Operation Moshtarek announced: President publicly announces details of attack.
113 replies, posted
What exactly is so important about that city?
Shit, I forgot to plant the IED's on the back yard, thanks for reminder Dumb American!
[QUOTE=Xenomoose;20155776]someone somewhere will still find a reason to blame Obama. "baaawww, they didn't give the civilians enough time to get out! they evil sumbitches! more on Fox at 11"[/QUOTE]
Fox News wouldn't really care if they didn't get enough time, they are more likely to criticise the fact they did warn the civilians.
Holy Jesus, there's 4,000 British troops involved in this mission. That's almost half of the entire British force in the country.
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;20151309]I hope our President feels that their lives are worth the positive reactions he's getting from the region for warning the people of the city in advance.
[/QUOTE]
This sentence reads like something you'd see on Fox News. It has an undertone of condescension that I just can't put my finger on.
Looks like taking this city could turn the tide of the war; Helmand is the centre of the Taliban insurgency, and Marja is the Taliban's secure location in Helmand. Taking Marja means the insurgent commanders needs a new place to hang out.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;20156545]This sentence reads like something you'd see on Fox News. It has an undertone of condescension that I just can't put my finger on.[/QUOTE]
It's not condescencion, but rather frustration. He is sending my fellow soldiers against a force that will be incredibly well-prepared for them. I understand his political reasoning for this, but from a tactical standpoint he is putting soldiers and civilians into an unecessarily dangerous situation.
I know why he's doing it, and unfortunately there isn't much of a choice if America is to win a war of public opinion, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I am not personally okay with the fact that people are being sent to their deaths for no other reason than public favor. His announcement has made the coming battle bloodier for everyone; soldiers and civilian alike.
Yeah baby get SOME!
[QUOTE=smurfy;20156881]Looks like taking this city could turn the tide of the war; Helmand is the centre of the Taliban insurgency, and Marja is the Taliban's secure location in Helmand. Taking Marja means the insurgent commanders needs a new place to hang out.[/QUOTE]
they probably have a underground network of tunnels, which would make escape a hell of a lot easier and transferring HQ
[QUOTE=Sir M;20157476]they probably have a underground network of tunnels, which would make escape a hell of a lot easier and transferring HQ[/QUOTE]
Regardless, securing this city cuts off one of the Taliban's primary means of income- drug trade. Marja is one of the network's primary poppy growth locations.
I hope you other guys can keep up [img]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/emoot/britain.gif[/img]
Ah, good old French and English White folk charging into the Middle East to purge the land of evil.
Wonder if they're just going to walk into an empty town. The Taliban aren't stupid, they know our basic goal there is to draw them into open warfare where they can be easily slaughtered. They've got an opportunity to do some damage to US forces, but we're obviously got an incredible amount of ordinance ready to burn the place to the ground if necessary. They have to know fighting a pitched battle is suicide.
[editline]02:22PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;20157085]It's not condescencion, but rather frustration. He is sending my fellow soldiers against a force that will be incredibly well-prepared for them. I understand his political reasoning for this, but from a tactical standpoint he is putting soldiers and civilians into an unecessarily dangerous situation.
I know why he's doing it, and unfortunately there isn't much of a choice if America is to win a war of public opinion, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I am not personally okay with the fact that people are being sent to their deaths for no other reason than public favor. His announcement has made the coming battle bloodier for everyone; soldiers and civilian alike.[/QUOTE]
Well, he can either make these announcements and minimize Afghan casualties while trying to draw the Taliban into a stand-up fight, or he can go in by surprise and have the blood of potentially thousands of civilians on his hands. If he really wants this to be about Afghan freedom and not simply cleaning up Bush's failure, then he has to show that we're willing to put our people on the line for their sake.
Personally I don't think there will ever be a strong, centralized government in a country with almost no roads and a 95% illiteracy rate. The Taliban wern't even a government, just the current party in control of the important parts of the country. I don't think that shithole is worth our money or our lives, if they want to grow drugs and be ruled by religious extremists, let them. But that's my opinion, the president has his and I see where he's coming from. I just hope we don't come out of this with a couple hundred more dead soldiers and nothing accomplished.
