We’ve made a hell of a lot more progress than any of those armies ever did and in a far shorter span of time. The biggest problem(s) we are facing are the Soviets and the Pakis. The Pakis are very strange allies to have, considering Pakistan has proven to be the safe haven for the radical Islamic terrorists and they balk at US operations seeking to deny the terrorists any safe haven.

It’s the failed Yalu mistake all over again.

(Yalu = that river between North Korea and Red China, above which US fighters were forbidden from pursuing Communist MiGs over North Korea) This war-losing strategy was repeated again all through Vietnam, where military targets in Hanoi were off-limits. We never won Korea and we lost in Vietnam, largely due to hare-brained Rules of Engagement (RoE) rather than engaging in serious total war.

The bottom line is, NEVER pursue a strategy that allows the enemy safe haven ANYWHERE. )

But in Afghanistan, we adopted much of what we learned in Vietnam in using local national troops (PRU’s, Kit Carson Scouts and Hmong and ‘Yards) in this case, the Kurds.

In short order, by using local troops, along with sensors and other technological advantages (like shooting wire-guided missiles down to where terrorists were hiding in Tora Bora) we quickly broke the main strength of the enemy.

The problems remained, to include woefully-inadequate troop strengths and the safe-havens afforded to the enemy in Pakistan, and supply routes which have always been threatened by cut-off, either by terrorists themselves or by the Russians, with whom relations run hot and cold.

Bottom line, is that the US has succeeded where many foreign armies have failed, and with incredibly small losses and within an incredibly short time.

Certainly, more work needs to be done, but a Surge in Afghanistan would help to break the back of remaining resistance, along with a less restrictive RoE.

Actors George C. Scott, Brian Keith, Lee Marvin, John Russell, Robert Ryan, Tyrone Power and Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangeroo) were just a few of those pussies from Hollywood that were also highly decorated Marines during WW-II.

So, was my brother, son, nephew, grandson and . . .!

I almost forgot the Navy’s first rule of gun fights: send the Marines.

History is on Woof’s side… Alexander tried, Gengis Khan tried, the British Empire tried, the Russians tried,

All true (and in the end our results may be the same) but it has nothing to do with the fact that US Marines are absolutely one of the best fighhting forces in the world.

And they’re kicking ass in fine style.

To a few misguided posters here. We were attacked. We are not there to occupy the country. We are there to root out evil. Gengis Khan (Kerry) was there to occupy and enslave the populace.

Big difference.

We can be back in a matter of hours if asked by a democratically elected government.

Ask any German in 1944, walking away from his stalled Koenigstiger Panzer, one of the finest tanks of WWII, because it was out of fuel, or any German pilot, fists clenched in helpless rage as American P-47′s strafe and destroy his ME-262 fighter, faster than anything the allies had by 100 mph, while it sits, without fuel on his airfield, and you will understand how vital fuel is for any nation’s security.

The great military thinker, Alfred Thayer Mahan, discussed the need for forward fueling bases in detail over 100 years ago.

But as a flea-bitten dog who licks his own balls and ass, you couldn’t possibly fathom concepts like national interest, national security and the need for fuel to run the country.

Then again, Democrats in Congress, who consistently vote down America’s ability to become energy independent by drilling here and drilling now, can’t comprehend those concepts either.

The Marines are short timers.
The Afghans have seen their type come and go for centuries.
This land is their land.

History is on Woof’s side… Alexander tried, Gengis Khan tried, the British Empire tried, the Russians tried, and now we are embroiled… maybe the outcome will be different… maybe not.

the one thing you fail to see that differs us from everyone prior. we dont want to take it. we want them to rule themselves.