Quote Originally Posted by Bob's World View Post
... and this, of course is why strategy applied the past several years has produced strategic damage out of tactical success.
I thought this worthy of a separate post, because this issue of Strategy is important.
The policy is to force a Pro-US Government in A'Stan. Correct?

The Taliban wish to overthrow that Government by violent means. - that is their policy. The means they choose (their strategy) is to kill Afghans and ISAF. Their strategy is enemy centric. It is the means they use to set forth the policy.

Has ISAF had tactical success, or has it simply conducted a lot of irrelevant tactical actions?
Unless tactical success is instrumental in setting forth the policy it is tactical action separated from Strategy.
ISAF Policy is to protect the Government. ISAF strategy should be to prevent the Taliban killing Afghans and ISAF.
I submit this means, at the most basic level, killing the people who are doing the killing. That means ISAF should not kill Afghans, trying to kill Taliban.
If anyone wants to suggest an alternative, I am very willing to swayed.