What We Have Learned From Afghanistan

[acidhead]

June 24, 2013 http://www.the-free-...t6-24-2013.html

What We Have Learned From Afghanistan

Last week the Taliban opened an office in Doha, Qatar with the US government’s blessing. They raised the Taliban flag at the opening ceremony and referred to Afghanistan as the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan"—the name they used when they were in charge before the US attack in 2001.

The US had meant for the Taliban office in Doha to be only a venue for a new round of talks on an end to the war in Afghanistan. The Taliban opening looked very much like a government in exile. The Karzai government was annoyed that the US and the Taliban had scheduled talks without even notifying Kabul. Karzai’s government felt as irrelevant to negotiations on post-war Afghanistan as they soon will be on the ground. It seemed strangely like Paris in 1968, where the US met with North Vietnamese representatives to negotiate a way out of that war, which claimed nearly 60,000 Americans and many times that number of Vietnamese lives.

For years many of us had argued the need to get out of Afghanistan. To end the fighting, the dying, the destruction, the nation-building. To end the foolish fantasy that we were building a Western-style democracy there. We cannot leave, we were told for all those years. If we leave Afghanistan now, the Taliban will come back! Well guess what, after 12 years, trillions of dollars, more than 2,200 Americans killed, and perhaps more than 50,000 dead Afghan civilians and fighters, the Taliban is coming back anyway!

The long US war in Afghanistan never made any sense in the first place. The Taliban did not attack the US on 9/11. The Authorization for the use of force that we passed after the attacks of 9/11 said nothing about a decade-long occupation of Afghanistan. But unfortunately two US presidents have taken it to mean that they could make war anywhere at any time they please. Congress, as usual, did nothing to rein in the president, although several Members tried to repeal the authorization.

Afghanistan brought the Soviet Union to its knees. We learned nothing from it.

We left Iraq after a decade of fighting and the country is in far worse shape than when we attacked in 2003. After trillions of dollars wasted and tens of thousands of lives lost, Iraq is a devastated, desperate, and violent place with a presence of al Qaeda. No one in his right mind speaks of a US victory in Iraq these days. We learned nothing from it.

We are leaving Afghanistan after 12 years with nothing to show for it but trillions of dollars wasted and thousands of lives lost. Afghanistan is a devastated country with a weak, puppet government—and now we negotiate with those very people we fought for those 12 years, who are preparing to return to power! Still we learn nothing.

Instead of learning from these disasters brought about by the interventionists and their failed foreign policy, the president is now telling us that we have to go into Syria!

US Army Col. Harry Summers told a story about a meeting he had with a North Vietnamese colonel named Tu while he visiting Hanoi in 1975. At the meeting, Col. Summers told Tu, "You know, you never defeated us on the battlefield." Tu paused for a moment, then replied, "That may be so. But it is also irrelevant."

Sadly, that is the story of our foreign policy. We have attacked at least five countries since 9/11. We have launched drones against many more. We have deposed several dictators and destroyed several foreign armies. But, looking around at what has been achieved, it is clear: it is all irrelevant.

--RP

[SHaYap]

' it is all irrelevant '

where indeed ....

`

[Yamato]

' it is all irrelevant '

where indeed ....

`

Afghanistan or Iraq.

[SHaYap]

Afghanistan or Iraq.

heheheh at least its nice to know your hell is much smaller than many someone else s ....

`

[danielost]

What would expect from a muslim who is president of the usa. He may pray on his rug in private. But, his actions speek loudly. Bowing to his king, letting al quida over run country after country. Not helping the rebels in syria. Giving money and weapons to egypt, right after they called us an enemy. Letting our embasy be able attacked for seven hours not allowing anyone go and help. The two who did were killed along with the ambasader and one other american hero. What does he say about it now, bengasi was a long time ago. He is protecting radical muslims more he is attacking them.

He has done his promise, the world no longer fears america because their to busy laughing at it(us).

[Zaphod222]

We SHOULD have learned from Afghanistan that the people who fight our enemies are not automatically our friends. We should have learned from Afghanistan that the whole world is not like the modern Western world, and it does not become so by giving it unspecified "freedom". We should have learned that nation building in an islamist-dominated society is an impossible mission.

But alas Barack Hussein and the rest of them have learned nothing.

