down a religion with force.

That said, better over there then on american soil right? Everyday is a victory.

gimpy117 · 06-27-10, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krashkart

Pitchin' it to the people. Washington would have us believe that there is still progress being made in Afghanistan. Still, I wonder what the numbers of dead look like on both sides. For nearly tens years of war (on two fronts, even) the US isn't doing too badly as far as combat fatalities.

no there has been no progress. the fact that the taliban is back means that we have digressed. We diverted out attention to a pointless war (iraq) that really had nothing to with terrorism OR the taliban, and while we were napping they moved back in and made themselves at home. All because Bush wanted to finish his daddy's war and make the old man proud

Skybird · 06-27-10, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marka Ragnos

And where is Bin Laden he has alluded capture for almost 10 years now.

Rumour is he retired from terror business and now works as a BP engineer in the Mexican Gulf.

krashkart · 06-27-10, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skybird

Rumour is he retired from terror business and now works as a BP engineer in the Mexican Gulf.

So that's what happened, eh?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marka Ragnos

That said, better over there then on american soil right? Everyday is a victory.

Even better would be to keep it off everybody's soil that doesn't want it there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gimpy117

no there has been no progress. the fact that the taliban is back means that we have digressed. We diverted out attention to a pointless war (iraq) that really had nothing to with terrorism OR the taliban, and while we were napping they moved back in and made themselves at home. All because Bush wanted to finish his daddy's war and make the old man proud

I dunno. There's a Nat'l Guard unit that's learning pre-industrial farming techniques so that they can teach it to Afghani farmers. At least it's a step in the right direction. Making Afghanistan a safe haven for Western ideology, on the other hand... I think we'll be lucky to establish that in the first place.

Platapus · 06-27-10, 07:11 PM

I still have the same questions I wanted to ask President Bush.

1. What is the objective or objectives for the AF Conflict?

2. How will we measure success or failure with regard to those objectives?

3. What is the exit criteria for success or failure in the AF Conflict?

The most important is, of course, the first question.

Never got an answer from President Bush and still have not gotten an answer from President Obama on this.

TarJak · 06-27-10, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

I still have the same questions I wanted to ask President Bush.

1. What is the objective or objectives for the AF Conflict?

2. How will we measure success or failure with regard to those objectives?

3. What is the exit criteria for success or failure in the AF Conflict?

The most important is, of course, the first question.

Never got an answer from President Bush and still have not gotten an answer from President Obama on this.

I know I'll get flamed for this but the answer to Q1 is simple: The objective of the conflict in AF is to make the American people feel like they are doing something in response to the threat of terrorism.

The corresponding answers after that are:

By the Presidential popularity ratings.

When the US people realise there ain't much point being there any more and kick up enough fuss for the President to pull the troops out.

06-27-10, 12:45 PM	#2
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,604 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	TV news just one hour ago. This month has been the most lethal for NATO in Afghanistan since the Afghanistan mission began. the enemy has grown so strong that a planned offensive got delayed. Obama's timetable to withdraw US troops, is openly put into doubt. Trapped in the Afghan maze. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

06-27-10, 12:51 PM	#3
krashkart Navy Seal Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 5,292 Downloads: 100 Uploads: 0	Obama made a promise that he could not keep, he had no idea what kind of a mess he would inherit. I have serious doubts that we'll be making any major withdrawals from the region in the next decade. Willingly, that is. __________________ sent from my fingertips using a cheap keyboard

06-27-10, 01:59 PM	#5
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,473 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	I must admit, reading the CIA statement and seeing what is on the UK news does not help me make an informed choice as to whether the CIA statement is accurate or not.....I hope it is __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

06-27-10, 04:37 PM	#6
gimpy117 Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Kalamazoo, MI Posts: 3,243 Downloads: 108 Uploads: 0	Im sad to say that fighting Guerrillas didn't work in Vietnam and it still doesn't work today. Radical Islam is an idea not an army...and as long as they have the will there will always be a fanatic willing to pick up a gun, no matter how many tanks and jets we have. __________________ Member of the Subsim Zombie Army

06-27-10, 05:07 PM	#9
krashkart Navy Seal Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 5,292 Downloads: 100 Uploads: 0	Pitchin' it to the people. Washington would have us believe that there is still progress being made in Afghanistan. Still, I wonder what the numbers of dead look like on both sides. For nearly tens years of war (on two fronts, even) the US isn't doing too badly as far as combat fatalities. __________________ sent from my fingertips using a cheap keyboard

06-27-10, 05:20 PM	#10
Marka Ragnos Weps Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 364 Downloads: 187 Uploads: 0	And where is Bin Laden he has alluded capture for almost 10 years now. I'm not an american (sadly) but i have alot of respect for the soldiers that fight everyday in a war they cannot win. America can bring down almost any government on this planet but you cannot bring down a religion with force. That said, better over there then on american soil right? Everyday is a victory. __________________

06-27-10, 07:11 PM	#14
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,361 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	I still have the same questions I wanted to ask President Bush. 1. What is the objective or objectives for the AF Conflict? 2. How will we measure success or failure with regard to those objectives? 3. What is the exit criteria for success or failure in the AF Conflict? The most important is, of course, the first question. Never got an answer from President Bush and still have not gotten an answer from President Obama on this. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.