Comments on: Profiling Petraeus http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/06/29/profiling-petraeus/ The unbearable lightness of Lex. Enjoy! Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:54:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tom G. http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/06/29/profiling-petraeus/comment-page-1/#comment-431827 Tom G. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:39:22 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=4335#comment-431827 "Your point of view on that question will much depend, I suppose, on what it is you hope for." Also depends on the length of one's view, but one thing is axiomatic: The most vocal pros/cons are the ones most incapable & most unwilling to enter the arena. “Your point of view on that question will much depend, I suppose, on what it is you hope for.”

Also depends on the length of one’s view, but one thing is axiomatic: The most vocal pros/cons are the ones most incapable & most unwilling to enter the arena.

]]> By: Flatlander http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/06/29/profiling-petraeus/comment-page-1/#comment-431829 Flatlander Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:08:38 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=4335#comment-431829 The situation recalls, sadly, that of Abrams in the final years of Viet Nam. The General finally got the strategy right, but the country was not willing to gut it out. The last hope is that McCain can prevail at home, and give Petraeus the time he needs. The situation recalls, sadly, that of Abrams in the final years of Viet Nam. The General finally got the strategy right, but the country was not willing to gut it out.

The last hope is that McCain can prevail at home, and give Petraeus the time he needs.

]]> By: XBradTC http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/06/29/profiling-petraeus/comment-page-1/#comment-431828 XBradTC Mon, 30 Jun 2008 06:48:59 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=4335#comment-431828 What always frustrated me about the counterinsurgency effort was the emphasis on reconstruction and building the Iraqi army. That's an ultimate goal. First, control the battlespace. Ensure security. Once you do that, it gets easier to do so many other things. It's a heck of a lot easier to convince someone to trust you if they aren't getting blown up for it. Skippy is against the whole venture, and even veers into the occasional BDS, but I seem to recall that he bemoaned the lack of troops there, once we recognized the insurgency. I can agree with that. I think part of why we didn't do that was economy of force. We knew we would be there for a while and tried to balance having a large presence v. sustaining the force over a long period of time. What always frustrated me about the counterinsurgency effort was the emphasis on reconstruction and building the Iraqi army.
That’s an ultimate goal.
First, control the battlespace. Ensure security. Once you do that, it gets easier to do so many other things. It’s a heck of a lot easier to convince someone to trust you if they aren’t getting blown up for it.

Skippy is against the whole venture, and even veers into the occasional BDS, but I seem to recall that he bemoaned the lack of troops there, once we recognized the insurgency. I can agree with that. I think part of why we didn’t do that was economy of force. We knew we would be there for a while and tried to balance having a large presence v. sustaining the force over a long period of time.

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