AHHH!! They're comin right for us!

The American Military's ability to gather actual true intelligence has always been poor. It does not seem to be improving.

PC LOAD LETTER: The American Military's ability to gather actual true intelligence has always been poor. It does not seem to be improving.

not entirely true. we're outstanding at ELINT (COMINT/SIGINT as well, but that's arguably under the aegis of ELINT). one thing that nobody is good at is the pointy, dirty end of the intel biz - talking to people and finding out what they're really doing.

We can read a newspaper from low orbit, but we can't tell what three guys in a cornfield are really talking about. they might be chatting about the weather....or they could be planning to turn all that fertilizer into a bomb. And unless they email someone about it, or talk about it on a phone somewhere, we probably won't know much about their plan until it happens. we've never been very good at keeping tabs on the more primative and fanatical types out there in the dusty parts of the planet.

snafu

Weaver95

We can read a newspaper from low orbit...

Well then, we should have known those people were not Taliban, because they weren't wearing Taliban uniforms.


/And when you ask if I was being serious, don't call me Shirley.

This is going to end well for everyone involved.

There have been a few incidents like this. The Pakistanis have elements in their government that don't want to help us, and have a vested interest in making sure the Taliban and Al Qaida forces are protected and hidden, and this only gives them more reason to do so.

It doesn't help that pretty much ALL the Pashtuns in the region are armed, and not terrible friendly to outsiders--any outsiders for that matter. Showing up uninvited is a good way to get guns out and shooting to drive you off--be you Pakistani, Taliban, or US troops.

Too bad we're running out of dictators to be our bestest buddies these days. Maybe we should send Kim Jong Il a case of cognac and a blonde hooker.

I feel like ole kimmy boy likes himself the librarian brunette type

Well you can't make an omelet...

Do they really transit fuel in ISO boxes? Seems wasteful... I would have thought they'd have used, I don't know, a tanker truck?

Mugato: Well you can't make an omelet...

Remind me never to have brunch at Mugato's house.

Tabatha Static: Mugato: Well you can't make an omelet...

Remind me never to have brunch at Mugato's house.

I don't do brunch anyway. But I do like your taste in women.

This will all go away when that young black fella gets elected.

I promise.

Weaver95: We can read a newspaper from low orbit,

I would think that a newspaper from low orbit would burst into flames shortly after Space Paperboy hurled it from his jetbike.

I simply can't wait to hear Gov. Palin's advice on this subject. It should be quite illuminating.

Bucky Katt: I simply can't wait to hear Gov. Palin's advice on this subject. It should be quite illuminating.

Yeah, I wonder how many Pakistani kids she thinks we need to kill before we can be safe.

But another official told Dawn in Peshawar that no decision to suspend oil supplies had come from Islamabad, saying instead it was taken at the local level in view of increased fighter activities in the Khyber region.

"Why would Pakistan suspend oil supplies due to increased US attacks in the region? It goes against conventional wisdom," he said.

"Torkham highway has become extremely dangerous due to militancy in Jamrud and Landi Kotal. The administration needs to beef up security of the highway.

"When we have enough troops on the ground to ensure safety of oil tankers, the supplies would be allowed to go through," he told Dawn.

Er, maybe I'm not following this properly..

This is bullshiat, I've raped people for far less than this. These dirty Paki bastards think that they can just cut off the supply lines to American and NATO troops and just act like a f*cking hardass with some kinda' cold-ass mouth piece? Bad news for you, f*ckface, but today's the day your luck runs out.

But seriously, we need to send in "peacekeeping" forces to "keep the supply chain going". This is already the staging area for all the foreign fighters killing our guys in Afghanistan, and if they think that f*cking with our military supply lines is the best way to keep us in line then they got another thing coming. Osama Bin Laden lives in this place because we have put up with these peoples bullshiat in the past, and our patience is wearing thin.

Were we not supposed to do that?

...Our bad.

jgbrowning: Bucky Katt: I simply can't wait to hear Gov. Palin's advice on this subject. It should be quite illuminating.

Yeah, I wonder how many Pakistani kids she thinks we need to kill before we can be safe.

I don't know about what she wants, but I'm thinking a couple million should do nicely.

KyngNothing: Do they really transit fuel in ISO boxes? Seems wasteful... I would have thought they'd have used, I don't know, a tanker truck?

It's probably a "flex-tank" inside an ISO box....think of a waterbed with 40k/lbs of fire-juice inside it.

jgbrowning: Bucky Katt: I simply can't wait to hear Gov. Palin's advice on this subject. It should be quite illuminating.

Yeah, I wonder how many Pakistani kids she thinks we need to kill before we can be safe.

I have the answer for you right here.

WHHAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGAAARRRBLLLLLEE!!!

Palin: bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Pakistan

President-elect - Asif Ali Zardari

Gets elected, bombs go off across the nation courtesy of the Pakistani Taliban. Of course, we all remember him as the widower of Benazir Bhutto.

Prime Minister - Yousaf Raza Gillani

Just this week was sitting in the back of his state limousine and had 2 shots fired at his head by Pakistani Taliban assassins. Fortunately, the windows were bulletproof.

Pakistan's fear of India's nuclear capabilities caused them to develop a nuclear weapons program of their own, which has between 60 and 200 nuclear warheads.

