Libya, Arming the Rebels and putting boots on the ground?

If the only reason to go to war in Libya, is that as Barack Obama said....'the people have lost confidence in Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi' , what keeps the UN from forming an opinion that the people of the United States have lost confidence in Barack Hussein Obama? Which they have. In most cases only 33% supports the man on any given issue..

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

My point is that any amount of decent training, or advisement by western forces, or a small discrete intervention by crack western spec ops would greatly tip the balance.

You mean like it did in Afghanistan?

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

You mean like it did in Afghanistan?

Twice...

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Twice...

Just be sure to let us all know when that balance tipping comes.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

Just be sure to let us all know when that balance tipping comes.

Warfare ≠ Nation Building

[August]

Originally Posted by Skybird

And is this really any news, is this really a surprise? The newbies die first - it has been like that in so many wars. For that reason they are even orderedf to serve in the first attack wave, as cannon fodder. Overlord being a prime example for that.

Overlord is not a prime example of that.

Not only did veteran units participate in both the seaborne landings and airborne drops, even the green outfits were led by cadres of veteran officers and sergeants.

Besides, even the "newbies" as you call them trained for two whole years just for that invasion. Calling them "cannon fodder" just could not be more wrong.

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Warfare ≠ Nation Building

If we were only at the nation building phase. No, we're still trying to suppress the enemy.

One question....why is the US fighting for Europe's oil? 196 cruise missles launched by US forces. Who is going to pay for that?

[Bilge_Rat]

Originally Posted by Skybird

In WWII - I summarize it drastiucally here to cut it short - often the Germans found that the highest losses of their troops in battle were suffered by those who had just become soldiers and had a military experience of less than I think 4 weeks or so. The experienced and trained soldiers showed smaller losses. Survival chances of soldiers dramatically increased if they survived just the first couple of weeks.

Overlord has been dealt with by others, but it is actually a myth that in a military unit the green newbies get killed off first while the veterans survive.

Terry Copp in his book "Cinderella Army" about the Canadian Army in NWE 44-45 studied one offensive in October 1944, drilling down into the service records of each man who died and found they had been with their particular unit for an average of 2 years. This was at a time where half of all Canadian infantry units was made up of replacements who had come in since D-Day.