This is something which people from both the left and the right can agree. Or at least we can agree that this country isn’t talking enough about this. This morning I awoke to yet another tragic headline.
Afghanistan: Another Rogue Attack Kills 2 U.S. Service Members
Another Afghan Cop Guns Down American Soldiers
In 2008 Obama seemed to deem the conflict in Afghanistan the “good” conflict and the one in Iraq the bad one. Nearly 4 years later we see we’re almost completely out of Iraq, (our exit was precisely according to Bush’s timeline) and we’re still in Afghanistan. …….. doing what?
As I recall, we went there hunting Bin Laden, with the stated goal of dismantling the al-Qaeda terrorist organization and ending its use of Afghanistan as a base.. Well, Bin Laden hadn’t been there for some time. He was in neighboring Pakistan. Well, we found him and dispatched him to eternity. Justice served, or as close as we’ll get to it on earth. We can also acknowledge that al-Qaeda doesn’t confine itself within the confines of one nation. We can no more dismantle al-Qaeda by occupying Afghanistan than we can by maintaining a military presence in Texas.
I’m not saying we should give up attacking al-Qaeda, we shouldn’t. We should hunt them down when ever and where ever we find them. But, maintaining a large military presence in each nation we find al-Qaeda isn’t feasible, nor desirable.
So, what are we doing in Afghanistan other than our soldiers providing target practice for lunatics? The people in Afghanistan deserve the Taliban. The certainly don’t deserve our protection, our life blood, our soldiers. They’ve repeatedly demonstrated an unwillingness to clean up their country and rid themselves of the scum which thrives in that country. It is a cesspool of cowards.
We, as a nation have offered them help and a path towards democracy, freedom, and peace. They’ve rejected it at every turn. We should do as instructed. Wipe the dust from the soles of our shoes and boots, and leave that place to implode under it’s own weight.
So, yes, let’s take a lead from our Marines,
and let them have it.
IF we stay any longer, we should clear out an area the size of a province, and use it as a Middle Eastern base of operations. This mixing with the population does not work well for us.
Well, that works for me, but, it should be the stated goal. As it is now, we have countrymen getting killed and no one can clearly articulate what the hell we’re doing there.
It would be highly un-PC to state what it is that we are trully doing there.
‘Truly’ doing there.
I just hate having to retake the same hill over and over. We really only have 2 choices, continue to rein in Israel and be an arbitrator, or leave and let the chips fall where they may.
Yes, but, if that’s the goal of our presence, then we should have never pulled out of Iraq.
There is no practical ‘solution’ to this problem, only mitigation, and mitigation only works when used in effective doses. So far we have been unwilling to up the dosage enough to adequately quell the symptoms of this deadly virus.
The last thing we should do, is show any form or hint of weakness, or any unwillingness to absolutely destroy all those who oppose or threaten our freedoms. Sadly, they see our pullout not as our victory, but as our retreat.
I think there are other means to attack al-Qaeda than what we’re doing in Afghanistan. Change the tactic, employ it, announce our mission in Afghanistan is accomplished and move on.
Al Qaeda is a symptom, and not the disease. It is like swatting at mosquitoes to get rid of Malaria.
Agreed.
I think we should withdraw retroactive to four years ago or even longer. It is a waste of lives and money for us to be there. Yesterday would not be to soon to withdraw all troops.
I agree. It makes no sense to remain.
Hey Miked1947, Thanks, it’s nice to see someone backing Me up from time to time. You know what I mean. I just saw that earlier tonight. Thanks again.
And it isn’t a sarc thinggy,
if ya know what I mean, really, thanks man!
During the Bush administration, the news media kept a daily body count of troop deaths. Have you noticed that the daily body count disappeared with the arrival of the Obama administration? Propaganda is propaganda.
Jim
No doubt. I remember a time when the media tried to maintain a pretense of impartiality. They don’t even try anymore.
You should stop giving the Afghans assault weapons. Maybe ban’em or something.
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS… YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER !!!
Amen, Vickie, Amen.
… should have made it into a slag-heap
or minded our own business and stayed the f***out of it…
what we didn’t learn from the British and Soviets we should have from George Washington
Exactly.
The only problem with leaving them to rot in their own gutter, is the very reason we first went in. That gutter becomes a breeding ground for 9-11s. The goal was to clean out the rats, and hopefully convince them to take care of the rats themselves eventually. You’re right in that doesn’t appear to be happening, & it seems that we’re just wasting resources, not to mention lives. But, consider if we had never gone in. Any doubt that many more large, successful attacks on civilians would have originated from there?
Of course our soldiers lives are no less valuable than us civilians. In fact, I see people on a daily basis that I hold in lower regard than any US military personnel. Much lower in many cases. But, the profession that they willfully chose pretty much by definition requires them to be a buffer for us civilians. Sure, it’s simplistic, but if our presence has caused the rats to keep scurrying, it then also helps keeps them from organizing.
The 9/11 attackers came from Hamburg. Your troops are on the wrong continent.
Did it work out?