Defining Goals, Strategies, and Tactics in Iraq
Last week sometime, Tony Snow went off on a long discussion of the difference between Goals, Strategy, and Tactics regarding Iraq.
The goal was a "stable Iraq, able to defend itself...", the strategy was the three pronged military, political, economic outlined in the Strategy for Victory document, and everything below that was deemed tactics.
In this construction, the President's job stops at the level of making the goal. His cabinet has the duty to do strategy, and how to actually meet these goals is left to "the commanders in the field" with no feedback as to whether the "goals" are realistic.
Maybe this says it better, Bush's own description of the meeting with the generals over the weekend. (I broke it out so it's more readable.)
See, Bush sets the vague goal, "We want to win," and then puts everything on the generals. If that doesn't sound like a rich man's son used to being surrounded by yes men.....
The goal was a "stable Iraq, able to defend itself...", the strategy was the three pronged military, political, economic outlined in the Strategy for Victory document, and everything below that was deemed tactics.
In this construction, the President's job stops at the level of making the goal. His cabinet has the duty to do strategy, and how to actually meet these goals is left to "the commanders in the field" with no feedback as to whether the "goals" are realistic.
Maybe this says it better, Bush's own description of the meeting with the generals over the weekend. (I broke it out so it's more readable.)
Bush: We want to win.
Generals: Yes, Sir.
Bush: What are you doing to adjust to the enemy?
Generals: And here are some options, Mr. President.
Bush: You choose and I support you.
See, Bush sets the vague goal, "We want to win," and then puts everything on the generals. If that doesn't sound like a rich man's son used to being surrounded by yes men.....
posted by mikevotes at
10:16 PM
1 Comments:
The goal is to have an America puppet state under the guise of an "independent" Iraqi government.
The strategy is to subdue through violence, intimidation and military force all opposition, and/or the liberal application of bribes and corrupt business deals. The strategy also calls for alienating and demonizing neighboring Islamic countries like Iran and Syria, thus ensuring a Western, Christian/"Zionist", American face as the sole foreign military "liberating" force.
The tactic is to engage in the military equivalent of Whack-a-Mole, whereby American forces react and retreat from various hot spots -- moving one to the next -- treating each incident as isolated and to ignoring the larger regional dynamics. Another tactic is to believe our own propoganda and to discount all opinions that do not comport to our predetermined "beliefs."
By
-epm, at 11:42 AM
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