Our Afghan Ignorance Continues…

Gen. McChrystal is variously said to have just “screwed up”, “exercised poor judgment in speaking with Rolling Stone”, or that he quite intentionally revealed the truth of his frustration with his impossible assignment to “pacify the natives.”

This reveals another aspect of human nature.  The most dedicated and loyal among us will agree to the impossible order – even make the “mission impossible” his own.  That was McCrystal’s second mistake.  (His first was voting for the Islamist who directed the strategy, and the third was admitting he voted for him.)

Now Petraeus, McChrystal’s assigned replacement in Afghanistan, is reaffirming the security situation is “tenuous.”

The President’s pacification plan is apparently not working.  Is this a big surprise?  Anyone who is knowledgeable about the Afghani tribal mindset coupled with the Islamic ideology and the religious fervor it generates will understand that their inbred deceitfulness, cunning, and hard shell against outside influences will easily resist our own ignorant efforts of applying western carrots without significant baseball bats.  We are offering ice to Eskimos while the wolves continue to reek havoc.  What a wasteful endeavor.

This will continue until our leadership gets a clue about the nature of Islam, the reality of their intent, and the extent of the Islamist’s dedication to their cause.

As clumsy as Vice President Biden is, I tend to agree that his strategy is preferable to what we have been doing, short of outright conquest:  Counter insurgency only.  This involves a small fraction of the resources currently committed and directs our efforts at identifiable targets, not the whole damned Afghan population.  Unless we get behind fighting an all out war without any hands tied behind our military’s back with the aim of conquest – no holds barred – then the most we should commit to is Biden’s counterinsurgency strategy involving special forces and CIA.  The “inbetween”, half-hearted, suicidal rules of engagement bull crap we’ve been engaged in needs to stop.  Involving hundreds special forces without any limitations will be more effective than involving hundreds of thousands with shackles on all their appendages.