Hope this comment shows up before the thread is closed. Been monitoring. Haven’t had leisure to pipe up until now.

habu@4: People, we are serving a noble purpose in performing this dissection of a madman who is attempting to destroy the greatest, most benevolent nation man has ever seen.
A decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that we should declare the causes which impel us to the separation.

programmer@8: I would be pulling back into defendable enclaves that could be protected with available assets.
Premature. We may well be forced in to such a posture as we attempt a retrograde under pressure, but until the National Command Authority accepts defeat and orders the troops to hole up on the FOB’s, they need to be outside the wire drinking tea, arranging escape for locals who trusted us, and kinetically disrupting the enemy’s capability to interfere with whatever movements we make. Our Soldiers and Marines must not be made to slink out with their tails between their legs. If their country has given up on them, then they must ruthlessly inflict Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt up to the last wheels up.

Konyok@35: The U.S. promoted Karzai in the loya jirga because he was an unaffiliated Pashtun without ties to the heavily Tajik Northern Alliance or other mujahideen factions.
IMHO, Karzai was promoted because he cleaned up well and spoke English and made a good impression during media coverage of ODA 574 and the danger very very close JDAM at Showali Kowt.

josh@37: So hey, why is nobody saying anything about this Marine Captain cum diplomat who has resigned in disgust?
Old Blue has said something. So has Quatto.

Cannoneer out. Gotta check if the thread has closed yet.