[Tainlyferfara]

There isn't a "war" in Afghanistan. There's never been a "war" in Afghanistan. (There's hardly an "Afghanistan" either - just a collection of tribes, ethnicities, languages, religions ...)

Just what America is becoming.

[SoftrermaBioniaSat]

Originally Posted by hoosier88 There isn't a "war" in Afghanistan. There's never been a "war" in Afghanistan. (There's hardly an "Afghanistan" either - just a collection of tribes, ethnicities, languages, religions ...)

Just what America is becoming. Please explain that more. Are you as concerned as I am about the way religious fundamentalists are taking over America?

[attlawqa]

Please explain that more. Are you as concerned as I am about the way religious fundamentalists are taking over America?

In my opinion, it's self-explanatory. I am concerned how certain "religious" people have already taken control of the country.

[sbgctsa]

You are kidding, right? Do you really believe GW did either?

No, of course not. W was trapped - 09/11 happened on his watch, he had to do something. Military, historians & scholars could have - probably did - tell him that a conventional war on the Talibs & Al Queda was a lost cause before we ever started.

No matter. The public expected W to act. & so he did. The Talibs & Al Queda simiply faded away - after being rudely surprised that we could drop bombs, missles, gunfire @ will, & accurately. The pity is that we never questioned our "allies" - warlords & opium traffickers - who exactly we were rounding up, "renditioning", & hauling off to Guantanamo.

Did the $ & men & private contractors simply disappear into the abyss? No prob, steam a CVN around off the CA coast until the golden hour before sunlight, drape the Mission Accomplished banner, fly the mensch in for his photo op, deliver a rousing speech amid a storm of banners. Gotta work, right? Too bad the Talibs & Al Queda didn't get the memo. Or maybe we just couldn't offer them the vigorish they wanted?

[idertedype]

What does winning look like in Afghanistan? We have no idea. Our military is suited to the battlefield. Afghanistan is not a battlefield. Its the sound of one hand clapping.

We are sending soldiers to do a teacher's job.

There is no winning in Afghanistan, only losing, we lost the day Bush decided to invade. Well, not quite true, we lost when Bush had Bin laden cornered and didn't have the balls to order an attack, so instead of losing a couple of dozen troops in an attack that would have taken Bin laden, and provided the pretext for leaving Afghanistan claiming victory, we'll lose a couple of thousand troops in a long drawn out defeat, that takes so long that people will forget why we actually went there.

[D6Ri5u13]

He's right and we should get out, but he's a lousy American congressman for saying publicly that it's a lost cause.

He's a bad person for being honest?

[6Rexw51X]

We would have had to win to get their oil, but, we didn't win, we lost, get over it...

Me? Get over it?......search the USPOL archives............me crying over Iraq or Afghanistan wars? I think you have confused me for yourself.

[WapSaibiar]

There isn't a "war" in Afghanistan. There's never been a "war" in Afghanistan. (There's hardly an "Afghanistan" either - just a collection of tribes, ethnicities, languages, religions ...)

The people who pay attention knew perfectly well that Afghanistan is hardly a state. & they knew perfectly well that - after years of fighting off the Soviets & then fighting over the spoils - there was barely any government @ all there. W had to do something, & so we bombed & drove off the Taliban & then Al Queda.

But we never intended to "fix" Afghanistan. & W made no bones about it; the war was strictly to strike back @ Al Queda.

"Win" in Afghanistan. You might as well talk about "victory" from the point of view of the ball in a game of buzkashi - Afghan polo with a headless sheep carcass. No matter who "wins", the sheep is still dead, headless, & bleeding all over the field. Which is, come to think about it, a pretty fair description of our man in Kabul ...

lookey here, another "one star" newbie thats still stuck on dubya...........got a tye-dye shirt to go with that hoosier?

[Dabdklwu]

lookey here, another "one star" newbie thats still stuck on dubya...........got a tye-dye shirt to go with that hoosier?

I am a newbie too, and not able to totally able to decipher the slam you are making. What is it that you are saying? Is there something wrong with tie-die? Or with Hoosier, for that matter?

