tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post7151783412011818197..comments2024-01-03T05:18:54.650-05:00Comments on CDR Salamander: That funny 2011 ....CDR Salamanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05981221786954902349noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-83495212616498923422010-08-17T10:07:16.000-04:002010-08-17T10:07:16.000-04:00It all comes down to having the political will to ...It all comes down to having the political will to finish the job. The American Military can rise to any challange and accomplish any task put before it. The only thing that has stopped us since the end of WWII is the lack of will inherent in the political class that only sees as far as the last poll and the next election. You can only have peace by totally defeating your enemy; otherwise, it is just a lull in the battle providing them time to re-arm. You needn't look any further than the DPRK for proof. I have no faith in the current occupant of the White House and his handlers.The Usual Suspectnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-45107489982892055132010-08-17T09:00:36.000-04:002010-08-17T09:00:36.000-04:00The "cut-n-run" rhetoric entered the Ira...The "cut-n-run" rhetoric entered the Iraq debate well before the surge did. I agree completely that those who supported the surge were right, but speaking as someone who was on the ground in Iraq in 2006 when things were looking pretty crappy, I remember that it took the "stay the course" crowd some time (and an electoral defeat) to warm up to the idea of a change in strategy. There were a lot of us who thought that if the President and SECDEF weren't going to do what needed to be done, we ought to cut our losses and get out. They deserve credit for getting it right--and criticism for taking so long to get there.<br /><br />It took us five years to win in Iraq. Next year we'll have been in Afghanistan for ten. I get that AFG is a harder nut to crack, but at some point we will have invested more in AFG than it's worth to us. It's the job of the military brass to lay out what we can accomplish, how long it will take, and how much it will cost. It's the President's job to decide if that's realistic and in our national interests. The best military advice is not always the best advice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-51195969736899572192010-08-17T07:50:28.000-04:002010-08-17T07:50:28.000-04:00Me too. Oh, and we were right. In case you forgo...Me too. Oh, and we were right. In case you forgot - we declared victory in Iraq the fall of '08. <br /><br />The anti-victory, anti-surge people were wrong about Iraq - they are wrong about AFG. The problem now is that we don't have a CINC who is focused on a path to victory. He is focused on a way out.<br /><br />AFG was always a harder nut than Iraq to crack. You need smart leadership to see it through. Can Obama find a reason to listen to the best military advice? I hope so.cdrsalamandernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-10095282719534172252010-08-17T07:29:58.000-04:002010-08-17T07:29:58.000-04:00Ah yes, the old "cut-n-run" rhetoric. T...Ah yes, the old "cut-n-run" rhetoric. That really takes me back about six years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com