The Green Beret System For Winning

[jmm99]

I'm more than willing to go back to the beginning - 2001 - 2005. If the reports are open-source, I'd like to read them.

The reports I've looked at are within my area of expertise - judicial system (courts, police and lawyers) and local governance - and the only candid assessments date from ca. 2006-2007 in four provinces ("good" provinces). The picture drawn was dismal - although improvements over the prior five years were noted. I would say near-FUBAR.

I'll accept your conclusion (since I have no expertise to contradict it):

from STP
What the US DoD has, but often underestimates, is a remarkable resource of logictics, systematic planning/analysis/means-end monitoring, transportation, visibility, and resource convening. Optimizing that against a viable Afghan plan in any sector of public service would truly light a fire under reconstruction.

but do the Afghanis have (1) the capabilities to run a "viable Afghan plan"; and (2) the desire to see that plan actually implemented. Many dedicated US civilians worked on plans in Vietnam - and some managed some positive things (and some of them may well be reading this). But, they eventually ran into the stone wall of the Government of South Vietnam, Republic of. My thoughts about that one are here.

[Steve the Planner]

The challenge is to develop Afghan plans through Afghans, and then direct DoD's substantial resources to accomplishing that plan.

Unfortunately, this is very different than the routine course, and requires a substantial change.

You just can't get "there" any other way---the old Lawrence quote about better to have them do it their way than for you to do it perfectly.

More important, if our technology, resources and systems exceed their capabilities and access, they will fail.

Steve

[slapout9]

IMO The law gives and the law takes away. The law is the basis for Modern society. Tribal law, religious law, constitutional law, it does not matter. In order to be legitimate everyone needs to know the rules of the game. Our Tribal Engagement Teams, Embedded Transition Teams, MTT, PTT efforts are to immerse ourselves in the understanding of the rules of the game. We are not into empire building but security building. You can always lead a horse to water but how do you get him to drink.

Just taking a stab so i can receive my lessons on all of the etiquette I have broken and how my discussion does not apply.

Lets hear some more.

[slapout9]

part 4 of Green Berets and Unconventional Warfare and Yea they get EBO!!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCxAWxbnABI&NR=1

[slapout9]

Link to all 6 parts of the "Why We Fight Now" series about Green Berets and Unconventional Warfare. Or why we should never read another foreign COIN manual or Listen to another foreign COIN adviser, we need to start listening and doing good old American UW.



http://www.youtube.com/user/aaturner7#p/u

[Dayuhan]

Don't need no Strategy........We need a System for Winning.

Before you can talk about a system for winning, you have to know your objective. Winning means accomplishing your objective, and you can't do that if you don't know what the objective is. If anyone here knows what the objective in Afghanistan is, in anything beyond the most nebulous and vacuous terms, please tell me, because I haven't a clue, and I suspect that many others haven't either.

It also helps to have an achievable objective. If our objective is to transform Afghanistan into a liberal democracy, we're toast, because we can't do that.

We also have to assure that we're applying tools that are appropriate to the objective being pursued. You don't start building a house by showing up with a demolition team, and you don't start demolishing a building by showing up with construction workers.

If we don't get those matters in order from the start, the best we can do is to come up with a system for winning the battles and losing the war. We have, I believe, been there and done that.

[slapout9]

Before you can talk about a system for winning, you have to know your objective. Winning means accomplishing your objective, and you can't do that if you don't know what the objective is.

If you watch all the videos they talk about that a great deal. The Military Objective is all about achieving a certain" Effect on the Populace."

But there is a lot of merit in what you say about what is the final Political Objective. I would agree with you I don't think anybody knows. Which is a big,big,big problem.

[Dayuhan]

So we know the military objective but not the political objective... isn't that a little backwards?

Don't know where we're goin', but we know how to get there...

[Ken White]

Don't know where we're goin', but we know how to get there...

planets properly align -- and only then...

[jmm99]

the Age of Aquarius, the Age of Aquarius .... Aquarius !!! Seems some Brotherhood and Understanding will then come about, etc. etc.

Cheerrs

Mike

[slapout9]

So we know the military objective but not the political objective... isn't that a little backwards?

Don't know where we're goin', but we know how to get there...

It's what made American great it's that Invisible hand stuff!