Afghanistan war

[ArlJim78]

Remind me again why we're fighting this war? I know there is a total media blackout on the subject since the president is a democrat, but the fact is that it's another huge failure, costing us lives and dollars. Obama assured us this was the right war, the war we need to fight. My question is why, especially in light of the following. the taliban has infiltrated our supposed partners and they are killing our service men left and right. again you might not know about this because of the media blackout.
This administration doesn't acknowledge its failures and once again blames us. Our soldiers, in fact they need more Muslim sensitivity training.

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Afghan security forces, our supposed allies, are slaughtering American troops. Thirty-three soldiers have been killed by “green on blue” attacks this year alone. The situation is so bad that the training of Afghan forces has been temporarily suspended.

How has the Pentagon responded?

By blaming our troops.

Top officials believe culturally offensive behavior is the motivation behind the killings, so it’s stepped up Islamic sensitivity training for our troops.

If you don’t want to be shot in the back by your Afghan training partners, the Pentagon advises, don’t offend their religious sensibilities. Don’t kick your feet up on a table, for instance, and never ask to see a picture of their wives and kids. “There’s a percentage [of attacks] which are cultural affronts,” Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said in a recent interview.



Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/blaming_our_troops_gsNkgSOnejhkmabM2KA6TI#ixzz26pd FAnau

[Tom]

I guess the officers who got fragged in Viet Nam deserved it then.
Our military brass is a disgrace.

[Greyfox]

Remind me again why we're fighting this war? I know there is a total media blackout on the subject since the president is a democrat, but the fact is that it's another huge failure, costing us lives and dollars. Obama assured us this was the right war, the war we need to fight. My question is why, especially in light of the following. the taliban has infiltrated our supposed partners and they are killing our service men left and right. again you might not know about this because of the media blackout.
This administration doesn't acknowledge its failures and once again blames us. Our soldiers, in fact they need more Muslim sensitivity training.



Afghanistan is a shit hole.

The recent murders of American troops and the violent protests in Kabul against the U.S. clearly demonstrate that the citizenry there is not appreciative in any way of attempts to bring democracy.

Karzai, their leader, speaks out of both sides of his mouth.
Corruption, graft, and baksheesh are the name of the game.
The opium trade is as flourishing as ever.

Bush made the mistake of sending anything more than a SWAT team in.
Obama is making the mistake of thinking that he can civilize this tribal culture.

To think that young American G.I.s are sacrificing their lives for that country is very very sad indeed.

Bring them home - today.

[rastajenk]

And then what?

[Tom]

Keep em home.

[highnote]

The recent murders of American troops and the violent protests in Kabul against the U.S. clearly demonstrate that the citizenry there is not appreciative in any way of attempts to bring democracy.



When did the Afghans ever say they wanted western style democracy -- or any democracy for that matter. Same in Libya. Just because NATO got rid of a thuggish dictator does not mean the western style democracy is going to desired by the local populaton and magically appear.



Obama is making the mistake of thinking that he can civilize this tribal culture.

To think that young American G.I.s are sacrificing their lives for that country is very very sad indeed.

Bring them home - today.

Agree. Almost a total waste. The only reason to be there is to stop terrorists from training, but you don't need a whole goddamn army to do that. Satellite surveillance, drones, spies and perhaps elite troops can get the job done.

Obama escalating Afghanistan is the main reason I will not vote for him.

If I can't find a suitable candidate then I will abstain.

[thaskalos]

No war should ever be fought if our Congressmen's (and Congresswomen's) sons and daughters are not at the front line.

[highnote]

No war should ever be fought if our Congressmen's (and Congresswomen's) sons and daughters are not at the front line.

I'd go one step further -- no war should ever be fought if our Congressmen are not at the front line.

It's easy to wage war when you're not the one doing the fighting.

[Tom]

How about this - we put Obama and Hillary in the consulate in Libya to oversee the rebuilding and trainging of new staff?

[ArlJim78]

for obvious reasons foreign media is the only place to go for coverage of the war. looks like Obama's speech where he announced the surge and the withdrawal date simultaneously may not have been so bright afterall - who knew?. Since he doesn't attend any meetings he must be conferring with other top advisors like Jay Z, Beyonce, David Letterman.
__________________________________________________ _______________

Another day, another disaster: So what now for Afghanistan? (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/another-day-another-disaster-so-what-now-for-afghanistan-8153611.html)



The decision announced yesterday to cut back on joint operations
undertaken by international and Afghan forces raises crucial questions about the
key plank of the exit strategy from the 11-year war which has proved costly in
lives and money.

The move is also a significant propaganda coup
for the insurgents, coming just after their assault on Camp Bastion which
resulted in the destruction of warplanes worth $200m. For the British and
coalition troops, the announcement in Washington will only highlight the
mistrust which has been the inevitable consequence of 51 deaths inflicted by
their supposed Afghan brothers-in-arms.





The rush for a withdrawal from Afghanistan has
created the conditions to allow the Taliban to infiltrate the local security
forces, Afghan and some Western military commanders insist, with around 7,000
recruits for the Afghan police and army having to be processed every month.
Since the rise in the "green on blue" attacks, vetting has been tightened up,
and one in 35 applicants is said to have been rejected. One Afghan official said
420 out of the 15,000 who applied to join the army in the last seven months
appeared to have the sole aim of murdering Western troops.

[Tom]

Doing a hell of a job, there,
Mission Accomplished.