Operation Moshtarak.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph....clared-a-success.html

It would seem that the early stages of operation Moshtarak have been declared a success.

It has taken 8years, and the deaths of 257 UK personnel to reach this stage.

Why wasn't these tactics put into force at the outset?

[Sqad]

AOG

My knowledge of military strategy is nil, but I should think that, that would be a good question for a final examination for an officer cadet at Sandhurst..

But at a guess:

What is the enemy strength?........probably known 8yrs ago
What armament do they have? ...IED have been the most effective.
How can we neutralise their armaments? Taken a long time to realise how deadly the IEDs are.

How many troops on the ground do we need to achieve our objective? At the start if the campaign, the Americans and Brits with help from the Canadians and Germans provided the basis of troops on the ground, the strike force mainly contributed by the American and Brits...........clearly it was felt that more troops were needed and it took time to convince the particular countries to "chip in" more troops.

Could a smaller but mobile force do the trick? ...clearly not and it took time to make this obvious.

Not a very good answer AOG, but others will provide a more valuable and informed input.

[TCL-MUMPING]

aog, hindsight is a wonderful thing but do you not think the military and political folk involved may have a better understanding of the situation than you do?

[anotheoldgit]

TCL-MUMPING Hindsight? after 8 long years???????.

I may not be a military strategist, but I have asked this on a number of occasions, "why time and tested methods of attacking an enemy has never been deployed in Afghanistan"?

You asked me "if I did not think the military and political folk involved may have a better understanding of the situation than you do"?

To which I reply, have you never questioned the actions of Politicians?

You notice that i did not include the military? Well the reason I didn't, is because they only do the bidding of their political masters.

[anotheoldgit]

Sqad

Thanks for your input, a little more constructive thought gone into your answer than some.

Regarding IEDs being the most effective weapon the Taliban use I agree, but this is only a recent ploy on their part.

Since we now know how devastating the IEDs are, I think more could have been done to counteract this threat.

[Sqad]

kunni

///Put it this way: Was mainland Britain attacked or bombed by so called "Muslim extremists" prior to 2001?////

From that comment, are you saying that had UK not supported the NATO forces,we would have been immune from Islamic Extremist attack?

[anotheoldgit]

/// had UK not supported the NATO forces,we would have been immune from Islamic Extremist attack? ///

Perhaps we would be immune from the Taliban, but not from the "Enemy Within".

But then that raises the question, shouldn't we be sorting these out in our own country, than some tribesmen out in Afghanistan?

[Sqad]

AOG I think that we are trying to do both.

Anti-Terrorist Sqad in the UK

Nato Forces in Afghanistan.

kunni...couldn't understand your answer, so I have declined to reply.As a guess, pure sarcasm, but I could be wrong.