tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post6004345612624642527..comments2024-03-28T07:56:09.239-07:00Comments on Navy Matters: Endless AfghanistanComNavOpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669644332369727431noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-2620481134654131642018-10-15T10:17:51.736-07:002018-10-15T10:17:51.736-07:00Sanctions haven't done much to change NKorea o...Sanctions haven't done much to change NKorea or Iran's behavior! Not sure they'd be any more effective here.ComNavOpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09669644332369727431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-29431561391185639672018-10-15T10:13:01.487-07:002018-10-15T10:13:01.487-07:00pressure - and sanctions threat pressure - and sanctions threat Storm Shadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10999164214935172607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-59905430073138351212018-10-15T06:23:58.399-07:002018-10-15T06:23:58.399-07:00So what does the US need to do to change Pakistan&...So what does the US need to do to change Pakistan's behavior?ComNavOpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09669644332369727431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-82792288959790196452018-10-15T01:18:12.283-07:002018-10-15T01:18:12.283-07:00If Pakistan really stops support that will be a se...If Pakistan really stops support that will be a sever blow to them, then you can negotiate with the moderate fractions. Storm Shadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10999164214935172607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-39852483635873786832018-10-14T07:08:38.437-07:002018-10-14T07:08:38.437-07:00Okay, so what's the solution?Okay, so what's the solution?ComNavOpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09669644332369727431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-52724317771314789602018-10-14T02:54:27.300-07:002018-10-14T02:54:27.300-07:00Most of the Pakistani Taliban factions operating i...Most of the Pakistani Taliban factions operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan have sanctuaries in Pakistan’s North and South Waziristan, located in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). <br /><br />https://ctc.usma.edu/the-complicated-relationship-between-the-afghan-and-pakistani-taliban/Storm Shadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10999164214935172607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-82094617446644476212018-10-13T09:32:43.762-07:002018-10-13T09:32:43.762-07:00In what way?In what way?ComNavOpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09669644332369727431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-84032522393519189692018-10-13T06:25:48.484-07:002018-10-13T06:25:48.484-07:00trump told it best - the answer to afghanistan is ...trump told it best - the answer to afghanistan is pakistanStorm Shadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10999164214935172607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-32527817499557120522018-10-11T22:10:02.044-07:002018-10-11T22:10:02.044-07:00A punitive expedition is where it should have ende...A punitive expedition is where it should have ended. Definitely when Osama bin Laden was killed. Instead, we armed ethnic minorties that had been fighting a civil war, installed a puppet government, then were shocked when the Afghan people didn't support it.<br /><br />How about another "ask me anything" post? The last one was interesting and a while back.Robtzuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14537926709999412242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-10338893050357773462018-10-11T18:36:32.280-07:002018-10-11T18:36:32.280-07:00ComNavOps your commentary is excellent and defensi...ComNavOps your commentary is excellent and defensible. You and we are up against this: "[I'm] not going to be the first president to lose a war" [Lyndon Johnson]<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-78919639338175589142018-10-11T13:30:26.780-07:002018-10-11T13:30:26.780-07:00This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Great post.
I ...This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Great post. <br /><br />I remember being a High Schooler in Gulf War One. Agree with the war or not, we seemed to be much better at defining very specific goals, and then achieving them with overwhelming force. <br /><br />I would have been fine had we gone into Afg, utterly destroyed the camps (I'll leave it up to more educated people to decide how), then leave, saying 'If this happens again, we'll be back.' <br /><br />But nation building... jiminy Christmas. We're terrible at it. And we are picking the worst places to 'nation build'; places that often literally have *zero* history of a western style democratic government. <br /><br />Our military is a tool. A tool like a knife or a hammer. Use it for knife and hammer things and it works well. <br /><br />Use it for glasswork or sewing and it's going to do poorly. <br /><br />We've spent money on these useless actions, trained our military to do them instead of fight a war, and deferred real maintenance to finance these things. <br /><br />It's time to stop. And in the future, if we can't define clear winning conditions, and aren't willing to pay the price in blood and treasure to win, then we have to avoid the action. JFWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16095723023404412328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-46827184990310185552018-10-11T11:12:46.683-07:002018-10-11T11:12:46.683-07:00Yeah. I have to generally agree with you. Alexande...Yeah. I have to generally agree with you. Alexander came to the same conclusion 2400 years ago..Same with the Romans and the Brits...and then the Soviets..<br /><br />However, as long as "Bad Mujh MFs" (Islamic killers) are being whacked regularly you wont hear me saying to pull out. I don't have another idea either...<br /><br />As soon as the Taliban fled or were killed in 2002, we should have left. Same in Iraq after toppling Saddam's statue in 2004... Let the UN put 'em back together...<br /><br />Yessir CNOPS, this purple fingers, women's rights, push for western style democracy is unachievable.<br /><br />Afghans are simply cavemen who do not want to change and have been down through the millennia, even before the prophet came along... The only ones to truly subjugate them were the Mongols and they used some rough tactics to do it.. Tactics we would never adopt.<br /><br />b2Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-69942876876951432232018-10-11T09:38:15.586-07:002018-10-11T09:38:15.586-07:00@Tim
