AP: Rice Warns Against Afghanistan Pullout

[Eugene]

?link">AP Photo

Rice Warns Against Afghanistan Pullout
Rice acknowledges intensified Afghan violence, but says world can't afford to pull out now

STELLARTON, Nova Scotia, Sep. 12, 2006
By ANNE GEARAN AP Diplomatic Writer

(AP) Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice acknowledged "difficult going" fighting
a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, but insisted Tuesday that the world cannot
afford to pull out now.

"We owe it to the people of Afghanistan to help them finish the job," Rice said
as she thanked Canada for its role as a leader of NATO forces in the country.
Canada's combat role is unpopular at home, as is the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Afghanistan is struggling with the deadliest militant violence since U.S.-led
forces toppled the hard-line Taliban regime five years ago. The United States
blamed the Taliban for incubating al-Qaida as a terrorist force and for harboring
Osama bin Laden after the Sept 11., 2001 terrorist attacks.

Canada has 2,200 troops in Afghanistan and has lost at least 20 soldiers there.

Opponents of the Afghanistan mission suggested Rice's visit to Canada was an
attempt to persuade Canada to commit more forces. But Rice and her host,
Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, said she made no such request.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/12/ap/world/mainD8K3DJI83.shtml

[RufusEarl]

1. Has anyone suggest pulling out of Afghanistan?

If so i must have missed it.

[Lochloosa]

2. You beat me to it.

[Canadian_moderate]

3. Yes, most Canadian leftists

Apparently human rights and women's right in Afghanistan are not worth us fighting for. That said, why were human rights worth fighting for in Europe?

Must people in Islamic countries be subjected to human rights abuses simply because their born into those countries.

On the subject of the War in Iraq, I never supported it because Iraq was one of the most secularist places in the Middle East. He was no saint by any means, but he was no threat to the people of America. He was simply a secularist Arab nationalist who happened to run a country with massive reserves of oil.

[daleo]

10. Well, we will have to invade at least half the world

If imposing human rights and women's rights on other countries is to become the basis os Canada's foreign policy. I say we invade Vatican City first, and make sure women can become priests.

[coalition_unwilling]

11. Let's see. 48 million Americans lack health insurance and yet

we've appointed ourselves guardians of "human rights" worldwide?

[laundry_queen]

26. Apparently 'leftists' make up more than 50% of the Canadian population. nt

[Canadian_moderate]

27. apparently they do

[oblivious]

31. I'm so sick of these bigoted statements.

"Must people in Islamic countries be subjected to human rights abuses simply because their born into those countries."

Why don't you sign up and go kill some of them then if you want to fight so much for human rights in Afghanistan. And let's see if the Afghani people thank you for your efforts.

[Canadian_moderate]

35. Do you they're not civilized enough to want human rights?

Please explain how my comment was bigoted? Perhaps I should accuse you of bigotry since it really sounds like you're saying there should be different human rights standards for people of a darker complexion?

I'm no longer of an age that I would be accepted for the military, but I happen to think that Afghanistan is worth fighting for. Please also keep in mind that Canada has a volunteer army, like the USA. I would suspect that most Canadian soldiers support their mission in Afghanistan. People who volunteer for the military should expect that they can be called upon to fight wars.

[oblivious]

37. What gives you the right to decide how they should live?

Before the Taliban, Afghanistan was in the hands of the warlords, arguably the nastiest violators of human rights on earth. Now thanks to Canadian involvement in part, the warlords are back, along with the drugs that finance them and the constant bombings by Nato forces.

There may be gross violations of human rights in many Islamic countries, but there are also in many countries ruled by secular governments. When I look around me in Asia, the Islamic countries Malaysia and Indonesia are certainly no worse than, say China and Myanmar. When I look at democratic countries in the Middle East, I don't see how Lebanon is any worse than Israel. When I compare Saudi Arabia or Uzbekistan to Taliban-era Afghanistan, I don't see any reason to bomb one to smithereens while cozying up to the other two.

It's so hypocritical. In many countries, the people have thrown out tyrannical governments when they were fed up. What right do we have to tell them they should live under drug fund-empowered warlords instead of an Islamic government.

I say sign up if you really believe that these people need your guns and bombs. Don't let other people do your fighting for you.

[Canuckistanian]

32. Is that all we're fighting for in Afghanistan?

Then we'd better prepare to attack Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kenya, Kuwait, Yemen, and Sudan.

Things ain't much better in those places as far as human right are concerned.

[Eugene]

5. Opposition in Canada is vocal and growing.

The recent vote in Parliament to extend the mission in Afghanistan
was controversial. The NDP is saying "Bring the troops home now."
Condi's mission is to keep Canada in the fold.

[coalition_unwilling]

9. I suggested never going in. And I certainly would suggest

pulling out now. In fact, the US should pull out of the entire Middle East. We've lost and now it's only a question of how many more people (Afgahn, Americans, NATO) will die.

[Ignacio Upton]

13. A majority of Americans still support the war there

The protests against the Afghan War are coming from the Canadian left.

I'm against pulling out because we still need to catch Bin Laden, and we need to strengthen Karzai's government. Afghanistan is still less violent than Iraq, though.

