RE: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,173667,00.html
here is a Naval weenie who never made it to star level and never commanded troops in firefights in the mud, deciding he knows better than everyone about ground ops- I'm so impressed that the T.P. is on me!

After reading the opinion, I am convinced.

There is a need for printable toilet paper in order to put this opinion to appropriate use.

Ouch...these posts must have hit a nerve! Of course, they don't speak to the truth in what's said.

Other than sniveling, moaning, cry and b-tching, what has he really done, except to re-state what is a plan that has been and is in use?!...
Come up with something new, then people will listen, otherwise we just want to throw him a clean diaper!...
Respectfully, SUNLINER81

If generous, one could make a (slight) case that this is yet another attempt by Mr. Huber to write satire.

But I like the printable TP idea better.

Huber of course is right. Petraeus the Princeton Prince, the author of the strategy for winning wars of this type had to put theory aside and get out OUR checkbook.

The very force ratios called for by Petraeus' exalted theories are not being complied with, for it would mean a significant amount of troops. So given the fact that Rumsfeld preferred to hire his buddies' companies to hire gun bunnies---well over 100,000 contractors, Petreus had no choice but to buy off Sadr and his forces. This is simply a higher version of the lunch money bully, except we are still losing troops, presently one every day for this month of August. This is what happens when you have a politician wearing the Ranger tab, he doesn't listen to the previous commanders who told Bush we need to get out of there and "incentivize" the Iraqis to get off the dinar and make it happen. So far all the self-congratulatory ideals of Petraeus, who never met a fawning reporter he didn't like, he is the quintessential Perfumed Prince.

You Huber critics obviously dislike facts, who can blame you for it would mean that you are wrong. Simply look at the months Huber cites, July 2007 and April 2008, in each of those months, which Sadr flexed his muscle to get his fun tickets (cash), those were the highest casualty rates for the last 6 months of 2007, and the highest month to date for all of 2008, coincidental? Highly doubtful. What is illuminating and what you all need to thank Huber for is bringing the idea of analysis to the very simpleton rhetoric Petraus and his non-sensical cheerleaders tout.

The most important point is that the current "surge success" is more about PAYING OFF the black turbaned nut job, Sadr rather than the Prancing Petreaus's intellect, isn't it great to see all of that superfluous intellect distilled into the act of writing checks, rather than eliminating the threat? Of course, because so long as there is conflict the neocons are happy, after all why did we let Osama run off into Wazaristan instead of bombing his gaggle into the Stone Age when they were trapped? Just think with this Petraus "Strategery" all we need is a cashier's check to Osama Bin Laden and all is forgiven...

quote:

You Huber critics obviously dislike facts, who can blame you for it would mean that you are wrong. Simply look at the months Huber cites, July 2007 and April 2008, in each of those months, which Sadr flexed his muscle to get his fun tickets (cash), those were the highest casualty rates for the last 6 months of 2007, and the highest month to date for all of 2008, coincidental? Highly doubtful. What is illuminating and what you all need to thank Huber for is bringing the idea of analysis to the very simpleton rhetoric Petraus and his non-sensical cheerleaders tout.

Sadr did try to flex in those months and he was beaten in both those months. I have 9 months on the ground here, and as one of the Soldiers under General Petreaus I have full confidence in his strategy here. It is easy to armchair quarterback what is going on, but guys like Huber will never understand it because they haven't lived it.

This was the most idiotic thing I have ever read on Military.com

It all made sense at the end when I saw it was written by a Navy Pilot that never made it to the big time.

I may only be a lowly E-6, but I have spent enough time on the ground to know this is total nonsense.

Thanks for the biggest untold story of the year--as you are claiming that Sadr is defeated, the term "Sadr Army" no longer exists--their weapons were confiscated, fully disarmed? Excellent---say just exactly when did this untold quantum development occur? So Sadr City is now in full control 24/7? Did they also change Sadr City to Petraus' Plantation? Perhaps the timing of the payments to Sadr were unrelated to their complete collapse, and according to you their definitive and unequivicable abandonment of the battfield, but again...didn't think so...

quote:

Originally posted by nspreitler:

quote:

You Huber critics obviously dislike facts, who can blame you for it would mean that you are wrong. Simply look at the months Huber cites, July 2007 and April 2008, in each of those months, which Sadr flexed his muscle to get his fun tickets (cash), those were the highest casualty rates for the last 6 months of 2007, and the highest month to date for all of 2008, coincidental? Highly doubtful. What is illuminating and what you all need to thank Huber for is bringing the idea of analysis to the very simpleton rhetoric Petraus and his non-sensical cheerleaders tout.

Sadr did try to flex in those months and he was beaten in both those months. I have 9 months on the ground here, and as one of the Soldiers under General Petreaus I have full confidence in his strategy here. It is easy to armchair quarterback what is going on, but guys like Huber will never understand it because they haven't lived it.

Oh. This ******snot again... we need universal healthcare so he can get back on his meds....

Got as far as the byline ... Huber again. Not worth the read.

