Comments on: Will the bottom up approach work in Afghanistan?

By: Gravediggers Disinter Tribal Militia Corpse « Ghosts of Alexander

Gravediggers Disinter Tribal Militia Corpse « Ghosts of Alexander — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:06:28 +0000

[...] I didn’t leak this. Captain’s Journal dug it up from scribd a couple of weeks ago. And it says “Unclassified.” So I’m [...]

By: TSAlfabet

TSAlfabet — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:59:42 +0000

Interesting view by COIN expert, David Kilcullen here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/12/obama-us-troops-afghanistan-kilcullen

By: TSAlfabet

TSAlfabet — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:32:15 +0000

Again, it can’t be “either-or,” in this fight.

The report by the Human Terrain Team is why it is better to think of engagement with “Locals” rather than with “Tribes.” Flexibility is paramount in each Province and probably in each district of each Province.

Let’s consider at least a few things that seem solid:

1. This is not Iraq or Anbar. Anbar experience is helpful insofar as it showed (a) that the U.S. military CAN do COIN and do it very, very well; (b) that winning the fight against an asymmetrical enemy requires flexibility and creativity blended to the Local situation– authority structures, politics, economy, geography, logistics, all of it; (c) that the population must FIRST be convinced that the U.S. is the winning side, or, as the Marines say, “No better friend, no worse enemy.”

2. Tranlating to A-stan, we are dealing with a warrior culture in the rural areas where the fight is being won or lost. Whatever strategy or various tactics employed, we must convince the Afghans that we have staying power and will kick the crap out of anyone that messes with us. Both Maj. Gant and TCJ seem to be in agreement that we cannot shrink from a fight. Unfortunately, the current ROE seems to force U.S. military to humiliate themselves in front of the Afghans on a daily basis. It can never be a good thing in war when the Locals and the enemy are laughing at you because of ridiculous ROE.

By: Herschel Smith

Herschel Smith — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:36:38 +0000

And war in their midst is what they’ve got.

By: Warbucks

Warbucks — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:16:34 +0000

After reading the above report, the ancient 5000+ year old culture of the Pashtun sounds pretty much like Tenn. hills and rural areas of the early 1900’s. Clan feuds were more important than national policies. Bottom land owners at 30 to 32 bushels of corn per acre where at the top of the social structure with hill top folks barely pulling half that yield and just as much work at the bottom of the social structure.

What changed their society more than anything else was the draft of WWI.

The only thing that will change this 5000+ year old culture is an end-game war in their midst, the likes they have not yet encountered, that gives the jirga pause to reconsider granting hospitality to the likes of terrorists.