Posted on Jul 8, 2021
disaster-in-afghanistan-was-foreseeable-11625678495
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/disaster-in-afghanistan-was-foreseeable [login to see] 5?mod=opinion_major_pos16&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2007.08.21&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief
Don't enter a war without the will to win, completely and utterly. The lesson was learned (at least by the DoD) in Korea, and reinforced by Vietnam. I do not understand why Presidents so often ignore the valuable advice given to them by military leaders. The Powell doctrine is clear and enduring.
https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/insights/4100/the-powell-doctrines-enduring-relevance
Don't enter a war without the will to win, completely and utterly. The lesson was learned (at least by the DoD) in Korea, and reinforced by Vietnam. I do not understand why Presidents so often ignore the valuable advice given to them by military leaders. The Powell doctrine is clear and enduring.
https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/insights/4100/the-powell-doctrines-enduring-relevance
disaster-in-afghanistan-was-foreseeable-11625678495
Posted from wsj.com
Afghanistan
Strategy
Office of the President (POTUS)
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 10
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No planning is a sure means to disaster. Twenty years was way too long to have been there. Even the Soviets got out after ten years. Their involvement lead to the fall of the Soviet Union in my opinion.
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SGT (Join to see)
Col Joseph Lenertz Hard lessons can only be learned through experience. Such lessons are costly.
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SGT Richard H.
The Afghans (civilian and military) lost about 4 times as many people, and the soviets lost almost 7 times as many troops in that 10 years compared to 20 years with the US. We not only fight a cleaner war than they do, we also put a whole lot of that time into rebuilding Afghan infrastructure, military, police, and on and on. I'm pretty sure the Soviets did none of that.
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SFC (Join to see)
To me it all depends on the objective(s) of the mission. It this case I believe it could have been a win-win. I am probably just too far removed to see everything, but sometimes one needs to be far away to get the entire picture.
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I agree that we require more deliberation about entering conflicts in other regions of the world. Congress is vested with the power to declare war and has not done this since WW Two. Vietnam is the most detested, despised and protested conflict ever. Later we discover that 5 consecutive administrations knew we cannot win these conflicts. Near the end of his term Johnson felt so desperate that he considered neuking N. Vietnam. Glad he did not.
Rich
Rich
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Interesting article sir, thanks. As far as Afghanistan I believe our mission should have been to establish a permanent base there to help their people and give us resource to look after our interests. MHO
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