History of the Vietnam War 101

Jim [66.82.162.12]

It appears there are parallels to the situation in VN when the strategy was revised when/after Abrams took over. Namely, the population needs to be protected from the enemy and from its own government. There, the effort appeared to be successful until it was ultimately abandoned.

Here there appear to be two major differences.

1. We are not afraid of getting into a nuclear exchange with the enemies' backers.

2. The insurgents appear to be less brutal with the local population and thus, smarter.


It seems to me we should either get in for the long haul with the resources to win the hearts and minds of the countryside or essentially get out now.

Current polling seems to suggest less than 50% support for sending more troops. But, as with Iraq, the two definitive questions haven't been polled. 1. Should we pull out of Afganistan? 2. Should we pull out of Afganistan if it means increasing the risk of US domestic attacks in the future?

Given the current political landscape, I suspect US politicians don't have the stomach to achieve success.

Comments?