US Claims British Troops Are Useless

Don't sweat it. Gates is a career Spook. Spooks always blame somebody else.

I can't comment on the "Stan, but the Brit's I've encountered in Iraq and other places have always been top drawer. They do things differently but the results are the same. Seems to me that as long as the mission is being accomplished (regardless of whether or not Gates agrees in the fashion in which it's being done) thats the main thing.
 
Nice one, Mr Gates. That's the way to do it! I have heard it said that Hellman province is the short straw.

Militarily, as I have said before, it is not winnable while the Pakistan border is porous. Afghanistan is a very different ball game altogether as compared with Iraq. I have made this point before, and we are wasting British lives. Sort out the Pakistan border region or spend 100 years taking the same old ground. And 100 years is nothing to the guys we are up against.
 
Well if we are wasting the Americans time would it not be best if we with drew and left it all to them
 
LeEnfield said:
Well if we are wasting the Americans time would it not be best if we with drew and left it all to them
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If you talk to the people with boots on the ground you'd get another story, a handshake, and all the free beer you could drink.

03USMC said it well. I have nothing but respect for my brothers and sisters from across the pond.
 
That was a real low of Gates.
How the heck is he so sure that the American strategy is the right one anyway? On the contrary, the British have FAR more experience when it comes to conflicts like these.
 
Thank you guys. Our local battalion ( this is a garrison town) returned recently from a 6 month tour. They returned without 11 dead and many injured. As they marched past they looked like kids, and most of them had hoped for Afghanistan instead of Iraq so that they could get into battle rather than being used to police areas of Iraq. After all, they joined the forces to fight.
 
I gotta agree with the British on this one. Speaking in a tactical sense, winning the hearts and minds of the locals is one of the key points in order to make this war easier to finish. That way, we can actually get some informants in the Taliban network. The US politicians and officers are getting frustrated and playing the "Well it's not OUR fault, so it must be our friends fault" game. Ugh.... I hate politics....
 
LOL at suggestions the brits have no experience in counter insurgent operations, what does he think northern ireland was?

pfft, he can spout what he wants from his ivory tower, the boots know the real score
 
Infern0 said:
LOL at suggestions the brits have no experience in counter insurgent operations, what does he think northern ireland was?

pfft, he can spout what he wants from his ivory tower, the boots know the real score
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North West Frontier,.. Malaya,.. Borneo,.. Yemen,.. Cyprus,.. Palestine.....

Jeez..uz, where do they get these clowns from. The Brits were fighting insurgents in the Euphrates Valley when Mr Gates' grandfather was a lad.

To quote the old saying, "The Brits were in Baghdad when he was still in his dad's bag" Only in this case it would apply to his father or maybe his grandfather.
 
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In politics, there is only one certainty, politicians all gravitate to the level of their incompetency.

Miss Teen South Carolina, we have found you a serious contender.
 
When it comes to foreign counter insurgency I don't think anyone has as much experience as the British.
I don't see how that comment could have been taken out of context.
Hearts and minds is the way to go. It's harder but it's the right way. A lot of people out there don't like America but the hate Al Qaeda and street gangs even more, and many are sitting the fence looking to side with whoever gives them the better deal. If our side just goes in there, treats the people without dignity or respect they WILL side with the enemy.
You can forgiven for not feeding someone for a day. But if you disrespect someone for even a few hours, it will have a lasting impression.
 
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