Also, can't wait to hear Cheney, O'reilly, and Hannity crying about how the President wants Americans to die. The same people who were screaming for blood during Fallujah.
I wonder if they're just announcing some plans so the militants will expect one thing and then they'll attack using some different tactic.
[QUOTE=StupidUsername67;20152577]Killing countless civilians in the process and give the dirt diggers more public ammo against us.[/QUOTE]
Nah, what the previous guy said is wrong...
If George W. Bush was in office right now there wouldn't even be an attack. People were too scared to mess with Bush because they knew he was crazy enough to use his power.
With Obama in office everyone is acting up, Obama is basically the Substitute teacher of presidents.
[QUOTE=Squad;20159033]Nah, what the previous guy said is wrong...
If George W. Bush was in office right now there wouldn't even be an attack. People were too scared to mess with Bush because they knew he was crazy enough to use his power.
With Obama in office everyone is acting up, Obama is basically the Substitute teacher of presidents.[/QUOTE]
If Bush was in office there wouldn't be an attack because he doesn't give a shit about Afghanistan. To him, the Afghan war served little purpose beyond stoking the public's bloodlust and getting them used to the idea of invading and occupying other countries so they'd go along with the Iraq oil grab.
I wish all my luck to the soldiers fighting.
[QUOTE=Squad;20159033]
If George W. Bush was in office right now there wouldn't even be an attack. People were too scared to mess with Bush because they knew he was crazy enough to use his power.
With Obama in office everyone is acting up, Obama is basically the Substitute teacher of presidents.[/QUOTE]
Are you fucking kidding me? You lost two towers, a fifth of the pentagon, and a field under Bush.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;20159181]Are you fucking kidding me? You lost two towers, a fifth of the pentagon, and a field under Bush.[/QUOTE]
And 5000+ soldiers, and 200,000 or more innocent civilians. Nobody has a clue as to the actual number of people killed by Bush's wars, probably because he fought so hard to suppress reports of the actual count of his wars.
[QUOTE=Emperorconor;20151361]Fucking idiot.
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("Flaming" - TH89))[/highlight][/QUOTE]
Insulting Obama is a bannable offense? If it was Bush or Reagan I doubt you would ban him.
Good luck out there, soldiers. You are all far braver than I will ever be.
:britain: :911: :canada: :australia: :france: :spain: :sweden:
Well, I see the heart in announcing it to the noncombatants there, but it's also putting the lives of our troops in much higher danger. Now this is me, but I think we should be worrying about the lives of our own soldiers before the civilians in the area.
[QUOTE=evilweazel;20159940]Well, I see the heart in announcing it to the noncombatants there, but it's also putting the lives of our troops in much higher danger. Now this is me, but I think we should be worrying about the lives of our own soldiers before the civilians in the area.[/QUOTE]
That's what conquerors do. Not "liberators".
[QUOTE=JDK721;20159443]Insulting Obama is a bannable offense? If it was Bush or Reagan I doubt you would ban him.[/QUOTE]
Obama's black, you're not allowed to offend black people
I hope those brave freedom fighters give the occupation forces hell. What we need is for the Taliban to show us that this war is not worth fighting.
This is pretty noble. This GMH.
Something tells me this will achieve nothing but pats on the back from allies, however I still really hope this results in the Afghan people seeing we are trying to be nice.
[QUOTE=FacepunchZen;20160481]I hope those brave freedom fighters give the occupation forces hell. What we need is for the Taliban to show us that this war is not worth fighting.[/QUOTE]
You're an idiot.
[QUOTE=JLea;20153656]hang on th89, he was insulting OBAMA. is insulting OBAMA a bannable offence now :confused:[/QUOTE]
I am Obama.
[QUOTE=TH89;20161635]I am Obama.[/QUOTE]
Stop prolonging Bush's imperialistic dreams and get us out of the Middle East already. That's why I voted for you.
Also because McCain looks like he's ready to die any day now.
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