General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI learned this from the Iraq war. Putin did not learn this.
When we invaded Iraq we took over the country quickly. However, we did not send enough troops to secure the country. Things went all to hell quickly. This mistake led to the deaths of many of our soldiers over the next few years.
We you invade a country you can attack it with 150,000, 200,000 troops, but you can't hold it, secure it. As you invade a country you have to leave soldiers behind to secure the territory, towns, cities that you took over. If you don't do this you leave your flanks, rear, supply lines exposed. This is exactly what happened to Putin.
When Putin was forming his troops on the border, the news media was reporting he had about 200,000 troops on the border. I knew that was not enough from Iraq. Putin also had those 200,000 troops stretched out over hundreds of miles, from the North to the East and South, a country the size of Texas. This is why I did not believe Putin was going to attempt to invade all of Ukraine, just part of it.
I could not believe it when Putin attacked. I knew he was going to have big problems. I learned it from the Iraq war. Putin does not learn, does not pay attention and he is paying a heavy price. This will go down as one of the biggest military blunders in history. This may, should be, the end of Putin as the leader of Russia.
If Putin continues to escalate, does not back down, does not recognize his failure. I fear that could lead to a much larger war.
Can Putin learn, admit his mistakes, that's the question.
BeyondGeography
(39,280 posts)much of which were shite to begin with-and his economy is falling apart. And thats before he tries to hold his gains, which will never extend to anything close to resembling the country.
Hes fucked. I worry about a deal that gives him an out more than anything.
Eyeball_Kid
(7,410 posts)Putin must face the music. They are HIS war crimes-HIS crimes against humanity.
fightforfreedom
(4,913 posts)He just needs to get the fuck out.
He war crimes will not be forgiven. The people of Ukraine will hate him, Russia, for generations.
Eyeball_Kid
(7,410 posts)He gets no second chance. He's already blown through all of his "chances."
To take your point further, Putin likely wanted a quick conquest AND the installation of a puppet government with its own policing ability. That way, he could leave the brutality and war crimes for the new "president" to commit, and not have to worry so much about counterinsurgencies. That would be for the new government to worry about. Then, Putin would have plausible deniability (so important in today's world).
Because of UKR's natural defiance and resilience, it's now all on Putin. He rightly gets blamed for all of the crimes against humanity AND the sanctions that are carrying a heavy toll on Russia's citizens.
Biden's call (somewhat deniable) for Putin to be removed from power is the right and perfect call, especially during an international appearance and speech. He's speaking to the world during those remarks. And he's speaking directly to Putin: watch your back, Vlad. Someone will be coming for you. Personally. Biden's people, and Biden himself, have been studying Putin's decision-making process and his behavior. They surmise, rightly, that Putin tends to elicit behaviors that infer paranoia. That paranoia may be a new, steroid-induced feature that can be exploited and cause Putin's status and influence to weaken. Biden is signaling what we can all reasonably deduce: Putin can no longer play on the international stage. As a "war criminal", Putin has no international gravitas, and therefore shouldn't be representing Pariah State Russia in its own foreign affairs. Biden's war criminal allegation is as good as a declaration from The Hague, without the warrants being issued. The ripple effects will wash over Russian institutions and onto the population BECAUSE the elements of truth can be easily discerned.
This is how Biden is conducted the war. These are the tools that he has at his disposal.
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)... they lied to him about the response from the Ukrainian people.
Despot regimes are dangerous
Irish_Dem
(45,622 posts)Samrob
(4,298 posts)DON'T INVADE ANOTHER COUNTRY!!
Even this from Israel: Don't take or keep taking and occupying other people's territory or land.
The Russians should have learned from their Afghanistan invasion...but they didn't.