The war that I know- 150 Taliban KIA

[bourbon]

This is a fight between Andrew Poppas and the Taliban Commander. My money is on COL Poppas. The winner wins the populace.

I don’t know if this comment is in jest because you are cheering on your boys, or if it really shapes your perspective. If it is the latter:

Does the populace know this? Do they care? Can they even be ‘won’?
Is it really this zero-sum? Obviously, a combat operation is zero-sum; but is counterinsurgency a zero-sum or nonzero activity?

[MikeF]

I don’t know if this comment is in jest because you are cheering on your boys, or if it really shapes your perspective. If it is the latter:

Does the populace know this? Do they care? Can they even be ‘won’?
Is it really this zero-sum? Obviously, a combat operation is zero-sum; but is counterinsurgency a zero-sum or nonzero activity?

It's a combination and compilation of your questions.

In the simplest of terms, I'm cheering on my boys. They're in a tough fight, I know how they fight, and I want to will them to win. In a broader context, the beginning of this tactical fight, zero-sum as it is, sets the conditions for COL Poppas to destroy the resistance, and then transfer and build back the A'stan gov't and security forces.

At least that is the hope and the theory.

As I've stated before, I was not a supporter of this surge. I preferred more FID, SFA, and Karzai rather than us doing it on our own. What I didn't state was my worst fear last summer was that COL Poppas's brigade would end up where they're at. They're now there so that point is moot.

My own hope is that they and the rest of the surge forces give GEN Patraeus breathing room to help get Karzai a better position against the Taliban at the bargaining table. This is just a minor fight in the big picture, albeit a very personal one for me.

And, I have no illusions that there's ever a "win" in a small war. Rather, one can control the populace for a short amount of time. After that, it's all governance as COL Jones is getting at. But, as Schmedlap better articulates, in this moment, in that place, all of that is irrelevant. It's time to kill.

[JMA]

It's a combination and compilation of your questions.

In the simplest of terms, I'm cheering on my boys. They're in a tough fight, I know how they fight, and I want to will them to win. In a broader context, the beginning of this tactical fight, zero-sum as it is, sets the conditions for COL Poppas to destroy the resistance, and then transfer and build back the A'stan gov't and security forces.

What's the latest on COL Poppas's brigade?

[Rebecca White]

MikeF, does this article describe some the same ongoing operation in Konar?

http://www.cjtf82.com/press-releases...re-chenar.html

[MikeF]

MikeF, does this article describe some the same ongoing operation in Konar?

Rebecca,

Yes, that's Col P's brigade. I'm not sure of the location though.


From JMA

What's the latest on COL Poppas's brigade?

Honesely, I don't know. I'm watching the news like everyone else right now .