The Syrian Conflict Thread

[Dave]

Not sure why you have reacted in such a salty manner to my comment, if you're think im talking nonsense go research "Operation Enduring Freedom".

They might have had 350 US operatives in northern Afghan but those 350 certainly didn't take Northern Afganistan over. Maybe in a Tom Clancy novel you read.

From memory there around 120-200 spec ops soldiers, backed by Special aviation assets, CIA agents and Air Force forward controllers who operated with around 10000 Northern Alliance troops (mostly paid for by the CIA) and were backed up by squadrons of B1 Lancers, B52 Superfortresses and fast jets from carrier strike groups.

The spec ops soldiers acted as advisers to Northern Alliance warlords like General Dostum who supplied the majority of the troops on the ground.

There was no fantasy firefight of 350 troops rampaging across Afghan going "Murica, Hell YEAH!!!" taking the country over by themselves.

 

[Xarog]

I will leave this here for you Dave



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Afghanistan#Afghanistan_2001

"What made the Afghan campaign a landmark in the U.S. Military's history is that it was prosecuted by Special Operations forces from all the services, along with Navy and Air Force tactical power, operations by the Afghan Northern Alliance and the CIA were equally important and fully integrated. No large Army or Marine force was employed".[30]

"The valor exhibited by Afghan and American soldiers, fighting to free Afghanistan from a horribly cruel regime, will inspire even the most jaded reader. The stunning victory of the horse soldiers – 350 Special Forces soldiers, 100 C.I.A. officers and 15,000 Northern Alliance fighters routing a Taliban army 50,000 strong – deserves a hallowed place in American military history"

:erm:

 

[Dave]

I will leave this here for you Dave

military operation was planned by the CIA.[26] SAD, U.S. Army Special Forces and the Northern Alliance combined to overthrow the Taliban in Afghanistan with minimal loss of U.S. lives. They did this without the need for U.S. military conventional ground forces.[27][28][29]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Afghanistan#Afghanistan_2001

as I said...

You also missed the bit that says:

The Northern Alliance, aided by Joint Special Operations teams consisting of Green Berets from the 5th Special Forces Group, aircrew members from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), and Air Force Combat Controllers, fought against the Taliban. Aided by U.S. bombing and massive defections, they captured Mazari Sharif on 9 November.

 

[Unhappy438]

There was no fantasy firefight of 350 troops rampaging across Afghan going "Murica, Hell YEAH!!!" taking the country over by themselves.

Never said there was, that's your own fantasy. Im comparing the two situations which is now extremely similar and thus we should expect similar results. You shouldn't shoot from the hip, it makes you look silly.

 

[Unhappy438]

:erm:

No schit thanks mate, i would have never seen that if you didnt highlight it

 

[Dave]

15,000 Northern Alliance fighters

:erm:

Thanks, my memory even weakened the Northern Alliance, I thought they were only around 10,000 strong .

 

[Unhappy438]

as I said...

You also missed the bit that says:

When did i say they weren't aided by the air force?

 

[Dave]

Never said there was, that's your own fantasy. Im comparing the two situations which is now extremely similar and thus we should expect similar results. You shouldn't shoot from the hip, it makes you look silly.

I don't think I was all that silly, you just went into a slightly gushy teenager about the US army.

The USA special forces are by far the best in the world, just 350 of them were able to take most of Northern Afghanistan. We should expect similar results against ISIS.

You do realise there are a number of other special forces said to be as good as the US spec ops forces? And it wasn't even their top special forces involved? Green Berets aren't actually Seals or Delta Force.

Don't worry though, no hard feelings or animosity .

 

[Unhappy438]

I don't think I was all that silly, you just went into a slightly gushy teenager about the US army.

You do realise there are a number of other special forces said to be as good as the US spec ops forces? And it wasn't even their top special forces involved? Green Berets aren't actually Seals or Delta Force.

Don't worry though, no hard feelings or animosity .

They achieved an incredible feat, there is nothing wrong with praising them for it. The USA has the resources that nobody else has to support their special forces and that what makes them the best in the world.

 

[Xarog]

They achieved an incredible feat, there is nothing wrong with praising them for it. The USA has the resources that nobody else has to support their special forces and that what makes them the best in the world.

:wtf:

What exactly did these 350 people actually achieve, according to you? I think the airforce, navy and 15 000 locals likely had much more to do with the capturing of Northern Afghanistan.

 

[Unhappy438]

:wtf:

What exactly did these 350 people actually achieve, according to you? I think the airforce, navy and 15 000 locals likely had much more to do with the capturing of Northern Afghanistan.

In a few weeks those special forces guys did what those 15000 locals couldnt in 15 years.

 

[Dave]

They achieved an incredible feat, there is nothing wrong with praising them for it. The USA has the resources that nobody else has to support their special forces and that what makes them the best in the world.

The SAS (UK, Aus and NZ versions) and SBS have done similar, GSG-9, GROM, Spesnatz, the Israeli SF (can never remember what they are called) and JTF-2 are in the same league as well.

 

[Dave]

In a few weeks those special forces guys did what those 15000 locals couldnt in 15 years.

I missed the bit about the Northern Alliance Air Force... Where did they base their bombers?

 

[Xarog]

In a few weeks those special forces guys did what those 15000 locals couldnt in 15 years.

If they had the backing of the US Airforce during those 15 years, things would have been a little different.

 

[Xarog]

I missed the bit about the Northern Alliance Air Force... Where did they base their bombers?

Jinx.

 

[Dave]

Jinx.

Well, it was fairly obvious .

 

[Unhappy438]

If they had the backing of the US Airforce during those 15 years, things would have been a little different.

15 years sure, a few weeks with the air force alone, no ways. An air force is only as good as its spotters on the ground. USA has been bombing Syria for how long now? Watch things go a lot faster with all the extra special forces there.

 

[Xarog]

Well, it was fairly obvious .

Ya, my participation in the conversation is superfluous really.

 

[Unhappy438]

The SAS (UK, Aus and NZ versions) and SBS have done similar, GSG-9, GROM, Spesnatz, the Israeli SF (can never remember what they are called) and JTF-2 are in the same league as well.

Done similar what? In terms of physical abilities and training im not saying the US is better but in terms of intel and resources they blow the rest of them out of the water.

 

[Xarog]

15 years sure, a few weeks with the air force alone, no ways. An air force is only as good as its spotters on the ground. USA has been bombing Syria for how long now? Watch things go a lot faster with all the extra special forces there.

Lol?

The USA has been pretend bombing Syria for PR purposes while waiting for the various "rebels" (Read: foreign mercenaries) to depose Assad.

Because you know, it's much more important to protect the environment than it is to deprive ISIS of billions of dollars of oil revenue. /s