Why couldn't people couldn't figure this out themselves?

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1160171410753&call_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795

Canada now seems out of step on Afghanistan
U.S. has learned its lesson in Iraq
Oct. 7, 2006. 01:00 AM
THOMAS WALKOM




<snip>Second, the Americans have learned that counter-insurgency campaigns can't be won by brute military force. In particular, they have learned that when you kill civilians, their friends and relatives are likely to support the other side.

One would think this was obvious, but apparently it was not. The latest U.S. military doctrine on counter-insurgency is deemed so novel that it made the front page of The New York Times this week.

Third, at least some American leaders have begun to realize that political compromise is preferable to a shooting war — even if that means negotiating with so-called evil doers.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a rock-ribbed Bush Republican, makes that point about Afghanistan. The Taliban insurgents, he told reporters this week during a visit to that country, are too numerous and have too much popular support to be defeated militarily. Instead, he said, they should be brought into Afghanistan's government.

It's too bad that Frist and others didn't think this out before the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to depose the Taliban and capture Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden (a war aim it never achieved). Still, he should get some credit for realizing, however belatedly, that he was wrong.

[bullimiami]

1. the goals in afghanistan were revenge and business.

the taliban was just in the way. if they would have just accepted the 'carpet of gold' instead of telling bush that he could take his 'carpet of bombs' and stick it, they would still be in charge and profiting.

it was obvious that the US controlled the 'election' of unocals karzai. the pipeline deal is in place. the evidence is obvious.

[MADem]

2. I guess that sort of conceptual thinking is above their paygrade!

Apparently we don't have any 'geniuses' in charge of military planning or foreign policy...

[Tigress DEM]

3. Yah, well "Military Intelligence" has been an oxymoron for awhile

Related concepts:

"Military Preparedness" NOT really meaning "being prepared to defend oneself or country" as much as it means "looking for someone's ass to kick with the new weapons we have now"....

You can't get someone to see the truth whose job depends on believing the lies.

You can't prepare for war and peace at the same time.

Which is why we need a Dept of Peace


imho

[Tigress DEM]

4. Many have, but for some reason we don't get interviewed.

This is all coming out in the "no one could have predicted" part of the dog & pony show the administration sells.

What do you expect from the guys who hire a marketing kid to erase all referreces to global warming out of scientific reports and then say, "Well, how were WE supposed to know it would happen?"

[tuvor]

5. Slightly OT: Canada's top soldier says we've been negotiating with taliban

...since 2001. (Just heard on CBC Radio.)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=190&topic_id=17441&mesg_id=17504

[Warren Stupidity]

6. The PNAC goal is and was permanent war.

Folks get confused by thinking that there was any intention to bring peace and prosperity to the middle east. They want a condition of permanent war against a world class foe - equivalent to the Big Red Threat of the 50's and 60's, as the pretext for their dimantling of our basic freedoms and creation of their planetwide kleptocracy. Permanent war, religious ferver, and deliberate confusion through the Bullshit Media System to keep the population off balanced, unsure, and subservient. The last thing that they want is an outbreak of peace.

[NMMNG]

7. Indeed

Orwell knew all too well how permanent war could be used to control the masses.