🚀 go-pugleaf

RTO Trainer wrote:

> On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 06:18:47 GMT, Dharmananda <Nil@neph.net> wrote:
> 
>>RTO Trainer wrote:
>>
>>> On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 03:43:25 GMT, Dharmananda <Nil@neph.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>>>RTO Trainer wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> 
>>>>> Our reputation is quite intact.
>>>>> 
>>>>
>>>>An eccentric notion, at best.  Consider this, out of a major British
>>>>paper:
>>>>
>>> 
>>> I note that you elected only to respond to this bit of ephemera and
>>> neglected the sustantive points.
>>> 
>>
>>
>>Most Americans consider the reputation of their country to be quite
>>substantive.
>>
>>Why should I answer your questions if you don't answer mine?  At least I
>>addressed one of the issues you brought up, with something other than my
>>own fiat.
>>
>>What tactical and strategic objectives were accomplished by the attack on
>>Fallujah?
> 
> 
> Your question is based on old doctrine.


I admit that the question was not purely to the point of doctrine, but I
still think it was a valid questions.  Earlier, 'remove underscore' posted
a definition of doctrine which stated that the purpose of doctrine was to
achieve objectives.  I believe that that must remain true of all doctrine,
no?


> 
> Still there are clear tactical and strategic objectives accopmlished.
> 
> An insurgent strongpoint has been eliminated (Tactical).
> 
> Insurgents who have been hunkered down in other locations and thus
> have been nearly undetectable, have been motivated to expose
> themselves by activity facilitating their elimination (Strategic).
> 
> That's one of each with out having to analyze too much or having to
> either assume information I don't have, or that you can't verify.
> 


Good enough.  The question that remains, not only for me, but for the planet
at large, is "Was the cost of this operation, in terms of destruction of
infrastructure and casualties, both of our forces and of civilians, and the
resulting alienation and dissent, both in the Arab world and among our
allies, justified by the achievement of those objectives in this way?"



-- 
Triratanam sharanam gaccami
Dharmananda

http://mysite.verizon.net/res6zeam/american-buddhist/news.html