NationStates Jolt Archive

Well I was just thinking recently about the supposed Spring Offensive the Taliban will be launching soon, as the media doesn't seem to stop talking about it. Taliban people have said they have 10k troops, which of course is most likely over exaggerated, but what do you people think about this? I mean with Waziristani recruits and maybe foreign jihadis, how do you think this will play out? My opinion is Pakistan won't try and stop it, mostly because Musharafs position is too unstable to risk an unpopular war in the tribal areas, which they tried before and didn't work.

Comments?

I would say this about it. NATO commanders are probably foaming at the mouth at the prospect of getting these guys concentrated in a certain area. It makes it a alot easier to take them on when they launch "offensives".

Well I was just thinking recently about the supposed Spring Offensive the Taliban will be launching soon, as the media doesn't seem to stop talking about it. Taliban people have said they have 10k troops, which of course is most likely over exaggerated, but what do you people think about this? I mean with Waziristani recruits and maybe foreign jihadis, how do you think this will play out? My opinion is Pakistan won't try and stop it, mostly because Musharafs position is too unstable to risk an unpopular war in the tribal areas, which they tried before and didn't work.

Comments?
I hope there's a new crop of virgins out there.

Many Many jihadis/terrorists are going to get their souls sent straight to hell.

If we believed everything the Taliban (and the like) said...well, we don't.

If we believed everything the Taliban (and the like) said...well, we don't.

Who needs the Taliban?
Who needs Afghanistan?
Not me, not me!
Who needs the bangs!
Who needs beer?
Who needs those things?

You know what? I never realized it before...but Spring is damn offensive. As a person who needed reconstructive knee surgery in highschool due to athletic injuries, I will never again have that "spring" in my step. Sure I can still romp around with the boys in various sports, but my "ups" are seriously diminished.

Being reminded that I'll never be able to dunk every time I drive to the boards and only touch net is bad enough, but having an entire season named after an inability of mine is piss poor. What if it was named "success in life?" How would the retarded feel? What if it was named "rational thought?" Religious folk world-wide would be disenfranchised for sure.

No..."Spring" is definately offensive, and I will not stand for it any longer! I call on the people of the world to join me in this protest. We will not do "Spring" anymore! From now on, there are three seasons...and then three nondescript months in which the snow melts and grass grows.

I would say this about it. NATO commanders are probably foaming at the mouth at the prospect of getting these guys concentrated in a certain area. It makes it a alot easier to take them on when they launch "offensives".

That's why the Taliban are switching to what works in Iraq - suicide bombers, IEDs, etc.

They've been blown away any time more than 10 of them get together.

That's why the Taliban are switching to what works in Iraq - suicide bombers, IEDs, etc.

They've been blown away any time more than 10 of them get together.

Absolutely right. There is no army that can fight toe to toe with us at the moment. These type of tactics are a fact of life. Although we will get good at dealing with these too. Then I wonder what they will do?

Then they'll go strictly to suicide bombers chemical/bio weapons attacks or worse since suicide bombers are truely impossible to stop and make an effective recruiting tool to other radical islamists

Although we will get good at dealing with these too.

Maybe when the current lot in the Pentagon and White House get thrown out on their ass and a fresh crop of flexible people come in. At this point of time, all the policy makers and strategic level people seem to think any problem can be dealt with hammers.

Many Many jihadis/terrorists are going to get their souls sent straight to hell.

And for those of us who know Hell is fictional and doesn't exist, they will merely be killed.

Frankly I wish the Taliban would just surrender, as this is getting ridiculous. Why waste all these lives for nothing? It helps no one and just makes Afghanistan even worse off.

Frankly I wish the Taliban would just surrender, as this is getting ridiculous. Why waste all these lives for nothing? It helps no one and just makes Afghanistan even worse off.

In a straight up fight (as they have attempted recently), they end up dead.

As suicide bombers, they end up dead, but take a few with them.

Figuring that they'll lose on Earth, but gain in Heaven, the last option looks good to them.

They don't see this the way you do.

In a straight up fight (as they have attempted recently), they end up dead.

As suicide bombers, they end up dead, but take a few with them.

Figuring that they'll lose on Earth, but gain in Heaven, the last option looks good to them.

They don't see this the way you do.
Only thanks to religious indoctrination, which in and of itself is only possible with these adults because Afghanistan is so poor off to begin with. It'd be rather difficult to convince them of this were they living in a country with a better standard of living, a better economy, and all the neat stuff that first-world countries have.

What we need is to figure out how to make Afghanistan better off so that suicide bombing or any other method of attacking innocent civilians suddenly doesn't seem like a good idea anymore. And we need to do it without looking like we're trying to destroy Islam, because it's not the religion itself that's the problem: it's merely used as a tool to motivate them, nothing more.

Only thanks to religious indoctrination, which in and of itself is only possible with these adults because Afghanistan is so poor off to begin with. It'd be rather difficult to convince them of this were they living in a country with a better standard of living, a better economy, and all the neat stuff that first-world countries have.

What we need is to figure out how to make Afghanistan better off so that suicide bombing or any other method of attacking innocent civilians suddenly doesn't seem like a good idea anymore. And we need to do it without looking like we're trying to destroy Islam, because it's not the religion itself that's the problem: it's merely used as a tool to motivate them, nothing more.

The indoctrination takes place when they are children in a madrassa.

Build schools to compete with those madrassas, and they'll see the schools as an attack on their values. And you need those schools to keep them from being indoctrinated, and you need those schools to educate people to build a society from the ground up. A nation of illiterates isn't going to build anything at all, no matter how much money you throw at it.

You have a better chance of teaching evolution in Kansas. How are you going to make them better off if they don't want to accept change in the first place?

In a straight up fight (as they have attempted recently), they end up dead.

As suicide bombers, they end up dead, but take a few with them.

Figuring that they'll lose on Earth, but gain in Heaven, the last option looks good to them.

They don't see this the way you do.

Or maybe you're looking at this the wrong way. The NVA lost horrendously manpower wise during the Vietnam war and more often than not lost in stand up fights against the US.

But in the long run, the won the war, no matter what some dimbulbs think. The whole of Vietnam was unified under their flag.

Since the US is only paying token attention to Afghanistan, they probably figure that if the US is bled enough, it'll go away again, and they can take over once more.

Which looks quite likely to happen.

The indoctrination takes place when they are children in a madrassa.

Build schools to compete with those madrassas, and they'll see the schools as an attack on their values. And you need those schools to keep them from being indoctrinated, and you need those schools to educate people to build a society from the ground up. A nation of illiterates isn't going to build anything at all, no matter how much money you throw at it.

You have a better chance of teaching evolution in Kansas. How are you going to make them better off if they don't want to accept change in the first place?

Aye, that's the question, isn't it? How do we make them better off if they're indoctrinated to think that anything we do must be evil? Honestly, I don't know. I do know that acting like Muslims are all evil, that Islam is a religion of evil, that all Muslims want to kill everyone and destroy everything, and generally being a bunch of bigoted assholes is not going to help one bit, though.

And besides, as I understand it teaching evolution in Kansas is actually becoming easier nowadays.

Aye, that's the question, isn't it? How do we make them better off if they're indoctrinated to think that anything we do must be evil? Honestly, I don't know. I do know that acting like Muslims are all evil, that Islam is a religion of evil, that all Muslims want to kill everyone and destroy everything, and generally being a bunch of bigoted assholes is not going to help one bit, though.

BTW, I've put in a complaint to the mods about people calling me DK. So I would appreciate it if you would stop assuming all the rest past "I think that Islam (the belief system) is a problem." That might be DK, but it's not me. I don't advocate killing anyone unless they are in the habit (as a specific group of insurgents or military people or violent individuals) of killing us.

And you're the one who said we need to find a way to stop them from being indoctrinated to thing that anything we do must be evil. I think that in the end, if you believe that they have the right to their religion, our hands are tied and we can do nothing except leave their country and wait until they get tired of being poor and violent.

After all, it took Europe hundreds of years to get tired of it. And no one helped them out of it.

And as you say, Kansas came around a bit, if only for this election cycle.

Either that, or we become heavy handed, close their madrassas, burn their books, and re-educate them while we hang around for two or three generations and hope it takes root.

The question then is one of whether it is our moral right to do so, and an additional question is whether we're willing to wait 60 years or 600 years for them to wake up.

BTW, I've put in a complaint to the mods about people calling me DK. So I would appreciate it if you would stop assuming all the rest past "I think that Islam (the belief system) is a problem." That might be DK, but it's not me. I don't advocate killing anyone unless they are in the habit (as a specific group of insurgents or military people or violent individuals) of killing us.

And you're the one who said we need to find a way to stop them from being indoctrinated to thing that anything we do must be evil. I think that in the end, if you believe that they have the right to their religion, our hands are tied and we can do nothing except leave their country and wait until they get tired of being poor and violent.

After all, it took Europe hundreds of years to get tired of it. And no one helped them out of it.

And as you say, Kansas came around a bit, if only for this election cycle.

Either that, or we become heavy handed, close their madrassas, burn their books, and re-educate them while we hang around for two or three generations and hope it takes root.

The question then is one of whether it is our moral right to do so, and an additional question is whether we're willing to wait 60 years or 600 years for them to wake up.
I didn't assume anything about you, Eve. I only said what I said because it's been the general attitude of the U.S. military and the U.S. populace. And I've only been calling you DK because I trust the Nazz's judge of character and he figured you were DK.

And you may be right. Our hands are tied. At most we can try to trade with them and maintain diplomatic relations. Perhaps over a couple generations we can manage to help them much more than we ever could militarily.

I didn't assume anything about you, Eve. I only said what I said because it's been the general attitude of the U.S. military and the U.S. populace. And I've only been calling you DK because I trust the Nazz's judge of character and he figured you were DK.

