http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/boot/178391 The Blog of Commentary Magazine Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:04:08 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/boot/178391/comment-page-1#comment-5477972 False choice or false alternative? | America Watches Obama Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:02:04 +0000 http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/?p=178391#comment-5477972 [...] This post focuses mainly on the politics of Obama’s impending decision. As to the merits, Max Boot makes the point that if Obama sends “substantially fewer troops than Gen. McChrystal wants, [...] [...] This post focuses mainly on the politics of Obama’s impending decision. As to the merits, Max Boot makes the point that if Obama sends “substantially fewer troops than Gen. McChrystal wants, [...]

]]> http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/boot/178391/comment-page-1#comment-5477641 We Know What He’s Going To Do Before He Actually Does It! « Around The Sphere Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:37:06 +0000 http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/?p=178391#comment-5477641 [...] Max Boot in Commentary, before the troop numbers came out: I recently chatted with some U.S. Army Special Forces troops who had served last year in Afghanistan. Green Berets are usually gung-ho, but these guys seemed a bit worn down and pessimistic about the situation. They complained that Afghan troops aren’t willing to back them up in the hardest fights and praised instead the militiamen they hire to guard their own compounds — part of the tribal forces that the Special Forces (and CIA) have been using for years. Above all they talked of how little they could do in the vast landscape of Afghanistan. Special Forces deploy in 12-man A Teams, and when they were in Afghanistan, often they had little or no backup from other coalition forces. The “snake eaters” are super soldiers, but there is only so much that a dozen of them can do in such a hostile and punishing environment. [...] [...] Max Boot in Commentary, before the troop numbers came out: I recently chatted with some U.S. Army Special Forces troops who had served last year in Afghanistan. Green Berets are usually gung-ho, but these guys seemed a bit worn down and pessimistic about the situation. They complained that Afghan troops aren’t willing to back them up in the hardest fights and praised instead the militiamen they hire to guard their own compounds — part of the tribal forces that the Special Forces (and CIA) have been using for years. Above all they talked of how little they could do in the vast landscape of Afghanistan. Special Forces deploy in 12-man A Teams, and when they were in Afghanistan, often they had little or no backup from other coalition forces. The “snake eaters” are super soldiers, but there is only so much that a dozen of them can do in such a hostile and punishing environment. [...]

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