[15Praxanant]

lookey here, another "one star" newbie thats still stuck on dubya...........got a tye-dye shirt to go with that hoosier?

Not @ all, not @ all. I haven't had a thing to say about W since he passed yet further into oblivion.

I've watched his careen w/ some interest, I still have family in the late, great state of TX. He was perfectly suited as a do-nothing governor in a do-as-little-as-possible state. Then he had the misfortune to meet up w/ Karl Rove ...

The rest, as they say, is horrorshow

[carpartsho]

No, of course not. W was trapped - 09/11 happened on his watch,

And how convinient it was!
Just in time when Taliban became stroppy over giving Americans their pipeline, and America feeling strong enough to take over Caspian Basin!

[gvataler]

It is a reasonable question - can the Afghanistan issue be solved militarily? I can see an argument for "no."

That wasn't the question though or even what he was trying to say. He also made statements that implied that the American government carried out 9/11.

[imawlBoli]

Better to ask how you expect a little league team to beat the Yankees.
It's the longest war in American history, and we haven't won, because we can't win, we don't have the forces capable of winning.
That was clear from before the first shot was fired.

Sorry, Goober, we've already won the war. What we are doing now is a police action merged together with nation building. That something completely different. But I'm sure you probably can't understand this.

[Coededgeme]

Please explain that more. Are you as concerned as I am about the way religious fundamentalists are taking over America?

Oh noes!!!.....Them thar reeligeious people are gunna get meeee!!

Please, no one is out to get you or anyone else. I think this is funny.

[eliniaguilefp7m]

And how convinient it was!
Just in time when Taliban became stroppy over giving Americans their pipeline, and America feeling strong enough to take over Caspian Basin!

If all we wanted was to secure a pipeline that would have been taken care of already.

[boiffrona]

If all we wanted was to secure a pipeline that would have been taken care of already.

But it isn't.

You can't secure either the pipeline or the North -- where most natural resources are. And you failed to secure political control over Afghanistan even after doing song and dance around Taliban-allied war lords.

PS
You are not still thinking the US went into Afghanistan to "catch OBL" or to "fight Taliban" that came to power thanks to US?

[Psymoussy]

What would you expect from a Moran?

The issue in Afghanistan is not military, its political.

First, the Taliban is hiding behind the Pakistani border, and rotting out Pakistan to boot. If Pakistan wants to let that happen, we can start talking to India about missile defense. If that doesn't get their attention, we can pick off Pakistans nuclear capability in about an hour and let India pick over the carcass.

Second, within Afghanistan, you can only centralize power in Kabul if the local hereditary leaders consent. If that is lacking, you either have to kill them, or set up several compliant feudal vassals.

[hopertveyk]

I agree- in that we can defeat Taliban, but once we leave, it will gradually return to Taliban and the old opium trade.

I say pull out now, save american lives and treasure,,,

and i sure aint no lib.

[celddiskend]

But it isn't.

You can't secure either the pipeline or the North -- where most natural resources are. And you failed to secure political control over Afghanistan even after doing song and dance around Taliban-allied war lords.

PS
You are not still thinking the US went into Afghanistan to "catch OBL" or to "fight Taliban" that came to power thanks to US?

It isn't secure because that isn't the reason were are in Afghanistan. If all we wanted the the pipeline secured it would be done. That is were your reasoning falls flat.

We are in Afghanistan in retaliation for 9/11.

[baskentt]

We are in Afghanistan in retaliation for 9/11.

1. How do you know that OBL is behind 9/11 if there was no investigation into that crime, and OBL explicitly stated he had nothing to do with it?

2. If the reason for the US attack on Afghanistan was retaliation for 9/11, why did Washington plan for it years in advance? How did they know about the coming terrorist act?

3. If the reason for US attack on Afghanistan was the desire to get rid of Bin-Laden and Al-Q, why did Washington refuse an offer by Taliban government to hand B-L over if US can present a proof he was behind 9/11?

Was it because Washington had no proof of A-Q involvement?

Was it because the US had the needed proof, but didn’t want to present it in fear Taliban will give them B-L and leave Bush without a “legitimate” reason to start the war in Afghanistan?

4. Why are you still in Afghanistan?