And you may be right. Our hands are tied. At most we can try to trade with them and maintain diplomatic relations. Perhaps over a couple generations we can manage to help them much more than we ever could militarily.

My only alternative to re-educating them (the 60 year plan) is following something rather like the Non-Interference Directive - a UN plan to suspend all contact and border crossing in and out of Afghanistan - to prevent guns and weapons from going in, and to prevent heroin from going out.

Undisturbed, they may come to something more modern on their own. After all, our ancestors managed in around 1000 years. And it would satisfy many people like yourself - we wouldn't be fucking with them.

My only alternative to re-educating them (the 60 year plan) is following something rather like the Non-Interference Directive - a UN plan to suspend all contact and border crossing in and out of Afghanistan - to prevent guns and weapons from going in, and to prevent heroin from going out.

Undisturbed, they may come to something more modern on their own. After all, our ancestors managed in around 1000 years. And it would satisfy many people like yourself - we wouldn't be fucking with them.

I would lean against that kind of plan, if only because it interferes in their national sovereignty. Limiting the importation of weapons and the exportation of heroin is definitely a good idea, though, as it should help stabilize the region.

Just in time for this hopefully.

Canada to Lease Leopard 2s (http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/vorab/0,1518,465574,00.html)

Here's the translation courtesy of Babelfish:
Soon are German "leopard 2"-Kampfpanzer in the theaters of war of Afghanistan to the front - however with Canadian crew. The government in Ottawa inquired in Berlin whether the Federal Republic could make about 20 available "leopard" in the newest version ("A6M"), which are particularly protected from mines. Because the manufacturer Krauss Maffei way man can supply the increased combat effectiveness "Leopard" variant not immediately, Canada would like to lease the tanks first from existence of the German army for two years. Further 80 "leopard 2"-Panzer of the older "A4"-Version wants to buy the Canadians. The German Federal Armed Forces possess only about 40 copies that approximately 60 tons heavy A6M-Tanks. The Ministry of Defense already signaled that it will agree the Deal.

The Canadian Army has already deployed Leo 1s to Afghanistan and by all accounts they have performed well. The Leopard 2 is worlds ahead of the Leopard 1, so this doesn't bode well for any Taliban "offensive".

Well, as long as they try and take over villages and stuff (which some of the local commanders will probably do) they would be fairly easy targets for NATO forces.

It's the suicide bombers and IEDs that are a bit of a worry.

Personally I still think that NATO needs to work much closer together on this one, with each other and with Pakistan.

They'll lose.

Just in time for this hopefully.

Canada to Lease Leopard 2s (http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/vorab/0,1518,465574,00.html)

Here's the translation courtesy of Babelfish:


The Canadian Army has already deployed Leo 1s to Afghanistan and by all accounts they have performed well. The Leopard 2 is worlds ahead of the Leopard 1, so this doesn't bode well for any Taliban "offensive".
Here's the article in "real" English :p
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=2546747&C=landwar

You know what? I never realized it before...but Spring is damn offensive. As a person who needed reconstructive knee surgery in highschool due to athletic injuries, I will never again have that "spring" in my step. Sure I can still romp around with the boys in various sports, but my "ups" are seriously diminished.

Being reminded that I'll never be able to dunk every time I drive to the boards and only touch net is bad enough, but having an entire season named after an inability of mine is piss poor. What if it was named "success in life?" How would the retarded feel? What if it was named "rational thought?" Religious folk world-wide would be disenfranchised for sure.

No..."Spring" is definately offensive, and I will not stand for it any longer! I call on the people of the world to join me in this protest. We will not do "Spring" anymore! From now on, there are three seasons...and then three nondescript months in which the snow melts and grass grows.
Ain't you the one always running off to moderation yelling "spam!"?

Here's the article in "real" English :p
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=2546747&C=landwar

I pretty much stole it directly from another forum.:D

Plus, it sounds cooler from Babelfish.

I pretty much stole it directly from another forum.:D

Plus, it sounds cooler from Babelfish.
That it definitely does. I was just glad I read the German article beforehand... :p

Or maybe you're looking at this the wrong way. The NVA lost horrendously manpower wise during the Vietnam war and more often than not lost in stand up fights against the US.

But in the long run, the won the war, no matter what some dimbulbs think. The whole of Vietnam was unified under their flag.

Since the US is only paying token attention to Afghanistan, they probably figure that if the US is bled enough, it'll go away again, and they can take over once more.

Which looks quite likely to happen.

Exactly right, the NVA and VC lost almost every battle in Vietnam but in the end the US couldn't win the war because of political pressure, and I think with the Dems likely to get in soon, it's more than likely.

Ain't you the one always running off to moderation yelling "spam!"?

He spams enough, I don't think that "spam" is his major motivation for all the mod reporting.

He spams enough, I don't think that "spam" is his major motivation for all the mod reporting.
Probably not. I just figured I'd point that out because, sometimes, it gets a little ridiculous.