Pakistan and Afghanistan have a disputed bord...@Tim<br />Pakistan and Afghanistan have a disputed border, the Durand Line.<br />Afghanistan considers it an unfair border imposed by British force of arms.<br /><br />Its not so much that India would deploy an army to Afghanistan invade, but that in the event of a major war between India and Pakistan, Afghanistan would invade Pakistan, or at the very least, the Pashtun Tribal areas and Baloch province would riot/secede Domohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00240964731398145995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-35869683082453723202018-10-11T09:08:58.556-07:002018-10-11T09:08:58.556-07:00I would hazard a guess that the sinkings would occ...I would hazard a guess that the sinkings would occur near the Chinese ports.Peter Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-62292382943984670092018-10-11T08:33:02.431-07:002018-10-11T08:33:02.431-07:00I ride a desk so keep that in mind with my comment...I ride a desk so keep that in mind with my comments. How can we have a major war with China in the first place? They claim to have a strategic petroleum reserve. I don't believe a word they say. If a single oil tanker is sunk insurance rates would skyrocket and shipments would end? Would not the "war" end on the first day?Peter Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-38600644977513576452018-10-11T06:29:54.322-07:002018-10-11T06:29:54.322-07:00Off topic and not much of a surprise, but the Navy...Off topic and not much of a surprise, but the Navy realizes they won't have enough ships to support sealift operations in a major war against Russia or China. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2018/10/10/youre-on-your-own-us-sealift-cant-count-on-us-navy-escorts-in-the-next-big-war-forcing-changes/" rel="nofollow">Defense News: ‘You’re on your own’: US sealift can’t count on Navy escorts in the next big war</a><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-46121042263817533772018-10-11T05:39:55.442-07:002018-10-11T05:39:55.442-07:00Pakistan is worried about India using Afg as a bas...Pakistan is worried about India using Afg as a base to attack Pakistan, using proxies. Pakistan and India have a nasty long running proxy war against each other in Jammu-Kashmir. Nice old fashioned State vs State conflict, the Pakistanis don't want to surrounded by Indian allies. The Great Game goes on, as Lurgan Sahib said long ago.<br /><br />Bobs BaradurAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-57021302301756248122018-10-10T17:06:25.866-07:002018-10-10T17:06:25.866-07:00I never did get the Indian connection to Afghanist...I never did get the Indian connection to Afghanistan. India is not contiguous to Afghanistan, and Hindus and Muslims aren't exactly buddies; therefore, how does it exert influence there to counter Pakistan?Timnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-44613586640047364092018-10-10T15:54:59.040-07:002018-10-10T15:54:59.040-07:00Peter, thanks for the kind words. I hope you find...Peter, thanks for the kind words. I hope you find it entertaining and educational.<br /><br />Regarding posts, you've probably noticed that the posts analyze some aspect of the Navy as opposed to simply describing a ship or piece of equipment. With that in mind, I have not done a post on Nulka because I have no performance data on which to base an analysis. There are manufacturer's claims but those are always exaggerated and unrealistic. If I come across some actual performance data I'll offer an analysis. Sorry, but that's the best I can do at the moment. Do you have some special interest or knowledge about Nulka that you'd like to share? Or some aspect of its use that you'd like to comment on?<br /><br />Regarding the Alaska ANG single-handedly beating the entire Chinese military in six weeks, I think someone is having some fun with you!ComNavOpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09669644332369727431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-50146684899764048852018-10-10T15:13:45.795-07:002018-10-10T15:13:45.795-07:00I was just surprised to not see any reference to t...I was just surprised to not see any reference to the program in your blog. I discovered this site only recently. Its a gem. I hope our adversaries read it and weep in despair as we intelligently <br />debate our capabilities. I have participated in presentations<br />where we argue that the Alaskan ANG can "do" the PLA conventionally in six weeks. But, I am out of my field of expertise here.Peter Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-40557148630132973282018-10-10T12:41:08.337-07:002018-10-10T12:41:08.337-07:00If in doubt - follow the money.If in doubt - follow the money.Dave Wolfyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05161028886307241207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-82801975529955405042018-10-10T12:37:03.790-07:002018-10-10T12:37:03.790-07:00Nulka? You mean the decoy? What aspect of it did...Nulka? You mean the decoy? What aspect of it did you want to discuss?ComNavOpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09669644332369727431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-75261762745776446042018-10-10T12:12:54.394-07:002018-10-10T12:12:54.394-07:00Pakistan probably has more nuclear devices than Is...Pakistan probably has more nuclear devices than Israel. The warheads are in one base and the delivery systems are in another and never the two shall meet. Being in Afghanistan has certain advantages for the above. Otherwise I agree its a stupid sporting war which appears endless. As an aside I notice you never mention<br />Nulka. Peter Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-46433532640326335292018-10-10T10:45:10.436-07:002018-10-10T10:45:10.436-07:00Afghanistan (and later Iraq) only ever had two goa...Afghanistan (and later Iraq) only ever had two goals: provide an easily attackable and politically acceptable scapegoat for the War On Terror, and launder billions and billions of tax dollars into the pockets of the Military Industrial Complex or any other unscrupulous friend in need of a kickback. It has been an astonishing success. MrTexashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17322548182274237887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579907756656776056.post-59860670629253948132018-10-10T06:59:26.683-07:002018-10-10T06:59:26.683-07:00What do you see as the benefit to the US by assist...What do you see as the benefit to the US by assisting Pakistan in keeping Indian influence out of Afg? Conversely, what are the benefits to the US with increased Indian influence in Afg?ComNavOpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09669644332369727431noreply@blogger.com