The US actions in Iraq and Afghanistan have riled up the region. Iran is surrounded by US forces, and the "terrorists" are heading to neighboring states. We are creating a new generation of people with a justified hatred of the US and western philosophy. What is worse is that we are also contributing to the destabilization of a nuclear nation, and our irresponsible actions may lead those we claim to be our rogue enemies to have access to the most powerful weapons in the world.

We are creating an environment for WWIII and it will be our actions that have caused it.

/subby

There are no civilians in this war.

It really feels like Afghanistan is just a hopeless cause. We should just pack up and leave from there, reminding those whackos that while we suck at rebuilding, we are damn good at blowing shiat up from 40,000 feet and now we'll have way more money for bombs since we aren't trying to rebuild what we blow up.

Looks like the Pakis forgot 911

So not only does the current adminstration employ some of Obama's would-be tactics but they suck at it.

Deploy a couple AC-130 Specter gunships over the problem.



/solved

Not really sure I'm going to put much faith in Al Jazera. It is know to be more propogandistic than many of you think Fox is.

bwesb: So not only does the current adminstration employ some of Obama's would-be tactics but they suck at it.

Obama said he'd act on solid actionable intelligence, with or without permission. By definition, if you kill a bunch of civilians and none of you enemy, you didn't have solid actionable intelligence.

It wouldn't surprise me to hear that Bush has started an all-out push to get Bin Laden by the end of his term, no matter what the cost. Of course, Bush has never been very good at understanding what "no matter what the cost" could mean.

The guy at the end of the thread: There are no civilians in this war.

i always thought the dragon would be bigger

CanisNoir: Not really sure I'm going to put much faith in Al Jazera. It is know to be more propogandistic than many of you think Fox is.

Do you have a better sources? Let's see it.

Argh2: bwesb: So not only does the current adminstration employ some of Obama's would-be tactics but they suck at it.

Obama said he'd act on solid actionable intelligence, with or without permission. By definition, if you kill a bunch of civilians and none of you enemy, you didn't have solid actionable intelligence.

It wouldn't surprise me to hear that Bush has started an all-out push to get Bin Laden by the end of his term, no matter what the cost. Of course, Bush has never been very good at understanding what "no matter what the cost" could mean.

And the republicans have been attacking Obama for that position on Pakistan. It's ok for them to do it, but not Obama?

Just have china write us another check for 10 billion dollars so we can send it them.

Befuddled: It really feels like Afghanistan is just a hopeless cause.

It is a land war in Asia.




Just ask the USSR about how well they did there.


/still it has to be done

Argh2: bwesb: So not only does the current adminstration employ some of Obama's would-be tactics but they suck at it.

Obama said he'd act on solid actionable intelligence, with or without permission. By definition, if you kill a bunch of civilians and none of you enemy, you didn't have solid actionable intelligence.

It wouldn't surprise me to hear that Bush has started an all-out push to get Bin Laden by the end of his term, no matter what the cost. Of course, Bush has never been very good at understanding what "no matter what the cost" could mean.

You hit the nail on the head. I am cool with it as long as we actually get Bin Laden and don't start World War 3.

Phil Herup: Deploy a couple AC-130 Specter gunships over the problem.



/solved

Excellent idea!

What are your current coordinates?

PC LOAD LETTER: The American Military's ability to gather actual true intelligence has always been poor. It does not seem to be improving.

Intelligence is not a good thing because it can boomerang back to the guy running the war. That is the main reason why the CIA severely limited its intelligence gathering in Afghanistan in the 80s, and claims to never have heard of Osama bin Laden during the Reagan administration.

CanisNoir: Not really sure I'm going to put much faith in Al Jazera. It is know to be more propogandistic than many of you think Fox is.

It's interesting that you would have that opinion. From my understanding, Al Jazeera English has been one of the most accurate news sources. This is due to the simple fact that they face so much opposition from the opinions of western media. Oddly, they seem to be taking the high road in journalism.

So we killed a few civilians that were probably going to be victims of future muslim "honor-killings" anyway. BFD.

Exodus2001: Palin: bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Pakistan

Nice. Perfect meter.

Weaver95: We can read a newspaper from low orbit

If it's written in English.

CanisNoir: Not really sure I'm going to put much faith in Al Jazera. It is know to be more propogandistic than many of you think Fox is.

It's pretty much the Fox News of the Arab world. They do accurately report the news but they wear their bias on their sleeve.

Then again, every news has bias. It takes a critical mind to wade through the pablum.

Phil Herup: Deploy a couple AC-130 Specter gunships over the problem.



/solved

Copied from another thread:
Americans are raised on half hour TV shows (not including ads) where a "bad guy" is presented and then the hero comes charging in and solves the problem by randomly shooting people. You see the same story over and over again.

As a result, Americans are simply not capable of imagining any other way of solving problems.

ilambiquated: Phil Herup: Deploy a couple AC-130 Specter gunships over the problem.



/solved

Copied from another thread:
Americans are raised on half hour TV shows (not including ads) where a "bad guy" is presented and then the hero comes charging in and solves the problem by randomly shooting people. You see the same story over and over again.

As a result, Americans are simply not capable of imagining any other way of solving problems.

I think there is a surface to air missile that is inches away from hitting that plane. His comment may have been facetious.

This kind of ruins the Republican talking point about ZOMG Obama is going to invade Pakistan!

It also raises the question of how Obama expects to deal with the incompetence of the American military.

HA HA! Foolish Americans! They should send a strongly worded letter instead as we do!

Obama isn't even elected yet, and he's ALREADY making the US invade our ally, Pakistan.