Quote Originally Posted by Chris jM View Post
The overhype may be true, but I don't think this narrative of stupidity is helpful or accurate.

Are the Taleban tactically impotent against the professional soldiery, offensive support and technological superiority of ISAF? Absolutely. Does this make them stupid? Certainly not.

I also think that the characterisation of ISAF/ Western forces as 'stupid' is both inaccurate and unhelpful. There is certainly a lot of inefficiency and a fair amount of incompetence, but there is also a lot of smart, dedicated people out there doing there damndest to win over there. Reading the posts on this board of those actively involved in the struggle - the Maj Gants and the Col Roberts - should be enough evidence to dispel any blanket label of foolishness or stupidity.

We need to be honest with ourselves in that we are struggling to get to grips with a tactically primitive enemy and, as some on the board point out, this enemy is not a good yardstick to base future tactical undertakings on. We also need to be honest with ourselves in that we, ISAF, are operating in an alien and very complex and hostile environment. Difficult yes, inefficient certainly, illogical at times maybe. But stupid? No.
A quick and simple answer to you is that the Taliban sit and watch the ISAF forces day after day and in their medieval minds they note weaknesses which they exploit. This while the ISAF forces arrive in Afghanistan with the attitude "This is how we do it". The prognosis for ISAF remains poor.