Gunny
Gold Member
we are not talking about the tactical level, however.... this really boils down to the upper stratosphere of the strategic level. Do you honestly think that any flag officer is going to inspire confidence if he does not, himself, think the battle ought to be fought?
Do you think that Robert E. Lee or Patton or Montgomery or Kingston or Petraeus, for that matter, did not take ownership in their missions?
You're comparing apples to oranges, IMO. Robert E Lee carried out his own strategy as did Patton and Montgomery was damned proud of his "Bridge Too Far" debacle (before the end result).
We KNOW the strategy in Iraq is being formulated by politicians, not professional military personnel. The military personnel I was around throughout the 90s, from the Company level to HQMC all believed leaving Saddam in place was the lesser of two evils.
While I am quite sure military personnel have been asked to formulate strategies in Iraq, I am just as sure they've been bled all over with a red pen for political considerations.
All moral whining aside, any military strategy would include sealing off borders and rooting the enemy out no matter where found and doing what is necessary to secure the AO.
That's not what's been, nor being done.