Interesting to note that many people have negative opinions about David Petraeus, including the author of this article, but have never actually met the man. I worked for him in Iraq in 2003, and I found him to be the most inspired and inspiring leader that I have ever met. His policies and procedures simply work, no matter how much the author would like to believe otherwise. Many people who achieve greatness have to deal with simple-minded individuals, such as the author, who prefer to throw stones at those above them, rather than strive for greatness themselves. Huber does not present facts here, as some of you would like to believe. He presents opinions. There is a difference, folks. An opinion is not a fact just because you happen to agree with it. I disagree with most of Huber's opinions, and find it telling of the caliber of the individual that he would attempt to malign perhaps the greatest leader of today's military, especially since it is unlikely that he ever met Petraeus. But that, of course, is only my opinion.

quote:

Thanks for the biggest untold story of the year--as you are claiming that Sadr is defeated, the term "Sadr Army" no longer exists--their weapons were confiscated, fully disarmed? Excellent---say just exactly when did this untold quantum development occur? So Sadr City is now in full control 24/7? Did they also change Sadr City to Petraus' Plantation? Perhaps the timing of the payments to Sadr were unrelated to their complete collapse, and according to you their definitive and unequivicable abandonment of the battfield, but again...didn't think so...

The term Sadr Army has never existed, it is the Mahdi Army, or properly Jaish al Mahdi. No they aren't completly disarmed. However ISF do have control of Sadr City.

JAM isn't active now, those that are still active are doing so as splinter groups.

The IA and IP forces are doing an excellent job keeping order across Iraq. I am an advisor to the Iraqi Army, and my assessment is the IA is doing very well. This isn't over but the tide is certainly in favor of GoI forces.

I think that Robert Gates needs to get the afgans on our side first.But "No" we don't need to spend 20 billion on that country. we need to spend on our own country.

Rather than drawing an awkward analogy between a navy & the JAM, you could say that al Sadr is executing basic guerilla warfare doctrine. The JAM is retreating because the enemy is attacking. Iraqi geography being what it is, shelter is in sympathetic neighborhoods rather than some wilderness or rural area.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by rockriver04:
Thanks for the biggest untold story of the year--as you are claiming that Sadr is defeated, the term "Sadr Army" no longer exists--their weapons were confiscated, fully disarmed? Excellent---say just exactly when did this untold quantum development occur? So Sadr City is now in full control 24/7? Did they also change Sadr City to Petraus' Plantation? Perhaps the timing of the payments to Sadr were unrelated to their complete collapse, and according to you their definitive and unequivicable abandonment of the battfield, but again...didn't think so...



Boy Petraeus better listen to this guy he probably spent alot of time fighting paper cuts during pre flight

Actually it was spilling the hot coffee on the assault landing. Don't Hate---Aviate!

quote:

Originally posted by tjwrestler:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by rockriver04:
Thanks for the biggest untold story of the year--as you are claiming that Sadr is defeated, the term "Sadr Army" no longer exists--their weapons were confiscated, fully disarmed? Excellent---say just exactly when did this untold quantum development occur? So Sadr City is now in full control 24/7? Did they also change Sadr City to Petraus' Plantation? Perhaps the timing of the payments to Sadr were unrelated to their complete collapse, and according to you their definitive and unequivicable abandonment of the battfield, but again...didn't think so...



Boy Petraeus better listen to this guy he probably spent alot of time fighting paper cuts during pre flight

quote:

That's how General David Petraeus got the Sunni militias in Iraq to play ball with him, and that only cost us about $216 million. As peace making measures go, it's cheaper to buy guerillas than it is to make soldiers, so why not take the path of least resistance?

The unpleasant truth is that where the "surge" did free up some troops to accomplish some other objectives, the overall reality was that the Iraqi's ultimately decided at the same time the "surge" was firing up that they despised AQ (etc) more than the US (who at least wasn't overtly trying to kill civilians). The US simply did not have the troops in the field when they really needed them to provide security Iraq, impose martial law, and provide regular services (electricity, fresh water, etc) and instantly visible improvements to the locals. And the surge didn't add enough to make a significant difference.

The term "surge" can also be used to describe "surge in bribing the natives". There aren't enough jobs so we had to pay them to not kill each other, as the inter-tribal problems/vendettas/etc can carry on for centuries (makes the Hatfields/McCoys seem rather quaint in comparison). When the bribes stop, if there isn't something else going on to keep these folks distracted, the whole shebang can still head south fast.

The US, by having the locals turn against AQI, etc, simply lucked out.

Huber knows how to rattle the cage. Opposing views seem totally ad hominem. Personally, I think his satire is pretty good. Sometimes I wince a bit, but mostly it's a pained laugh to gallows humor. Gen. Patreaus seems a bona fide leader. That doesn't mean he's heading us the right way. It just means he is heading us effectively, which ever way we're going. Huber presents his opinions as opinions, nothing more, nothing less. What Patreaus has done is a matter of record. Money has changed hands. Weapons have been supplied generously to somebody. Local Iraqi leaders have made key decisions following the dispursement of money and weapons. Coincidence? Cause and effect? Some call it counterinsurgency tactics. Some call it bribes and payoffs. I call it stalling for time until we chose to leave or are forced to leave a country and a region that doesn't want us there.

quote:

Originally posted by lovatscot:
RE: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,173667,00.html
here is a Naval weenie who never made it to star level and never commanded troops in firefights in the mud, deciding he knows better than everyone about ground ops- I'm so impressed that the T.P. is on me!

I noticed his book is a lampoon of the US Military...Guess he really wasn't the person his bio makes him out to be. Huber as far as I can remember has not had anything good to say about anything militarily. Maybe thats why he never made Ad-meee-rahl.