Nevertheless, one point must be granted the hand-wringers: this does, indeed, reflect a serious escalation in Afghanistan. That's not because, as some have suggested, we're escalating the conflict by sending tanks. On the contrary: we're sending tanks because the conflict has escalated.
The sign of that escalation is the events of the past few weeks, culminating in the battle for control of the Panjawli district. The Taliban, for whatever reason, are now behaving not as an insurgent force, but as a conventional ground force. Their confidence, as recent events have shown, is misplaced, but that's beside the point. The Taliban will be beaten every time they try to stand and fight, and will eventually retreat back into "conventional" insurgent tactics, but this will take time. And all the while, the clock is ticking on hearts and minds.
What the deployment of Leos means is that it's time to ask some serious questions. Not partisan questions, but simple questions about what we're doing. Beginning with, what specific reconstruction goals will we achieve, on what schedule? What is, in short, the new plan?
Uh you can't use tanks for reconstruction. Anymore than you can use bulldozers as Israel has shown. The new plan is the same as the old plan.
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2 comments:
I would have thought that the Leopard tanks were too old to be deployed in an actual battlefield situation. I hope they don't break down on the kids over there while they're out on missions.
If they break down they can be used for flower pots like in Kelly's Heros...hey man quit with da negative vibes we are sitting here as da last front against dem Nazi's getting to New York, ya know....
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