Top Ten Myths about Afghanistan, 2010

[JBeukema]

10. “There has been significant progress in tamping down the insurgency in Afghanistan.”

• Fact: A recent National Intelligence Estimate by 16 intelligence agencies found no progress. It warned that large swathes of the country were at risk of falling to the Taliban and that they still had safe havens in Pakistan, with the Pakistani government complicit. The UN says there were over 6000 civilian casualties of war in Afghanistan in the first 10 months of 2010, a 20% increase over the same period in 2009. Also, 701 US and NATO troops have been killed this year, compared to 521 last year, a 25% increase. There were typically over 1000 insurgent attacks per month in Afghanistan this year, often twice as many per month as in 2009, recalling the guerrilla war in Iraq in 2005.

9. Afghans want the US and NATO troops to stay in their country because they feel protected by them.
Fact: In a recent [pdf] poll, only 36% of Afghans said they were confident that US troops could provide security. Only 32% of Afghans now have a favorable view of the United States’ aid efforts in their country

Top Ten Myths about Afghanistan, 2010 | Informed Comment

 

[RevBig]

In my opinion, Afghanistan is receiving punishment, pure and simple. We are not fighting that war to win or lose but to hurt those that murdered our citizens on 9/11. I am anti war but this war out of all the wars is the most justifiable, if it’s being fought for the concerns I mentioned (i.e. revenge for 9/11) Of course the CIA and NSA may be fighting it for some type of strategic pie in the sky goal, no one but the IEA's know that. However short of hitting them with tactical nukes I say we have hurt them enough. Maybe they will think twice before befriending the Taliban etc and others that cheered when our 5000 citizens were slaughtered on 9/11. They had better have learned their lesson but have they?

No. They are fighting a holy war; the next strike on the USA may very well be a nuke.

So what then? I am an isolationist. We should pull in all our troops shut down the military bases and come home and build a fortress UWH (United Western Hemisphere). Then we would have the moral high ground (by not being expansionist) as well as being much more powerful in every major area i.e. military, economically, even in pure science which would include research and development. Our standard of living would improve dramatically as would our ability bargain from a position of true power (not needing the rest of the world). Will the unification of the western hemisphere happen in our lifetimes ?

No*

We are too ignorant via propaganda and comfortable for now(read that as brainwashed) . I am afraid that by the time we realize we are in trouble it will be far too late to fix it. The west narrowly evaded** a horrific world depression of our own creation, so I am sure it can and will if enough time passes without enough real change.

* Look at South and Central America. One could not make a more anti USA area if they tried. Guess what? Someone is trying and they are succeeding! The anti USA forces are molding the people into a Marxist Socialist state.

** I think the crooks that created the meltdown are still around and have rode out the profitable storm, just waiting to finish off the western economy. Our politicians made even the aftermath of them stealing our money exceedingly profitable. So will they try it again, yes I am sure they will.

rb

 

[ekrem]

Just happened some days ago:

“Nine children were killed and one was injured in the ISAF raid yesterday,” Khalil Ullah Ziayi, the provincial police chief
(...)
“The children are 8 to 14 years old and were in the mountain to collect firewood,” he said

(...)
On Feb. 18, 64 civilians were killed during a similar strike in Ghaziabad district of the province. Afghan investigators said the dead included 20 women and 29 children.

Read more: Police chief confirms 9 children killed in ISAF raid « RAWA News


Bomb us into democracy.

 

[JBeukema]