"Stop reinforcing failure" (good article from The Guardian)

[politicaholic]

Stop reinforcing failure
-Robert Fox-

About Webfeeds August 11, 2006 12:20 PM -
While the rest of the world wasn't watching, an order was given to British troops that reversed most of Tony Blair's plans for Afghanistan at a stroke - the biggest single u-turn in the his long and tangled involvement in matters of war and peace.

British troops were ordered to get out of their isolated forward bases in upper Helmand province, because they were deemed to be too vulnerable and beyond rescue if their opponents continued their efforts to overrun them.

-snip-

"They have been engaged in dirty low-level fighting daily," the general told a news conference in Kabul. In other words he was following one of the oldest military maxims - never reinforce failure.

-snip-

So the mission may now be shaped on more realistic lines. The British in Helmand had no chance of denting the narcotics industry in three years, as Tony Blair intended. They would be better off trying to help President Karzai get some semblance of government and order in his capital, Kabul, and work out from there in trying to bring aid, succour and good medicine to the Afghan population. Going to Helmand with the Parachute Regiment task force always seemed an invitation to the umpteenth Anglo-Afghan War.

Now, would that a dose of General Richards' political nous and tactical realism could be carried across to British military efforts in Iraq. And who is heeding his lesson in Whitehall and Downing Street?

edit to add link
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/robert_fox/2006/08/stop_reinforcing_failure.html

[rodeodance]

1. Afgan, the model for Irag (Condi words)--is a goner also.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

2. Oops, I thought your thread title meant the Republicans handling of terror

"Hand over your deodorant and lipstick" is their multi-billion dollar answer to terrorism.:eyes: