Confronting Iran: Securing Iraq's Border

[S2MSSI]

Reading through this, I'm shaking my head.

Incredibly dumb idea: US troops...Getting involved in the drug trade...As part of their mission. Gee, that can't possibly go disastrously wrong, can it? </sarcasm>

Penta, I read a few of your other posts before responding to your thread. Hope I captured your other past statements on SWJ correctly:

Displaying my ignorance; Just figured I'd poke at this one; And now my bits, from an outsider's POV; This may, or may not, be related to the fact; You would do well to show the intelligence of your namesake; the situation is probably a failure already; came out of college with a 2.3 GPA. Not because I was lazy, but because I...Well, I gave up; For me, the only reason I suffered through high school (where I was bored and depressed)

...and yet I will still respond since, again, it looks like you may be confused.

Getting involved in anything that is unconventional must be very carefully planned and executed or it could go disastrously wrong. This is why we must "not only know our adversary, but know ourselves", so we properly balance battlefield effects with our own resources to both create and contain.

Applying unconventional actions to irregular warfare situations "to seek asymmetric advantage, in order to erode an adversary's power, influence,and will"-- [Working definition of IW approved by Deputy Secretary of Defense, 2006], is not for the squeamish or amateurs--its war. But like playing with matches, those who understand the property of fire and its characteristics and behavior, can work with it to one's advantage as a proper tool given the proper application in proper measure.