Afghanistan: It’s Even Worse Than You Thought

[unhappycamper]

Afghanistan: It’s Even Worse Than You Thought
by Haroon Siddiqui
Published on Sunday, August 1, 2010 by The Toronto Star

The buckets-full of leaked documents on the war in Afghanistan have elicited three responses, all misguided.

~snip~

The NATO offensive in Marjah also failed to root the Taliban out of that key district in opium-producing Helmand province. The area remains ungovernable, “a bleeding ulcer,” as the dear departed Gen. Stanley McChrystal called it.

The much-touted offensive in Kandahar, designed to bring the entire Taliban-dominated south under NATO/Afghan control, was set for spring, then June, then July. It won’t begin this month, either, as the fasting month of Ramadan starts mid-August.

It may not begin until October, if it all, the locals having revolted against the prospect of another American-led war. So much for the Afghans wanting us to liberate them from the Taliban, whom many now consider the lesser of two evils.

The Kandahar mission — no longer referred to as a military offensive but rather as an “operation,” or “the reshaping of the climate” — is being transformed into a civilian “nation-building” project, to deliver a “government in a box.”

[WinkyDink]

1. Nope; it's about right where my thoughts are at.

[saigon68]

2. to deliver a “government in a box.”

A "Pig in the Poke"

[dipsydoodle]

3. And probably as effective

as a fart in a storm.

[saigon68]

4. LOL

[PuraVidaDreamin]

5. Did you see this piece in The Boston Pheonix UHC? by a former Army Colonel

http://thephoenix.com/Boston/news/105980-afghanistan-the-war-thats-killing-us/

The title-
Afghanistan: The War that's Killing US ( And Besides, We're Not Winning)

Gotta Wonder if most Colonels are talking this way?......

[EFerrari]

6. He was on Amy's show this morning.

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/8/2/andrew_bacevich_on_afghanistan_war_the

Video & transcript at link.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

13. Wow a mild mannered intelligent man who told it like it is.

Obama's decision in Afghanistan being more of a political decision than a moral one.

Think I'll pick up his book.

Thanks for the link

:hi:

[unhappycamper]

14. Mr. Bacevich lost his son, Andrew J. in Iraq in 2007.

I've seen him speak at a number of events in the Boston area.

He's quite articulate.

[bigtree]

7. I'm thinking it's not possible

. . . for it to be worse than I'm thinking it is.

[femrap]

8. Our gov't

thinks the war in Afghanistan is some kind of 'economic stimulus' program. Gotta keep the arms dealers, defense contractors, and mercenaries in jobs.

It's pathetic.

[NNN0LHI]

9. This is why we should never go to war unless we really have no other choice

This was a war of choice. We were suckered into this mess. And we fell for it. Same exact thing that happened to the Soviets in the 1980's.

Be nice if we wouldn't do this again. But we will.

Don

[1776Forever]

11. Yes, I agree totally with your comment. After all it wasn't the Afghans that started it - it was

mostly Saudis requited by Bin Laden, and where are they now? Either dead or dying and we have new enemies to take their place.

9/11 commission staff statement No. 16

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5224099/

"The so-called muscle hijackers actually were not physically imposing, as the majority of them were between 5’5” and 5’7” in height and slender in build. In addition to Hazmi and Mihdhar, the first pair to enter the United States, there were 13 other muscle hijackers, all but one from Saudi Arabia."

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. The handwriting on the wall is now flashing neon....We Lost.

The Dutch were smart enough to get out. Hopefully, more will follow including us.

[bullwinkle428]

12. A 'civilian “nation-building” project, to deliver a “government in a box.”'

Isn't this how the Bush administration essentially defined Iraq?

[L0oniX]

15. What a bunch of fools on a fools errand.