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> Vietnam and Afghanistan are examples of how when faced with overwhelming military might, asymmetric conflict ultimately rules. Afghanistan was an evolution i

> Vietnam and Afghanistan are examples of how when faced with overwhelming military might, asymmetric conflict ultimately rules. Afghanistan was an evolution in American military strategy. Post 9/11 the Americans did what no one thought was possible - They (using the CIA and then JSOC) infiltrated Afghanistan secretly, forged alliances (bribed) with local militias/tribal leaders and within weeks had significantly degraded Taliban/Al Qaeda's fighting ability. The world (and Al Qaeda) expected cruises missiles and "death from above". That they got was "death from within AND above". Whether this was a positive development for the US military is up for debate, but it certainly wasn't the traditional "big military pound small military with might" approach until later in the war. It's the 20+ year long occupation which failed and clearly, like Vietnam or Afghanistan for the Soviets, or Russia's current efforts to destabilize, American patience is shorter than the enemies will to fight.

kjellsbells 2y ago
> within weeks had significantly degraded Taliban/Al Qaeda's fighting ability I'm not sure whether it was genuinely degraded (eg, Taliban controlled areas giving up their weaponry and not permitting new stocks) or temporarily interrupted (cash buying a temporary cessation in attacks). I wasn't there so I can't comment but from 15000 miles away Afghanistan looked a lot like Vietnam to me. Maybe not in the Westmoreland mode of body count, but in the failed attempts to win hearts and minds as a counterinsurgency tactic and the difficulty of crossing a cultural chasm in order to do so (and failing). Plus the propping up of local potential leaders that really had no national legitimacy and doomed attempts to localize the war (aka what Nixon once called Vietnamization). I'm not saying I could have done any better. Afghanistan was and remains a fiendishly unwelcoming place.
Spooky23 2y ago
Like what was said… world class military, strategy and tactics. But… 20 years of grind. Asymmetric always wins.

kjellsbells 2y ago

> within weeks had significantly degraded Taliban/Al Qaeda's fighting ability I'm not sure whether it was genuinely degraded (eg, Taliban controlled areas giving up their weaponry and not permitting new stocks) or temporarily interrupted (cash buying a temporary cessation in attacks). I wasn't there so I can't comment but from 15000 miles away Afghanistan looked a lot like Vietnam to me. Maybe not in the Westmoreland mode of body count, but in the failed attempts to win hearts and minds as a counterinsurgency tactic and the difficulty of crossing a cultural chasm in order to do so (and failing). Plus the propping up of local potential leaders that really had no national legitimacy and doomed attempts to localize the war (aka what Nixon once called Vietnamization). I'm not saying I could have done any better. Afghanistan was and remains a fiendishly unwelcoming place.

Spooky23 2y ago

Like what was said… world class military, strategy and tactics. But… 20 years of grind. Asymmetric always wins.