After having installed the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Tunesia, and Libya, now they are working hard to overthrow the secular Assad regime in Syria and replace with yet another islamist Muslim Brotherhood regime.

Well, at least the Muslim Brothers are happy with this bottomless stupidity. What can one say, except Allah Akbar.

[Yamato]

Show me where in the US Constitution the US government has the authority to nation build. Good luck, pilgrims.

[Space Commander Travis]

Meanwhile, today:

Taliban assault in Kabul secure zone

Afghan security forces tackle militants who launched a gun and bomb attack near the presidential palace, in one of the most secure areas of Kabul

• BBC reporter: 'Fire around us' Watch
  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23042005

War within measurable distance of its end, comrades.

Edited June 25, 2013 by Colonel Rhuairidh

[Black Red Devil]

Ron Paul. A truly genuine politician and the one that got away for the American people.

[DeWitz]

What has America learned from Afghanistan? That Americans have a learning disability.

[Kowalski]

Ron Paul tells it like it is....

What are these senseless wars accomplishing? I support out troops, I have many members in my family who have served, in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they should be at home. All these wars do, is make money for the industrial military complex, and that money goes directly into the pockets of the crooked politicians....They don't care if they send our boys or girls to die, for some senseless reason, just as long as they are racking in the dough...

[Kowalski]

Did anyone see this thread? A soldier who served in Iraq, committed suicide, and here is his suicide note....Really sad....So many are committing suicide....

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=250060

[DeWitz]

What would expect from a muslim who is president of the usa. He may pray on his rug in private. But, his actions speek loudly. Bowing to his king, letting al quida over run country after country. Not helping the rebels in syria. Giving money and weapons to egypt, right after they called us an enemy. Letting our embasy be able attacked for seven hours not allowing anyone go and help. The two who did were killed along with the ambasader and one other american hero. What does he say about it now, bengasi was a long time ago. He is protecting radical muslims more he is attacking them.

He has done his promise, the world no longer fears america because their to busy laughing at it(us).

Your antipathy toward the President is well-known. However, evidence of your accusations ('Obama is Muslim; he is helping Al Qaeda; protecting radical Muslims;' etc., etc.) is not.

Perhaps you, Ed Snowden and Alex Jones could get together and produce the definitive white paper on the subject, or develop a series of seminars to enlighten those of us who labor in the cellars of ignorance and muddled thinking, still perceiving Obama as a man of mixed 'racial' heritage, combined ethnic and cultural experience (Kenyan, Indonesian, multi-cultural Hawaiian and mainstream/white North American), a passion for reforming America's profit-crazy healthcare system and an indecisive but still incomplete foreign policy record.

Until you show some facts about his crypto-Muslim affections, that idea is about as cogent as the notion that Joe Smith was an agent of the Vatican sent to US soil to sow discord, misunderstanding and violence between and among native-born and immigrant Protestants by producing a new religion so spurious that they would flee screaming back to the loving bosom of Rome.

Edited June 25, 2013 by szentgyorgy

[DeWitz]

Meanwhile, today:

Taliban assault in Kabul secure zone

Afghan security forces tackle militants who launched a gun and bomb attack near the presidential palace, in one of the most secure areas of Kabul

• BBC reporter: 'Fire around us' Watch
  

http://www.bbc.co.uk...d-asia-23042005

War within measurable distance of its end, comrades.

Colonel, on the inside 'movie screen' of my eyelids, I keep seeing The Peasants' War, Cullodeen, Fort William Henry, Balaklava, Wounded Knee, the Argonne, Berlin, Dien Bien Phu, Khe Sanh, Saigon and even Baghdad: "Peace, peace!" - - - - - then there is no peace.

[danielost]

Obama doesn't want to over haul our health care system. He wants government to take it over. The reason meds are so expensive in this country, is because ever other country on the planet has some form of price fixing. IE their governments tell the med. companies how much they can make. So in order to cover their costs and make a profit they pass the costs to us. America is keeping all other countries with meds. Bill clinton, told the company thar produces the flu shots that the usa would only pay so much, during he's last year in office. We ran out of flu shots that year. Good thing we had a surplus from year before. If we go social medical care and limit what the pill pushers charge, there will not be enough med for everyone.

