Obama wants different options in Afghanistan

• fortfan

  My son (USAF) was in Afghanistan a year ago, Here is what he has posted on his Facebook today:
  
  You have a building on fire, and it's got a bunch of firemen inside. There aren't enough firemen to put it out. You have to send in more or you have to leave. It is not appropriate to stand outside pontificating about not taking lightly the responsibility of sending firemen into harm's way. Either put in enough firemen to put the fire out or get out of the house.
• CenterBHSFan

  

  fortfan wrote: My son (USAF) was in Afghanistan a year ago, Here is what he has posted on his Facebook today:
  
  You have a building on fire, and it's got a bunch of firemen inside. There aren't enough firemen to put it out. You have to send in more or you have to leave. It is not appropriate to stand outside pontificating about not taking lightly the responsibility of sending firemen into harm's way. Either put in enough firemen to put the fire out or get out of the house.

  Yeah...!!!!
  
  Now, doesn't that make sense to everybody else?
• Footwedge

  fortfan wrote: My son (USAF) was in Afghanistan a year ago, Here is what he has posted on his Facebook today:
  
  You have a building on fire, and it's got a bunch of firemen inside. There aren't enough firemen to put it out. You have to send in more or you have to leave. It is not appropriate to stand outside pontificating about not taking lightly the responsibility of sending firemen into harm's way. Either put in enough firemen to put the fire out or get out of the house.

  The fire is burning in another jurisdiction. Let the locals deal with their own fires....especially since the locals don't want us outsiders fighting their fires.
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  There are no good options for whatever he does. This is a very, very tough decision. It makes no sense to send troops if there is not a solid strategy in place, and the problem is while the COIN strategy is trying to be implemented, without a legit government in Afghanistan, it will not be successful.
  
  40,000 is unrealistic right now. There is simply not enough legitimacy on the ground to warrant 40,000. I can see 30,000 and a hybrid COIN/ counter terrorism strategy in various areas.
  
  I, myself, have gone back and forth on what exactly we need to do there. I can easily see us pulling out, and putting more troops in. We are a on a slippery slope and must ensure that the most important things right now are 1. security of the people and 2 getting a legit government in place. I just have no idea how long that is going to take. It will be a hard sell.
• war_admiral

  

  I posted this on the Detainees thread better suited for this one
  
  I know the only NATION BUILDING that needs be going on is in the US. The School of AMERICAS needs to be closed for good. We need not train leaders of other countries.
  
  We have learned nothing from Vietnam! We calculated the costs and benefits to the extent that they could be related to different courses of action and make choices accordingly in Afghanistan. If force and coercion are applied with large troop levels the will of both the populace and insurgents will be broken and the war won. Costs will outweigh the benefits, resulting in the decline of the insurgency.
  
  But that's where our error in the Vietnam was and it's where the error is in Iraq/Afghan conflict is. They underestimated the enemy and the nature of the war. They underestimated the WILL OF THE POPULACE! They were prepared to accept limitless casualties in its conflict with the United States. To fight the "oppression" of the US Foreign Policy in the WORLD. Just not Vietnam.
  
  Too this day they debate whether or not the Vietnam war was for a just cause. Are we not asking that at this precise moment? That the Iraq and Afghan theaters are not a "just cause". We knew/know that about Iraq.
  
  I applaud the President for taking the time and not just send more troops into theater. This war needs to be fought by the (CIA) Paramilitary and (SOF) Special Operations Forces. In the early part of the Afghan war this very type of unit tracked the Taliban, Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda members into the regions of the Tora Bora mountains. But then were diverted to Iraq.
  
  
  Terrorism will never be defeated. It's a state of mind. I do not feel terrorized. Let me ask this question; After the Fort Hood shootings did the National threat level go up to Red like when Bush used to announce it 24/7. Sure some military installations went on alert. But the country didn't.
  In my mind, I'm safe....this is what they, the Terrorist, want you to feel. Terrorized!. They fight this in public opinion
  
  My heart goes out to all those serving in this Conflict of Foreign Oppression. Because terrorism is not a war it's a state of mind.
• cbus4life

  fortfan wrote: My son (USAF) was in Afghanistan a year ago, Here is what he has posted on his Facebook today:
  
  You have a building on fire, and it's got a bunch of firemen inside. There aren't enough firemen to put it out. You have to send in more or you have to leave. It is not appropriate to stand outside pontificating about not taking lightly the responsibility of sending firemen into harm's way. Either put in enough firemen to put the fire out or get out of the house.

  Well said by your son, and thank you for his service.