Why we no longer win wars

From a local political blog (as we finally start withdraw most of our troops from Afghanistan in 2014):

Anyone wondering why the west can no longer win wars, just listen to former (Australian) Chief of the Army, Peter Leahy, talking about Afghanistan today on the ABC:

PETER LEAHY: Yep. It was worth it. As I’ve said, it gave them a chance. I think it was also worth it because we have introduced a little bit of those values, a little bit of how you can do things. We’ve given girls an opportunity to go to school. We’ve opened up commerce. We have talked about getting rid of corruption. We’ve talked about legitimacy. So I think we should be proud of what we’ve achieved.

Did we win the war Pete? Remember that old fashioned concept called Victory? I’m not a big fan of Douglas MacArthur, but he was right about one thing: There is no substitute for victory.

But I also think we should take some lessons out of it. One of the first lessons is around the war aims. I just have a niggling fear that we didn’t quite get the balance right. We did too much security with the Army and not enough aid and development with those other agencies of government. So I think that’s the first lesson.

The Army is not the Benevolent Society you numptie. It is there to win the land battle in order to destroy the enemy. Once the Taliban is destroyed, all those other things can follow. Except we didn’t do that so now we will be handing the schools that we built over to the Taliban. What do you think they will do with them Pete me old mate?

To me it’s not so much the decision to go to war, but the decision about staying at war. And how do we adjust our war aims? How do we reconsider our exit strategy?

We adjust our war aims to defeating the enemy. Then the ‘exit strategy’ is simple: Victory. I know it’s an old fashioned concept but it works its arse off. Perhaps we can try it next time. Peter Leahy was the first Chief of the Army who never went to war. It shows.

The only thing ‘worth it’ to come from our commitment to Afghanistan, apart from killing plenty of jihadists and combat experience for the army, is that the Chief of the Army in a dozen or so years will have led troops in combat. Unless, of course by then it will be woman appointed by quota.

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