al-Zawahiri Claims Al Qaeda Victory in Afghanistan Close: Is He Right?

[mudwhistle]

Our own current President has said that winning isn't even the goal anymore. Shouldn't the War have been ended immediately after he made that proclamation? What are our kids dying for at this point? It seems like we are stuck in some kind of grey-area limbo over there where a win cannot even be defined. It is very sad.

Please explain...how do you define a win?

Obviously you can't.

Winning means driving out the Taliban for good and assisting the people of that nation in forming their own government....so they can prevent Islamic radicals from taking control again...by themselves.

 

[mudwhistle]

This is a problem with the overall Bush strategy of imposing Democracy on regions that have not had it for thousands of years

Bush wanted to establish solid Democracies in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Once they were in place, other nations in the area (eg Iran) would look to them as models and start revolutions for their own Democracies. This Domino theory of Democracy would change the character of the region and establish George Bush as the savior of the region

Unfortunately, reality took precedence oer Bush's simplistic strategy. The countries were established by Europeans and not the people of the region. There is no Iraq or Afghanistan only tribes, religious sects and local loyalties. Ancient rivalries and hatreds have not gone away and once the US peacekeepers pull out the old conflicts will return

There is no win in this US occupation. Democracy has to be fought for and cherished to take hold. This will turn out to be a failed experiment in nation building

The Kurds in the North of Iraq have succeeded. Why? Because they've kept the terrorist element out. They aren't hiding them amongst themselves just to get even with their so-called occupiers. They're doing the heavy lifting themselves. Anyone, Al Qaeda included, is quickly identified and ether killed or expelled.

I don't think Bush thinks that Democracy in any Middle Eastern country was the goal...maybe a hybrid of it. Islamic countries really can't look up at us because we've got all of these butt-reaming ass-wads in this country fucking it up. Why would they want to copy it????

 

[LibocalypseNow]

When the President proclaims that Winning is no longer the goal,you know it's time to end the War. Winning no longer the goal? What the H*ll are our kids dying for then? My God,are these people insane?

 

[Scaybeez]

Is an al-Qaeda victory in Afghanistan close? No. In fact, al-Qaeda is barely functioning in that country. However, a loose alliance of warlords, which includes strong Taliban elements, is close to a victory, one which al-Zawahiri would love to claim as his own.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Is an al-Qaeda victory in Afghanistan close? No. In fact, al-Qaeda is barely functioning in that country. However, a loose alliance of warlords, which includes strong Taliban elements, is close to a victory, one which al-Zawahiri would love to claim as his own.

Good points but isn't any Taliban victory also an Al Qaeda victory?

 

[Scaybeez]

Good points but isn't any Taliban victory also an Al Qaeda victory?

I honestly think that's something that could go either way depending on our ability to eliminate the more radical elements of the Taliban while reaching out to some of the more (I'm not sure this is the word for it, but...) moderate elements. We've had some limited success with this in the past.

 

[rightwinger]

Is an al-Qaeda victory in Afghanistan close? No. In fact, al-Qaeda is barely functioning in that country. However, a loose alliance of warlords, which includes strong Taliban elements, is close to a victory, one which al-Zawahiri would love to claim as his own.

Good points but isn't any Taliban victory also an Al Qaeda victory?

It may be...but probably not

There are different factions of Taliban, with some being more moderate than others. Al Qaida is still hunted wherever they go. Their command structure is a mess and they can't trust anyone.
Al Qaida is a pariah right now....I doubt if the Taliban would take them back with open arms

 

[mudwhistle]

When the President proclaims that Winning is no longer the goal,you know it's time to end the War. Winning no longer the goal? What the H*ll are our kids dying for then? My God,are these people insane?

He doesn't really say that...he omits it and then forgets the number one rule of war.

War is brutal. You kill as much of the enemy as you can or make them homeless...even civilians because they won't feel like quitting unless you do.

 

[rightwinger]

When the President proclaims that Winning is no longer the goal,you know it's time to end the War. Winning no longer the goal? What the H*ll are our kids dying for then? My God,are these people insane?

He doesn't really say that...he omits it and then forgets the number one rule of war.

War is brutal. You kill as much of the enemy as you can or make them homeless...even civilians because they won't feel like quitting unless you do.

Afghanistan is their country. We are the occupiers.

Making innocent civilians homeless does not help us in fighting an enemy who we rely on those very same citizens to identify.

Do we want the people of Afghanistan to support our troops or the Taliban?

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Al Queda won the day the Great Moron was elected President.

