British fear gung-ho Americans

[spindrifter]

The Sunday Times February 04, 2007

Michael Smith

SENIOR defence sources have voiced fears that an imminent push by the United States in Afghanistan will force British soldiers to adopt an overly aggressive approach that will damage relations with ordinary Afghans and play into the hands of the Taliban.

The extent of “frictions” between US and British commanders are revealed in the latest edition of Pegasus, the journal of the Parachute Regiment, in which an unnamed senior officer accuses the Americans of undermining British strategy during last year’s handover.

British troops had planned to focus on reconstruction to win hearts and minds among the local population, the article states. However, American commanders “forced” them to take part in an offensive.

“The UK taskforce arrived in theatre immediately prior to Operation Mountain Thrust, an offensive operation being planned by the US commander to destroy and defeat the Taliban,” Pegasus says. “Despite our ‘ownership’ of Helmand and our request to conduct ops in ‘the British way’ we were unable to prevent Mountain Thrust occurring. As a result of the threat of unilateral action and in order to ensure our own force protection, UK taskforce’s involvement was forced.”

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ttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2583184,00.html

[Nikki Stone1]

1. If Bush's attitudes toward American military leaders is any indication,Blair will ignore these guys

and the war will continue on.

[teryang]

2. "Gungho" equals dumb as a box of rocks.

A US military operation that causes more problems than it solves? Tell me it isn't so.

[AX10]

3. I'm an American and I worry about them too.

[irislake]

4. Who doesn't?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Ironically, the term "gung-ho" originated with the Communists 8th Route Army.

Even more ironically, I learned about it's origins when I was in the marines and the "Red Chinese" were still considered a major enemy. My outfit was even deployed to Taiwan during one of the "tense" periods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gung-ho

Gung-ho is a phrase borrowed from Chinese, frequently used in English as an adjective meaning enthusiastic. The original Mandarin Chinese phrase is Gōnghé (工合 ;), a standard abbreviation for gōngyè hézuòshè (工業合作社 ;), meaning industrial worker's cooperative. (It is true that gōng means work and hé means together, but gōnghé by itself is not a standard Chinese term and serves only as an abbreviation for gōngyè hézuòshè: an English-language analogy of a not-fully-comprehensible abbreviated phrase would be "IndCoop".)

The phrase entered the American vernacular when it was picked up by then-Major Evans F. Carlson, USMC. According to Carlson, it was used as a slogan by the WW2-era Communist Party of China's 8th Route Army, led by Zhu De.

The phrase was originally coined by Rewi Alley, a New Zealander who went to China in the 1920s and whose contribution to the country was later recognised when he became modern China's first honorary citizen. The industrial workers co-operatives that were formed as part of the Gung-ho movement stemmed from Helen Foster (Peg) Snow, wife of American journalist Edgar Snow. Peg Snow suggested to Rewi Alley that China needed widespread industry through the establishment of a movement (Alley, 1987).

Carlson traveled with the 8th and with Rewi Alley. Later he used gung ho during his (unconventional) command of the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion. From there it spread throughout the Marine Corps (hence the association between the two) and into American society as a whole. It is now often used in the ironic sense of excessively enthusiastic, overzealous.

[marmar]

6. Hell, Americans fear gung-ho Americans....

At least this one does.:scared: Amsterdam or bust!