Quote Originally Posted by Claymore
I agree that we shouldn't be there. But we have a choice: do it right, send the troops to the nation that we need, or get the hell out. It's incredibly irresponsible of this administration to persue a failing strategy at the cost of american lives.
Doing it right.... is very difficult.

During WWII, Germany found out how easy it was to conquer (what is now) Yugoslavia, and Greece and how hard it is to pacify 'conquered' nations. Something on the order of 10,000 troops to invade and destroy the defending armies and sitting governments; 500,000 troops to try to maintain the occupation. (If the numbers aren't quite right, I'm pretty sure of the magnitudes...)