welcome to 4th generation warfare

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
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Shrug, until the non-Islamic powers decide to take the gloves off and finish it, expect Islamic extremism to continue for the foreseeable future.
 

skimple

Golden Member
Feb 4, 2005
1,283
3
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Maybe P&N? I can see this turning nasty quickly.

But anyhoo...

Guerrilla warfare isn't a new thing. But I think what has changed is the attitude toward mass annihilation. It would terribly easy for for the US, or UK, or Russia to put an end to the whole thing right now. But I think there is very little appetite for taking the extreme actions that would be necessary to do so.

I have 3 words to end the problem.."Tactical Nuclear weapons"..

Exactly.
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
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Maybe P&N? I can see this turning nasty quickly.

Thought about it. But this was more about 4th generation warfare than news or traditional politics even if 4th generation strategy would include both politics and warfare. But nothing wrong with it being in P&N if the discussion is going to veer that way.
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
180
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Guerrilla warfare isn't a new thing.

No it is not which is why I think the concept of 4th generation strategy is somewhat of a fallacy. Notable however in the 21st century is the increasing power of nonstate organizations to compete against traditional state countries especially conventional militaries.
 
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gevorg

Diamond Member
Nov 3, 2004
5,070
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Can't even stop opium trade in NATO "controlled" Afghanistan.

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norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
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Can't even stop opium trade in NATO "controlled" Afghanistan.

Yep. Latin America over the last century is a very good example of how the most powerful military in the world and the local client governments are not even able to control substate organizations.
 

Anubis

No Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
78,712
427
126
tbqhwy.com
Maybe P&N? I can see this turning nasty quickly.

But anyhoo...

Guerrilla warfare isn't a new thing. But I think what has changed is the attitude toward mass annihilation. It would terribly easy for for the US, or UK, or Russia to put an end to the whole thing right now. But I think there is very little appetite for taking the extreme actions that would be necessary to do so.

Exactly.

this has been true for a while how, and its the reason conflicts continue
people go in and make peace and it lasts for a limited amount of time only to come back again
Total War is the only way to truly put a a stop to things
 

SlitheryDee

Lifer
Feb 2, 2005
17,252
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They're just taking advantage of our non-willingness to blow them the fuck up.

Edit: You know, it occurs to me that we carry out war like scrubs play video games. That is we play (war) within the constraints of self-imposed rules while the guys who are truly playing (warring) to win mercilessly exploit whatever advantages are afforded them without compunction. There's no wonder all our conflicts get stretched out into infinity. Massive wealth is the only reason we can compete at all.
 
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Mar 11, 2004
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Yep. Latin America over the last century is a very good example of how the most powerful military in the world and the local client governments are not even able to control substate organizations.

You people realize they're not even trying to stop that (in fact there's a good possibility they're dong the complete opposite, much like they did all over the world in the decades prior but especially the cocaine trade in South America), right? Poppy is pretty much the only thing Afghans can grow to make money. If they can't make money they join the Taliban and extremist groups. Government intentionally turns blind eye (occasionally does something to act like they aren't) and actually helps them get supplies they need to keep growing.

It's (a major reason) why the war on drugs is such a farce.
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
180
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You people realize they're not even trying to stop that (in fact there's a good possibility they're dong the complete opposite, much like they did all over the world in the decades prior but especially the cocaine trade in South America), right? Poppy is pretty much the only thing Afghans can grow to make money. If they can't make money they join the Taliban and extremist groups. Government intentionally turns blind eye (occasionally does something to act like they aren't) and actually helps them get supplies they need to keep growing.

No I know that and was even go to say something about that. Although The US government tends to support the Columbian government and the paramilitaries yet the guerillas still exist and have the support of Venezuala and Ecuador. The cartels also used to exist as a power in Columbia until they were destroyed and the political factions took over most of the Columbian drug industry. Now a lot of the drug cartels are Mexican and probably some central American minor drug cartels also.
 

mikeford

Diamond Member
Jan 27, 2001
5,671
160
106
Modern war is political, still has major combat, but the decisive part is the political will to engage. ISIS doesn't need to win a military victory, just convince Obama its to his political advantage to withdraw.
 

PieIsAwesome

Diamond Member
Feb 11, 2007
4,054
1
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Amazing when you look at the scale of warfare the world has seen this past century, and now some ragtag group numbering only in the 10s of thousands is talked about as some new unstoppable force.

The U.S. won the battles but did not decisively win the war against the commies in Vietnam, however the NVA had A LOT more than just 10s of thousands of bodies to throw at the U.S., along with Soviet and PRC support. ISIS doesn't have enough strength to offer little more than a few skirmishes in open battle and then dissolve away into the mountains.
 

monkeydelmagico

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2011
3,961
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Notable however in the 21st century is the increasing power of nonstate organizations to compete against traditional state countries especially conventional militaries.

The fallacy lies in the word "compete". There is no competition beyond what is allowed by the oligarchy. There in lies the true nature of 4th generation warfare.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
51,515
7,225
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$35 to $45 million in the last year from kidnapping ransom payments, according to the report.

Wow. They need Liam Neeson. Is that number for real?!
 

Regs

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
16,666
21
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Sanctions ain't going to do anything. How can you tell people to stop giving money to a radical Islamic group hell bent on rampaging, homicide, and vengeance on their religious beliefs? Obviously if people already know this yet enjoy the benefits of the trade, shit aint going to stop. Neither is another war at this point. Place is a vacuum and needs to change culturally which takes centuries.