AP IMPACT: Troops already outnumber Taliban 12-1
So what?
Unless someone has brilliant ideas about coaxing the Taliban into a couple of big, set-piece battles, the ratio of U.S. troops to Taliban fighters is pretty much irrelevant.
I'd be more interested in knowing ratio of troops to overall Afghan population.
Do we have enough troops to adequately police the country? - Population control (counter-insurgency) is a police activity.
How many would it take?
My bet? - More than anyone is currently proposing. More than anyone would be willing to support.
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T.E. Lawrence set the ratio in his book Seven Pillars of Wisdom. He calculated the area that needed to be protected and how many troops would be needed to cover that area. The Ottomans only sent about 10% of the number needed. He knew he couldn't lose. That ratio still applies and that's what the top brass never want to talk about.
ReplyDeleteP.M. - I'd love to hear more on this!
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