[Lillie_Steins]

Obama has the tendency to act extremely unprofessionally. He is obnoxiously self indulgent in giving speeches; he really thinks there's something inherently productive about him giving speeches in-term when they are just rehashes of cliched phrases, like that's more important than actually figuring out a political strategy for passing decent legislation. He's also an excellent hedger; he certainly isn't acting like a one-term president, and is not making any special efforts to enact reforms so that he can preserve his precious second term. Lame.

That said, Cheney is a dumb-ass and I don't think either of them have a clue how to win in Afghanistan. You can't win there with just a shift in conventional military strategy, unless you can send huge number of troops there to permanently safeguard villages and towns, which we don't have and cannot afford, and which our allies are unwilling to send. That's basic.

[Big A]

That said, Cheney is a dumb-ass and I don't think either of them have a clue how to win in Afghanistan.

Its not that easy to win in Afghanistan.

Genghis Khan responded to an Afghan insurgency by ordering each one of soldiers to collect 300 heads each.

[radikal]

Have you ever heard a single street Afghan thanking us for anything?

First Afghans don't trust anyone. And the taliban which you people are fighting in Afghanistan was created by you guys.

[Lt_Apple]

Afghanistan? Get the hell out of the place and just keep bombing our enemies from the air. They hate us anyway and why should our boys and girls die for them?

I think this is our only viable option. Prevent Taliban/Al-Qaeda from getting too strong that that they find it easy to recruit and plan for major terrorist attacks. No need to win hearts and minds in each village that will end up costing more American lives.

But the problem isn't that there aren't Afghans who would like to live in an Americanized country, the problem is that the Russians brutalized the country when it was already having a hard time with limited resources and non-unity, which creates a haven for thugs like the Taliban to exploit peoples desperation and they draw strength from that. We should always fund education in Afghanistan and a non-corrupt central government, but not risk American lives over it.

[Beerinkol]

And the taliban which you people are fighting in Afghanistan was created by you guys.

The Russians really created the Taliban, the US only tried to stop Russia from decimating the country.

[Fegasderty]

We don't always get it right and we are often acting in our defence as superpowers, but what has India ever done to help anyone?

I can understand as a superpower lot of dirty things are done but one should learn to clean the mess.

It is a member of one of the worlds biggest criminal fraternaties; You are from U.K and i hope you know that most of the Criminals like to stay in Britain...

FYI: India is spending billions of $$ for development in Afghanistan. {I know we are dirt poor people and we cant feed our kids...}

The Non-Aligned Movement, along with thugs and dictators like Mugabe and Iran. NAM never worked. I would like to know why you hate NAM ?

It gives moral and material support to regimes like Myanmar (Burma) and has an apalling human rights record at home. With Burma we share 1600 miles of border and we don't want china circling us from all sides.


We at least act often on good motives though it is increasingly looking as if that is not worth doing in Afghanistan to get back to the thread. What good motives can you tell me ?

[9mm_fan]

The Russians really created the Taliban, the US only tried to stop Russia from decimating the country.

[radikal]

What?

1. Russia invaded Afghanistan and decimated the country.

2. US funded local Afghan warlords to repel the Russians.

3. Afghans succeeded with US help to stop Russians from mass murdering Afghans.

4. Left behind was an extremist, repressive Afghan regime. Still, it was not whole-sale slaughter at the Russian level.

Conclusion: Russian invasion created the situation that inevitably resulted in the Taliban's creation by necessitating the funding of undesirable Afghan regimes.

[softy54534]

As to good motives no doubt Indian TV did not cover the many thousands of interviews with US troops and generals in Af and Iraq who really wanted to improve the lives of the people and bring them freedom and prosperity.

Last time i saw a it was the American Military personnel doing a Peace walk & in an another interview a person returned from Iraq was crying because he killed innocent people in Iraq.

Its sad you don't see those interviews.

As to India having to buy influence in Afghanistan, well, it's either that or Islamabad winning the day. Afghanistan always shared a good relation with India, things only changed after Taliban came to power there. The three people who were released for Indian Airlines Hostages were directly responsible for 9/11 funding, where was the west during that time.

Still the Hijackers roam freely in Pakistan.