Bin Laden: The Greatest Strategic Genius of Our Time

[longfisher]

I had to borrow a vehicle the other day to pick up a tire/wheel for my vehicle from the tire shop. The radio was on and set to NPR.

I'm not that fond of NPR but as I reached to change the station I heard someone say something about Bin Laden and Afghanistan. So, I sat and listened for a while as there's so much discussion now about why the Devil we're in Afghanistan.

At one point, a guy who was being interview (sorry, didn't catch the name) said something that I'm sure would make most American's mad as Hell. He said, that if Bin Laden:

1) successfully lures America into the pit of Afghanistan where so many empires have lost their empires,

2) if the war goes badly, as it appears to be going now,

3) if the Americans ultimately tire of the war and give up like we did in Vietnam (weariness exacerbated by the fiscal collapse that exploded upon us like a air burst mortar in 2008)

4) if we Americans are then as diminished worldwide as were all the previous losers in Afghanistan

Then "Bin Laden would have proved to be the greatest strategic military genius in the modern age as with an investment of but a few million dollars he had successfully lured two superpowers to their graves and had, in the process, rid the middle east of both of them."

Now, how's that for getting your blood boiling? I sure turned it off then.

Still, I'm not posting this because there's not something to think about in what was said. I'm thinking about it.

LongFisher

[BarryTurano]

We as a nation can not allow this to become another Vietnam.
Either we go in and commit to winning or leave now. If we go in then it needs to be a full force operation. Not the hit and run crap of Nam. That was a war that was decided long ago that we were just going to drag out (IMHO) other wise why would we have been there so long lost thousands of lives never received a clear victory and walked away. Was it for political gain? Was it a war of economics? In any case it was a tragic loss of life with no ending. Please don't let it happen again. I am not a war proponent, but if we are going to war then go to war.
How come Bin Laden has not been found in 8 years? We are the most sophisticated military and intelligence country in the world. Why is this guy still wandering around? I am not a conspiracy theorist but WTF??????

[Reel Fanatic]

Vietnam was a clear case of allowing beurocrats to run a war from the comfort of their Washington offices. It was also the first war where "journalists" were given the ability to go to the battlefield and bring the carnage into the American living room.

If the current bunch in Washington DC (or any bunch -past, present, or future for that matter) start micromanaging the activities on the battlefield from the comfort of their offices far far away, then said war is/ will be lost. Soldiers are trained to do a job and do it well. Anything short of allowing them the ability to do the job they are trained to do is a death sentence for them. Beurocrats and elected officials are responsible for starting ALL wars and soldiers have to prosecute and finish them plain and simple. Once the beurocrats press the "go" button, they need to get the hell out of the way so it can be taken care of properly.

When these leftist pieces of crap start bitching about the military it makes my blood boil. Our military has never unilaterally decided to go into battle against any foreign power. And yet, to here them go off on our soldiers, they would have you think that the military woke up one day and decided to go kill people in (fill in the blank...). Some of the dumbest people I have ever had the displeasure of encountering are "educated" liberals.

Sorry I got a little off topic...

[longfisher]

Sorry I got a little off topic...

Yep, I'd agree with that.

Although I'd still like to hear what you think about Bin Laden being described as a genius, I think the troops are simply hapless. They're as insignificant in the eyes of the elite as toys. Their deaths or maimings don't mean a thing to the elites as they play the great game.

I also don't think they should be allowed to fight without constraint. To much resentment is generated. Resentment results in support for the enemy from the population. Support from the population means men, money and sanctuary for our enemies.

Makes not sense to wind up killers and then ignore directing them. It's self-defeating.

Many say that's what Afghanistan is all about today. We bombed the Hell out of the population, sometimes killing whole villages to root out one or two "terrorists". Now, it's rough sledding.

Don't take my word for it. Ask the brass running the show there. They've gotten a new religion. I hope it's not too little too late.

Now, back to Bin Laden. How could one man with a few million dollars from a construction company have become this effective at destroying empires? He seems to know us a lot better than we know him.

Longfisher

[Reel Fanatic]

We don't know for certain that OBL is still alive. We have unsubstantiated reports and audio tape but nothing that puts a time/ date stamp on when it was made.

