"Hearts and Minds" is a phrase hijacked and much abused by nouveau COINdinistas preaching the unproven power of "effectiveness" and "development" as a counter to the equally unproven power of military domination.
One can force a populace to submit to any government, but one cannot make them like and accept that same government through such force. Similarly one can attempt bribe a populace into not actively resisting a government being forced upon them, but that too cannot make a populace accept a government they find unacceptable.
"Hearts and Minds" means creating a government that the populace finds to be acceptable. It is molding the government to the populace, not bribing, building or killing the populace into submitting to the government.
But this thread is about how to best force a government deemed to be unacceptable and illegitimate by the majority of Afghans. How to minimize casualties among the foreign and domestic military forces sent out to force the populace to submit. Cut down their trees, knock down their walls, fill in their irrigation ditches and Karzez systems. Give them soy beans and irrigation pipes instead, that they cannot use for cover and concealment in their efforts to resist this situation they find unacceptable.
"Tactics without strategy" is indeed "the noise before defeat." (Sun Tzu)
The Noorzai tribe is a force to be reckoned with. 4.5 Million on the Afghan side of the border, 1 Million on the Pakistan side. Dispossessed of much of their wealth, power and influence by the US elevation of the Northern Alliance into power over all of Afghanistan they choose to resist. No amount of violence will make them (and other similarly affected groups) accept this situation, no amount of development either. What price dignity? What price honor? We find certain people to be inconvenient, so we attempt to push them aside or kill them if they don't push. We find their homes and the mechanisms of their very livelihood inconvenient as well, so now we discuss how to best push that aside as well?
Strategy
The US has no vital national interests in Afghanistan or Pakistan that are well served by our presence or our current approaches in that region.
Afghanistan and Pakistan has little geostrategic value to the US as well. We are a maritime nation not of that continent. Our commerce and resources flow freely around and never cross this region nor can they be impacted from it.
Reality
The only way the US can "lose" in Afghanistan is if it commits itself to stay and attempt to "win" in Afghanistan. Solve this tactical problem of cover and concealment in the green zones and another equally problematic tactical problem will emerge. Solve the strategic problem and all of that is moot. The essence of this thread is moot.
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