Everyone needs to drop the idea that since they beat the Russians, they'll beat us. That is a myth. The vast majority of Russian troops sent there were conscripts with three months' training (many of whom didn't even speak Russian, which caused many comm problems) who didn't want to be there. Our guys have anywhere from 4 to 20 years of training (which happens to be very realistic) in comparison, and while they probably don't really want to be there they are all volunteers. Training is far more important than technology, and is our true strength. (the real reason we won the Gulf War so decisively, too) The troops that were well trained (Spetznatz) were greatly feared by the Afghanis; the Spetznatz never lost a major battle and didn't start dying until we gave the mujahadeen Stingers. Then they could shoot down the troop-carrying helicopters before the Spetznatz could fight. The Taliban is probably out of working Stingers... As for the caves, for starters with Northern Alliance guides we'll actually know where they are. That is a big plus, because it means that they can't jump out from a cave and shoot you in the back (which is what happened to most Soviet ground casualties). In addition, we will simple collapse the entry/exitways to most of the caves and seal them in. They want to stay in their caves? Let them stay in their caves forever... Also, the Soviets did not have thermal imaging units when they went into the caves. The Taliban have none, and that single piece of equipment will all but guarantee victory in a pitch-black cave... It also took the Soviets years to realize that because they had a massed army in the country and weren't worrying about protecting their LOCs (lines of communication and resupply), they weren't going to win. We have the advantage of not having to field a half million man army there and have vulnerable LOCs as they did, so there will be much less opportunity for Taliban guerillas to swoop down on convoys from the mountains on a daily basis... Although we will still have to protect aid convoys (a problem the Soviets never had). The Taliban has never faced an enemy like us. They believe that we'll be easier to beat than the Russians were. They honestly have not been paying attention to anything but the Koran and their own civil war for the past few years. They should have studied their enemies more...
rockHEAD: I am really starting to believe that that guy is the real mastermind behind all this... Ottoman: That is correct. The 1972 CBWC (Chemical and Biological Warfare Convention) prevents us from using those weapons. We've been destroying our stocks of chemical weapons for years now... Our biological stockpiles have been gone for a while. We only retain small quantities for testing purposes.
These people (the jehadis - these Pakistanis who want to help the Taliban) have not been bombed yet. They are just sitting at the border. The Taliban has said that they don't want them. I wonder why? Meanwhile, they're just sitting on the border, watching as food and ammunition convoys pass them by to go on to Taliban strongholds. Gee, I wonder why the Taliban doesn't want them there? Taking their food and ammo... I also wonder why food and ammunition is flowing from Pakistan to the Taliban. Could it be that ISI doesn't want to lose its principal investment?