"Some of that strategy was already known. For instance, one of Osama bin Laden’s top lieutenants, called “Atiyah,” wrote in a letter dated Dec. 11, 2005, that “prolonging the war [in Iraq] is in our interest.”

 

[edthecynic]

al-Zawahiri Claims Al Qaeda Victory in Afghanistan Close: Is He Right?

In his latest video,Aymen al-Zawahiri,Bin Laden's right hand man claims victory in Afghanistan is very close. He also asked his fellow Muslims to come to Afghanistan to fight the Americans and offer monetary support. Things don't seem to be going very well for us over there in my opinion. I think it's fair to ask if Zawahiri is right. Are we losing Afghanistan? I would like to hear from others on this question. Thanks.

So CON$ wish!

You sound just like Harry Reid. Why do you CON$ hate this great country so much you want the terrorists to win so your Party, that destroyed the economy, can regain power and finish what the terrorists started?

Arkansas GOP head: We need more 'attacks on American soil' so people appreciate Bush
Josh Catone
Published: Sunday June 3, 2007

In his first interview as the chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party, Dennis Milligan told a reporter that America needs to be attacked by terrorists so that people will appreciate the work that President Bush has done to protect the country.

"At the end of the day, I believe fully the president is doing the right thing, and I think all we need is some attacks on American soil like we had on [Sept. 11, 2001]," Milligan said to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, "and the naysayers will come around very quickly to appreciate not only the commitment for President Bush, but the sacrifice that has been made by men and women to protect this country."

 

[edthecynic]

Our own current President has said that winning isn't even the goal anymore. Shouldn't the War have been ended immediately after he made that proclamation? What are our kids dying for at this point? It seems like we are stuck in some kind of grey-area limbo over there where a win cannot even be defined. It is very sad.

Bush sent us into Afghanistan to get Bin Laden. As soon as the victory of getting OBL no longer mattered to him we should have gotten out!!! Shouldn't the War have been ended immediately after he made that proclamation? What are our kids dying for at this point? It seems like we are stuck in some kind of grey-area limbo over there where a win cannot even be defined. It is very sad.

"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him."
- George W. Bush, 9/13/2001

Bush says bin Laden no Threat
Options open against rogue states ... including nuclear weapons
Marc Sandalow, Washington Bureau Chief
Thursday, March 14, 2002

Washington -- President Bush declared Osama bin Laden all but vanquished yesterday, saying the al Qaeda leader -- dead or alive -- no longer poses a serious threat to America.

"We haven't heard from him in a long time," Bush told reporters at the White House. "I truly am not that concerned about him."

"So I don't know where he is. You know, I just don't spend that much time on him, Kelly, to be honest with you."
- George W. Bush, 3/13/2002

"Uhh Gosh, I.. don't think I ever said I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden. It's kind of one of those, uhh, exaggerations."
- George W. Bush, 10/13/2004

 

[edthecynic]

Our own current President has said that winning isn't even the goal anymore. Shouldn't the War have been ended immediately after he made that proclamation? What are our kids dying for at this point? It seems like we are stuck in some kind of grey-area limbo over there where a win cannot even be defined. It is very sad.

Please explain...how do you define a win?

Obviously you can't.

Winning means driving out the Taliban for good and assisting the people of that nation in forming their own government....so they can prevent Islamic radicals from taking control again...by themselves.

Now wait just a minute there Slick. According to GOP Rep Dana Rohrabacher the Taliban are the Good Guys.

September 6 - 12, 2002
Rogue Statesman
Congressman Dana Rohrabacher’s absolutely crazy, quite possibly illegal back-channel chats with the villains of Sept. 11

by R. Scott Moxley

"[Rohrabacher] says the Taliban are devout traditionalists—not terrorists or revolutionaries. He believes a Taliban takeover [of Afghanistan] would be a positive development."

... "Listen! Hold on!" said Rohrabacher. "I am a bigger expert on Afghanistan than any member of Congress." ...

A November/December 1996 article in Washington Report on Middle East Affairs reported, "The potential rise of power of the Taliban does not alarm Rohrabacher" because the congressman believes the "Taliban could provide stability in an area where chaos was creating a real threat to the U.S." Later in the article, Rohrabacher claimed that:

Taliban leaders are "not terrorists or revolutionaries."

Media reports documenting the Taliban’s harsh, radical beliefs were "nonsense."

The Taliban would develop a "disciplined, moral society" that did not harbor terrorists.

The Taliban posed no threat to the U.S.