U.S. Govt to pay Taliban to switch sides

[RangerX]

Wow, how unbelievable stupid. it will be about as effective as those gun buy back programs.

[Ranger Bill]

Are we following Italy's lead?

[Jim]

We did this in Iraq when we organized the Iraq Awakening movement. Paid Sunni tribesment to provide security in their local areas.

[Nomad]

Yes, it worked brilliantly. But you're not dealing with the same mindset in Afghanistan as you are in Iraq.

[CloakAndDagger]

One of the things I recall from my time over there, is that Afghan culture encourages very fluid loyalties.

"Hey look, Akhmed! General Dostum has way more troops, we're gonna lose! Let's go fight for him instead of this Mullah here."

6 months later: "Mr. Dostum went home...I guess he doesn't care about us, and I'm bored. Let's go fight for the Mullah again!"

[Reiver]

Remains to be seen how well the "brilliant" strategy worked in IZ? Success based upon the perspective of the Observer. Locally initiated anyway, USA just dumped $$$ upon effort. Time will tell...

AF is a COMPLETELY different dynamic. Don't think Nation-State in the classic euro mind-set. They are survivors...roll with the punch...pledge allegiance to (fill in the blank)...my clan, my cousins, my brothers, F*** all others...not as much a country as a crossroads...(fill in the blank) of who has rolled through - and departed...

Shame we let 1003 divert us into other endeavors. Much like Athens diverting energy into Sicily, when the foe was in Laconia.

cdl

[Nomad]

Remains to be seen how well the "brilliant" strategy worked in IZ? Success based upon the perspective of the Observer. Locally initiated anyway, USA just dumped $$$ upon effort. Time will tell...

No disagreement there, but taking the most active combat AO out of the picture has allowed us to send US Marines back to the US and now on to Afghanistan. There is no way you could disagree with the results when you look at cities like Ramadi and Fallujah today and compare them to the state they were in around 2003-2006.

IMO, the money spent to entice people to play ball was peanuts compared to the money we were dumping there on an unsuccessful USMIL presence.

AF is a COMPLETELY different dynamic. Don't think Nation-State in the classic euro mind-set. They are survivors...roll with the punch...pledge allegiance to (fill in the blank)...my clan, my cousins, my brothers, F*** all others...not as much a country as a crossroads...(fill in the blank) of who has rolled through - and departed...

History indicates that there is a very different mindset at hand there. You and others say the same thing, which is why I don't think the long term objectives the last Administration had for the country will even be close to realized by this one's new plan.