[Iceburg]

17. The majority of Canadians do not support the invasion and

occupation of Afghanistan. It is not just the left, it is a very clear majority of Canadians. Further, now that a small handful of non-warring nations is left to deal with the blow-back caused by the American "hit and run" tactics that majority is becoming much more vocal.

See my post #12 regarding troop levels by country http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2506719#2506823 then you will understand why we (the Canadian majority) are so miffed.

[leesa]

29. It's a total con job just like Iraq. How about we investigate 9-11 and

figure out who did it?

[Canuckistanian]

33. To be fair

I don't think that the majority of Canadians oppose the war in Afghanistan per se.

They just object that we're fighting it as an active military force.

The traditional role for Canada's armed forces is for peacekeeping missions and that's what many Canadians are proud of.

Also, nobody in Canada is under the illusion that our armed forces are actually, literally "fighting for our freedoms". We were just there as a NATO force, backing up our ally, the US.

Now, when I hear PM Harper use terms like "cut and run", it makes my blood boil.

[underpants]

24. THIS guy did

[leesa]

30. I think it is as wrong as Iraq. We never had any proof OBL was even

involved in 9-11 other than the gut feeling of CIA members and the word of the liars in the White House. Not even enough proof to this day to link OBL according to the FBI. We need a REAL criminal investigation to find out who did it and then arrest the culprits and put them on trial. Don't bomb any more innocent people chasing ghosts.

[Supersedeas]

36. more strawmen submitted & amplified by *'s Corp Media Election Cycle team

[Fridays Child]

4. Hey,Condi, if you ever get to visit a peaceful Afghanistan...

...don't forget to pack your burka.

[damntexdem]

6. "We owe it to the people of Afghanistan to help them finish the job" ...

of losing their country for a second time to the Taliban.

It's a job the Bushistas started when they failed to go after Osama at Tora Bora, in favor of shifting resources for an illegal invasion of Iraq. After that foul action, the fowls are coming home to roost -- on the poor people of Afghanistan.

Of course, if the Bushistas are saying that they won't pull out of Afghanistan, that may be evidence that they are getting ready to do exactly that.

[Iceburg]

18. The US has already cut and run...see post #12 /nt

[apnu]

23. which is why Condi is there now

to buoy Canada into staying in 'Stan so the US doesn't look like a bunch of premature ejactulators. Which we are if Chimpy McDumbass indicates anything.

[Jacobin]

7. She sounds like Leonid Brezhnev

I do have support for keeping the Osamas of the world out of Afghanistan. But trying to tame Afghans into becoming 'westerners' won't ever work.

The USSR had a zillion troops there and it didn't work (thanks in no small part to the CIA giving the jihadis shoulder fired missiles to go after their helicopters)

[daleo]

8. Well, as an ex-Soviet expert she ought to know

You can't pull out of Afghanistan for at least a decade, or until losing 10,000 soldiers.

[Iceburg]

12. Then Ms. Rice please explain to me why ...

the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada EACH have more troops in Afghanistan than the USA who started the invasion, destruction and occupation of this country?

NATO-LED FORCE (ISAF) in Afghanistan

Total troops: 18,500
UK (command): 5,400
Germany: 2,600
Canada: 2,500
Netherlands: 2,300
US: 2,050
Italy: 1,250
France: 1,000
Contributing nations: 37
Numbers show contributions as of 21 Aug. Troop numbers on the ground fluctuate.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5326060.

Why did the US "hit and run?"

[enigma000]

19. The US has another 18,000 troop under US command

There are more than 20,000 US troops in Afghanistan at the moment, but only around 2,000 of them currently under Nato command.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5330772.stm

[Iceburg]

22. They should all be under NATO command playing by

NATO rules ... international rules. As it is we have two different commands with two VERY different missions.

[enigma000]

25. The article suggests that NATO will start to take control of

other provinces soon, and US forces will transfer to Nato control.

[praeclarus]

14. gotta stay and protect the opium...

Always about "finishing the job" which nobody
really knows just WTF is the job. Here there
and everywhere.

Oh wait, I know, it is get the opium production
back up to snuff and protect this industry from
evil doers that hate freedom loving poppies.

[Disturbed]

20. "we still need to catch Bin Laden."

Now that Pakistan has announced that their troops will no longer venture into Taliban supported territory the chances of "catching Osama bin Laden are a million to one. Besides that Busholini is not interested in doing so.

BUSH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT OSAMA "I don't know where he is.You know, I just don't spend that much time on him... I truly am not that concerned about him."

[antonialee839]

15. If you jackals had spent the last five years

doing what you were supposed to be doing in Afghanistan, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation, now would we Condi?

[stepnw1f]

16. Yo Momma Should Have Warned Yo Daddi about

pulling out... just look at the monster you are today.

[MadMaddie]

21. Well I suppose she should have thought about that

when they pulled the majority of American troops out to send them to Iraq...if our soldiars would have stayed OBL would be dead....the poppy growth would be minimial and Afghanastan would not be another war torn country.....oh well Condi....STFU.....

[leesa]

28. That's right. We went there for the gas pipeline and the drugs. Can't

pull out now!

Do you guys STILL believe the fairy tales about OBL and 19 hijackers with boxcutters?!?

[zara]

34. Touts Iranian Invasion, Threatens Venezuela crackdown, Pumps up

North Korea Smackdown. And promises various smaller interventions "North, South, East and West" echoing her mentor Rummy.