China billions in Sri Lanka against Tamil Tigers

[Ordie]

Link: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6207487.ece

[Mackie]

China strong. Definitely the cheaper way to increase inluence in world politics than war.

[Ordie]

Sooner or later, militant groups will follow the money and start targeting Beijing.

[Mackie]

Sooner or later, militant groups will follow the money and start targeting Beijing.

Yes. Perhaps they build up the chinese astan.
But politics were always a low cycle business. :)

[vonbrachner]

They also gave money to Mexico to help with the swine flu. I feel like the US is missing lots of opportunities to gain influence due to debt and war :(

[RICHICOQUI]

They also gave money to Mexico to help with the swine flu. I feel like the US is missing lots of opportunities to gain influence due to debt and war :(The US still give billions of dollars to mexico and other countrys every year!!

[tecumseh11]

Is the US military studying the 2008/9 Sri Lanka campaign as a case study into how to successfully beat an insurgency??

[3mileVFR]

They also gave money to Mexico to help with the swine flu. I feel like the US is missing lots of opportunities to gain influence due to debt and war :(


Sheesh, are you reading the news at all? I mean do you understand geopolitical problems at all? Or would you rather spout some ignorant misunderstood statement about something you know nothing about?

[Kadrun]

Is the US military studying the 2008/9 Sri Lanka campaign as a case study into how to successfully beat an insurgency??

Won't work as a long term goal. What we do in Afghan is not only to fight against enemy but to bring civil popularity to our side.

[3mileVFR]

Is the US military studying the 2008/9 Sri Lanka campaign as a case study into how to successfully beat an insurgency??

No....:bash:

[PeterG]

Won't work as a long term goal. What we do in Afghan is not only to fight against enemy but to bring civil popularity to our side.

The really interesting thing about that, what i would really like to learn more about, is how this classical aim of winning by eventually getting the local population 'on your side' is at all possible when facing religious zealots like the taliban, in a nation like Afghanistan..

I don't think it can work. I think it would have worked if they weren't hard-core islamists with an ancient tribal culture as well. If they were politically motivated, it would have been 'easy'. I think it would take a 100 years with a western military presence like today, for any nation building to succeed in Afghanistan - which is politically unrealistic, as western losses mount. Build a school so their children can get an education - and they'll burn it down instead.

The taliban actually reminds me of what 'col. Kurtz' is talking about in 'Apocalypse now'.

All accounts of battles and skirmishes seem to end with the taliban losing. Yet, they also seem to be increasing in strength all the time, and controlling more and more territory. Losing all the battles but still winning the war.

[Infanteer Two Seven]

Is the US military studying the 2008/9 Sri Lanka campaign as a case study into how to successfully beat an insurgency??

The battle being fought between LTTE and GOSL is mainly conventional.
when LTTE lose its land/manpower than begins the insurgency.

SL campaign its not really successful especially with the civilian death toll(which no one really cares about on the other side of the world:|)

[ColinP]

It started out as a insurgency, the LTTE became strong enough to become conventional, but not strong enough once their funding sources were dried up, Canada being a signifcant source of the funds. The LTTE is crushed or about to be. The questions remain what will happen afterwards, if the Sri lankan government and the world help the Tamils, the insurgency will fizzle, I think both side are weary of the fighting and a resounding defeat will remove the desire to fight for some time. But the world is good at losing the peace, so an insurgency again is possible.

[Ordie]

It started out as a insurgency, the LTTE became strong enough to become conventional, but not strong enough once their funding sources were dried up, Canada being a signifcant source of the funds. The LTTE is crushed or about to be. The questions remain what will happen afterwards, if the Sri lankan government and the world help the Tamils, the insurgency will fizzle, I think both side are weary of the fighting and a resounding defeat will remove the desire to fight for some time. But the world is good at losing the peace, so an insurgency again is possible.

The Tamils are about to lose the war. The question becomes if they can win the peace.

[Infanteer Two Seven]

The Tamils are about to lose the war. The question becomes if they can win the peace.

It depends on the international pressure. If more people took the "Scandinavian" stance on this issue. There is a slight chance Tamils might live in peace.

[Snoshi]

Is the US military studying the 2008/9 Sri Lanka campaign as a case study into how to successfully beat an insurgency??

The lesson learned from this conflict is that you need to avoid media attention if you want to crush a "rebel" group.

[keeperofpeace]

informative thread. I am sure that India is getting very nervous with China setting up shop all around her borders