From the Chicago Tribune:
"Gates: Keep 'shooters' until end of withdrawal"
NOW, here is a man in the government that is making some sense.
Either understanding the true nature of the situation OR listening to and heeding good advice.
Those American units currently on the ground scheduled now to leave Afghan, combat arms the first ones in, combat arms the last one out - - as it should be.
"FORWARD OPERATING BASE DWYER, Afghanistan - - Defense Secretary Robert Gates argued Sunday for keeping combat units in place and removing as many support troops as possible when thew U.S. begins its promised draw down of forces next month.
"'If it were up to me, I'd leave the shooters until last,' Gates said
"it made sense to keep as much 'combat power' in place as [long] as possible to preserve and extend fragile security gains"
Gates is keenly aware [???] of the Christmas Day retreat of the British from Kabul, 1842. 18,000 English troops and camp followers attempting to march ninety [90] miles to the Khyber Pass, ONLY ONE MAN SUCCESSFULLY MAKING THE JOURNEY AND EMERGING ALIVE!!
Afghan can go from bad to worse and even beyond that in the proverbial heartbeat - - and you need persons that can fight, have an organic capacity to do so, and ARE TRAINED AS A UNIT TO DO SO!
Especially during a time of withdrawal [retreat?], everyone will be in great peril, the march of the Ten Thousand as described by the Greek historian Xenephon being a trifle as compared to what the American soldier might encounter in the mountains of Afghan!
Gates too is familiar with an analogous situation that existed forty years earlier? The ass-backwards approach of the Nixon administration - - removing first the combat arms assets from Vietnam, placing those remaining support forces on the ground in great danger from the communist Easter Offensive of 1972. As remarked upon at the time by the esteemed journalist and TV evening news anchor Howard K. Smith!!
Combat support and combat service support first - - then the "shooters"! YES!
coolbert.
'as described by the Greek historian Xenephon'
ReplyDeleteXenophon (correctly spelled) was not just a historian, he was one of the commanders of the 10000 who was voted to lead them after the betrayal and assassination of the original commanders and most of the captains in a false peace talks meeting. He pioneered the tactical withdrawal and showed a particular consideration for preserving the lives of the troops under his command. He was said to be one of the greatest generals of that era.