observer Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Some 60,000 Dutch farmers stood up to the might of the British Empire, and gave 250,000 Imperial troops the run around - until along came Gen Kitchener with a strategy: a system of block-houses with high quantities of barbed wire to restrict enemy mobility, the systematic burning of all Boer homesteads and the stripping of the countryside of all livestock; the forced confinement of all Boer civilians in "concentration" camps which caused 26,000 of them (mostly children) to die - all of which finally brought the Boers to the peace table. Wonder if it could work with the Taliban? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 Do they use strategy these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 I was drawing out the fact, that there are solutions to problems, but some solutions are considered too draconian to employ, thus we finish up operating with one arm behind our back. The down side of course, is that such a strategy would alienate even further indigenous support for what is, after all, a foreign occupation - so perhaps, on balance, we need to find a political solution and bring the troops home? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 The Yanks tried it in Vietnam it failed there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 Nope: the conventional enemy was NORTH Vietnam, and aside from raining bombs on them, no attempt at occupation of the North was attempted, thus allowing them a base of operations and supply against the South. The Tet Offensive by the Viet-Cong was a political and media coup, but a military failiure. The Viet-Nam war was lost in the living rooms and Campuses of the USA, having watched 50,000 body bags returned home - the Communists however probably lost ten times that number, but with superior moral and belief in a cause - they endured - and won. In Afghanistan, we have had a changing mission thus no military strategey to attain a clear objective - the Taliban have a belief and a clear objective - and it's their Country we're occupying. They'll be there when we finally leave. As for Brown's feeble nonesense about keeping terrorism off the streets of Britain; the London bombers were home grown; ideas don't need a passport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry hayes Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 Lovely expression Obs "ideas don,t need passports" - but in a way they do. They have to be granted entry into the listeners mind if they are to be spread further than the perpetrator. Keep up the good work. Happy days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 The Americans tried it in South Vietnam as you well no Obs because they could not tell the difference between the Vietcong and normal villagers and they thought it would starve the Vietcong out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 "tried" what? If your refering to concentration camps, they didn't; the Brits DID coral the local population into concentration camps in the Malayan insurgency, to isolate the guerillas from supply and support - and we won that one. However, in the case of V/Nam, supplies were brought from N/v.nam via the Ho Chi Min Trail, despite torrential bombing by the USAF, underground bases were built close to Siagon (indeed one was under a US base!). The outcomes of war are never certain, but a clear political objective and moral resolution allows for a clear military objective - something the Afghan adventure seems to lack. H: when you have folk believing that if they die, they go to heaven; and worse, if they die as a martyr they'll enjoy 20 odd virgins; there's clearly no one at the the door to their minds to block the message. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted November 2, 2009 Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 Alot of villages in south Vietam were moved to so called safer areas and ended up as compounds where they went out in the day and were locked up at night, it was meant to deprive the veitcong of food, supplys and man power, it didn't work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 It didn't work, cos supplies were flowing from the North along the Ho Chi Min Trail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry hayes Posted November 2, 2009 Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 While we have got off the main subject, I have always believed that death is one long dream where time and space don,t exist. Good life - virgins; bad life Glenys Kinnock; Cherie Blair and Heather Mills. Happy days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted November 2, 2009 Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 ... it's confused me too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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