Most news reports about the war-like exploits of the Taliban relate how groups of them travel about Afghanistan in pickup trucks, sedans and SUVs with guns and mounted weapons like machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. Such vehicles are also the common means of delivery of bombs by suicide operators. The Taliban is also said to be ubiquitous in the population and difficult to locate, hence difficult to engage militarily and to destroy them.
The presence of pickup trucks, sedans and SUVs in a rural community would indicate the possible presence of Taliban members. A strategy to impair the ability of the Taliban to conduct operations in the countryside would be to simply ban the use of pickup trucks, sedans and SUVs and destroy by aerial attack any pickup trucks, sedans and SUVs operating along roads or trails. The control of these vehicles would make Taliban members march like soldiers of olden days, severely limiting their range and speed of operation. Besides reducing their ability to operate militarily, banning pickup trucks, sedans and SUVs would probably reduce their ability to recruit. Concealment of a vehicle by garaging or camouflaging it would not matter, as the vehicle would only be a target when used. It would be back to the donkey cart for the Afghan farmer for local transport.
It would be difficult for replacement vehicles to be smuggled into Afghanistan, because control points could be established along the sparse road system's few border crossings. Collateral damage in the form of civilian deaths could be diminished by announcing that any vehicle operating on a roadway or trail would be a target of opportunity and treated accordingly. Let the rider beware. Legitimate vehicular transport of people and goods could be accomplished by government operated or leased bus transport and trucking services. Night time operations could be countered by use of infra-red vision equipment and heat-seeking missiles. Essentially, the plan is to cover Afghanistan with a no-drive zone, much as Iraq was restricted by a no-fly zone.
If there is going to be an all-out effort to vanquish the Taliban, I think it should begin by denying them motor transport.
Solving the world's problems, one at a time.
Showing posts with label Taliban. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taliban. Show all posts
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Military Response to Terrorism
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, an immediate response by the United States was not only expected, it was virtually demanded by a nation that would not allow this criminal act go unpunished. The target of our response was also predictable. Afghanistan harbored Osama bin Laden, the perpetrator of the attack. The Taliban, a paramilitary force was in control of Afghanistan. Clearly, combat soldiers were the appropriate response. However, a belated attack on Iraq in response to 9/11 was unexpected, at least by me.
With military operations in Aghanistan winding down, but not successfully concluded by the capture of Osama bin Laden, his lieutenants, and top Taliban leaders, the Bush administration began a publicity campaign to justify a military invasion of Iraq. Basically, Bush's line was that al-Qaida had conspired with Saddam Hussein in planning the 9/11 attack. Bush insisted that Saddam had chemical and biological weapons and was trying to develop nuclear weapons. Bush claimed that, because Saddam hated the USA, these weapons would fall into the hands of al-Qaida, who wouldn't hesitate to use them against us or at least try to do that. I won't quibble with that possibility, but surely there were options besides an armed invasion to prevent it.
The military invasion of Iraq was carried out with shock and awe, resulting in "Mission Accomplished". Saddam's army dissolved into the neighborhoods of Iraq's cities, as our forces advanced. The U.S. military stayed in place to pacify the population, but ended up embroiled in fighting against guerrilla insurgents, including fighters associated with al-Qaida. As Iraqi security spiraled out of control, our troops were caught in the middle of a civil war between Sunni and Shia religious factions. Although the possibility that our armed forces are embroiled in a quagmire is denied by the Bush administration, they have accepted the premise that our military success will be equated to a lack of participation by opposition Iraqi elements. So, we went from fighting terrorists in Afghanistan to fighting Iraqi's in Iraq with some terrorists (who were there because we were) thrown into the mix, without an exit plan. The war has become a open-ended commitment where victory is illusive and will not be determined by our actions, but rather by the inaction of our adversaries.
The problems with continuation of the Bush military response in Iraq to a successful conclusion are manifold. The Iraq War has caused grievous casualties without commensurate gain. It has squandered national resources without a future return on investment. It has divided our society. Persons who were not for a preemptory attack on a sovereign nation are not in favor of continuing the effort, styled now as an effort to bring democracy to a Middle East country. Some who supported the attack on Iraq originally, now oppose it. But, a minority is still steadfastly thirsting for victory, including the architect, George Bush.
I oppose the Iraq invasion, at its inception and now, because I don't think the war on terror is amenable to a military response. The terrorist cells are composed not of soldiers, rather they consist of idealistic malcontents who hate America. Their hatred is a response to several conditions and perceptions of oppression, to religious dogma that has stifled the cultural and economic development of their homeland and other causes, real and imagined.
Terrorism constitutes unconventional war and bedevils conventional military tactics. A new paradigm is needed to counter terrorism. I don't have a magic formula with the answer, but I suspect it involves curing the ills of their society from inside by supporting change, but not initiating it. The less we are directly and overtly involved in the solution, the more likely it is to succeed. Since conventional warfare is not working, I hope our esteemed leaders would apply the best minds available to a new plan of action.
With military operations in Aghanistan winding down, but not successfully concluded by the capture of Osama bin Laden, his lieutenants, and top Taliban leaders, the Bush administration began a publicity campaign to justify a military invasion of Iraq. Basically, Bush's line was that al-Qaida had conspired with Saddam Hussein in planning the 9/11 attack. Bush insisted that Saddam had chemical and biological weapons and was trying to develop nuclear weapons. Bush claimed that, because Saddam hated the USA, these weapons would fall into the hands of al-Qaida, who wouldn't hesitate to use them against us or at least try to do that. I won't quibble with that possibility, but surely there were options besides an armed invasion to prevent it.
The military invasion of Iraq was carried out with shock and awe, resulting in "Mission Accomplished". Saddam's army dissolved into the neighborhoods of Iraq's cities, as our forces advanced. The U.S. military stayed in place to pacify the population, but ended up embroiled in fighting against guerrilla insurgents, including fighters associated with al-Qaida. As Iraqi security spiraled out of control, our troops were caught in the middle of a civil war between Sunni and Shia religious factions. Although the possibility that our armed forces are embroiled in a quagmire is denied by the Bush administration, they have accepted the premise that our military success will be equated to a lack of participation by opposition Iraqi elements. So, we went from fighting terrorists in Afghanistan to fighting Iraqi's in Iraq with some terrorists (who were there because we were) thrown into the mix, without an exit plan. The war has become a open-ended commitment where victory is illusive and will not be determined by our actions, but rather by the inaction of our adversaries.
The problems with continuation of the Bush military response in Iraq to a successful conclusion are manifold. The Iraq War has caused grievous casualties without commensurate gain. It has squandered national resources without a future return on investment. It has divided our society. Persons who were not for a preemptory attack on a sovereign nation are not in favor of continuing the effort, styled now as an effort to bring democracy to a Middle East country. Some who supported the attack on Iraq originally, now oppose it. But, a minority is still steadfastly thirsting for victory, including the architect, George Bush.
I oppose the Iraq invasion, at its inception and now, because I don't think the war on terror is amenable to a military response. The terrorist cells are composed not of soldiers, rather they consist of idealistic malcontents who hate America. Their hatred is a response to several conditions and perceptions of oppression, to religious dogma that has stifled the cultural and economic development of their homeland and other causes, real and imagined.
Terrorism constitutes unconventional war and bedevils conventional military tactics. A new paradigm is needed to counter terrorism. I don't have a magic formula with the answer, but I suspect it involves curing the ills of their society from inside by supporting change, but not initiating it. The less we are directly and overtly involved in the solution, the more likely it is to succeed. Since conventional warfare is not working, I hope our esteemed leaders would apply the best minds available to a new plan of action.
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