We have rules of engagement already in place called the Geneva Convention. I don't think it should apply completely in the case of the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq given the enemy that we are dealing with...case in point, when it pertains to the way intelligence is obtained via detainees and captives on the battlefield. How we deal with the civilians is important but let's keep in mind they choose to remain in a war zone and their own people choose to create battle lines in residential areas as to inflict the greatest number of civilian casualties on purpose.

War is very ugly we all know. People die-including women and children. Stuff gets destroyed. But, we seem to be the only ones concerned with trying to put everything back together again better than the way we found it.

As far as being a strategic genius, I think OBL is more similar to the spoiled brat child who knows how to manipulate his parents. He understands that the leftist media is going to lose their taste for retaliation very quickly and forget the reason the battle was begun in the first place. He understands that the new media ie: Al Jazeera, the internet, leftist blogs et al...have a large effect on the shaping of public opinion within their various markets. These forces when pitted against any administration create a lot of confusion and noise and can help shape or create a certain public sentiment. As far as military strategy is concerned, I wouldn't give him the classification of brilliant or genius...just patient and evil.

[Avenger]

Frankly, I could give a rat's @$$ if we ever get Bin Laden. What the media has mis-characterized as the "war on terror" is a much larger problem than just one man. We're fighting an ideology that is holding grudges that go back to a time before The Crusades and it's not going to go away easily.

I actually have to give Obama credit (did I just say that?) for not abandoning Bush's work in the middle east. However, I think he probably soiled himself when he got that first security briefing and realized how severe this problem really is, and hopefully even if just for his own political ends, took it to heart.

My fear with the Bin Laden issue is that if he is actually captured or killed, the American public, which has the attention span of a flashbulb will say "Oh, good! Everything can go back to normal now." and go back to worrying about what John and Kate + 8 (or whatever these f_tards names are) are up to.

[onestepahead667]

I think Avenger hit the nail on the head when he said:

"My fear with the Bin Laden issue is that if he is actually captured or killed, the American public, which has the attention span of a flashbulb will say 'Oh, good! Everything can go back to normal now.'"

I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist but wouldn't that be enough reason to NOT focus on capturing/killing him right away?

All momentum (public support) to continue war would be lost at that point because the "objective" would have been met in the public eye.

[Hatterized]

Military under Slick Willie Clinton.....had OPPORTUNITY to get rid of Bin Laden......but he did not do a Ronny Reagan...he shot the missle at his cave...rest is sad US history...and to think to this day when a senator from Tennessee named Gore laughed at Ollie North about Al Queda.....yup the Contra hearings....gotta wonder about them Dems motives....and the one in charge now....

[nautiduck]

What makes you think the only reason we "havent" gotten OBL is the result of his wiles. Did you ever think there might be other political reasons we havent found him. Maybe the powers that be dont want him "found" yet. I mean they found Saddam in what 3 months. Lotta money to be made in wars. Our boys in black over their have been within reach of him several times only to be held back for some reason or another. Supposedly wrong intel, to much "collateral damage" when its just caves and bunkers. Its not surprising that our guys are disgusted with the results were seeing. I dont think OBL is a genius I think he just has some interesting blockers running defense.

[Bligh]

Military under Slick Willie Clinton.....had OPPORTUNITY to get rid of Bin Laden......but he did not do a Ronny Reagan...he shot the missle at his cave...rest is sad US history...and to think to this day when a senator from Tennessee named Gore laughed at Ollie North about Al Queda.....yup the Contra hearings....gotta wonder about them Dems motives....and the one in charge now....

Ronnie reagan as you call him pulled out of lebanon after all those marines were killed in the barracks bombing? then ronnie reagan went and freed american medical students in granada from the cuban communist? The med students didnt even know what was going on? Just like our milatary that wanted to go back to lebanon and get even whith the Iranian backed hezbala? Not granada? Also we had a captured CIA operative that Ollie north was negotiating with the IRANIANS to free. They filmed him being tortured and killed and Ollie sold the Iraianians plenty of weapons for nothing? yea the same people that held our embassy hostages til ronie got in? Yes slick willie made mistakes and the trust fund coke sniffing Georgie bush made the most mistakes!
Stop blaming the other party and make your own party walk the walk! GW gave tax breaks with out a way to pay for them? He went to war with all those no bid contracts and all else not in the budget??