[Space Commander Travis]

So it*s all a conspiracy to give Mr. O control of the global pharmaceutical industry, then? So he can then hold the world to ransom. Well, he'll need to shave his head first, since all good megalomaniacs are bald as a coot, and get a white cat.

[DeWitz]

Obama doesn't want to over haul our health care system. He wants government to take it over. The reason meds are so expensive in this country, is because ever other country on the planet has some form of price fixing. IE their governments tell the med. companies how much they can make. So in order to cover their costs and make a profit they pass the costs to us. America is keeping all other countries with meds. Bill clinton, told the company thar produces the flu shots that the usa would only pay so much, during he's last year in office. We ran out of flu shots that year. Good thing we had a surplus from year before. If we go social medical care and limit what the pill pushers charge, there will not be enough med for everyone.

Here's a site from which some some frequent contributors to these fora (forums) might benefit: www.tinfoilhat.com/putyourthinkingcapon./seethemaninthefunnyshoes.

[DeWitz]

Obama doesn't want to over haul our health care system. He wants government to take it over. The reason meds are so expensive in this country, is because ever other country on the planet has some form of price fixing. IE their governments tell the med. companies how much they can make. So in order to cover their costs and make a profit they pass the costs to us. America is keeping all other countries with meds. Bill clinton, told the company thar produces the flu shots that the usa would only pay so much, during he's last year in office. We ran out of flu shots that year. Good thing we had a surplus from year before. If we go social medical care and limit what the pill pushers charge, there will not be enough med for everyone.

Congratulations!!! You successfully dodged accountability for all your unproved accusations against Obama by railing against a fact--that he's passionate about healthcare.

[EnderOTD]

What would expect from a muslim who is president of the usa. He may pray on his rug in private. But, his actions speek loudly. Bowing to his king, letting al quida over run country after country. Not helping the rebels in syria. Giving money and weapons to egypt, right after they called us an enemy. Letting our embasy be able attacked for seven hours not allowing anyone go and help. The two who did were killed along with the ambasader and one other american hero. What does he say about it now, bengasi was a long time ago. He is protecting radical muslims more he is attacking them.

He has done his promise, the world no longer fears america because their to busy laughing at it(us).

Seriously man I don't like the guy either, but if your going to sling such accusations back them up with sources or start a thread about that drivel in the conspiracy section. He has so many faults and f-ups that clinging to the tired "hes a Muslim from Kenya with a fake B.C. who supports the Taliban and jihadist abroad" has become the tell tale sign of a bigoted and predisposed hatred of the man. The fact he has increased drone strikes in Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and many others I'm sure would say he is hardly a subversive that supports radical Islam.

[Harte]

Well, at least the Muslim Brothers are happy with this bottomless stupidity. What can one say, except Allah Akbar.

That's Allahu Akbar to you, pal.

Besides, it wasn't very long ago that the whiners were whining about us backing murderous dictators.

You can't have it both ways.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq accomplished a few things (strategically) that were promptly forfeited by Obama policy decisions.

Timely intervention in Syria would have added even more (again, strategically) to the U.S. position, but it's too late for that now.

Harte

[danielost]

One thing about syria, we found iraqs gas weapons. One of iras generals said the had been given to syria. I think iran got the nuclear tech from iraq.

[Arbenol]

What have we learned from Afghanistan? Apparently nothing.

British, Soviet and American imperialists have repeatedly had their backsides handed to them by a nation that won't do what the rest of the world wants them to. But each won't learn from the experiences of others. No. They had to go and find out for themselves.

Eventually, Afghanistan will once again be left alone - no better or different than it was before...........until the next time.

[danielost]

Congratulations!!! You successfully dodged accountability for all your unproved accusations against Obama by railing against a fact--that he's passionate about healthcare.

No, he is passionate about government. The bigger the government the better we are, or so he thinks.

[danielost]

What have we learned from Afghanistan? Apparently nothing.

British, Soviet and American imperialists have repeatedly had their backsides handed to them by a nation that won't do what the rest of the world wants them to. But each won't learn from the experiences of others. No. They had to go and find out for themselves.

Eventually, Afghanistan will once again be left alone - no better or different than it was before...........until the next time.

People have to want a change it is hard to force them to change. Through out history, a dictator is replaced with a worse one. There may be exceptions, but not many.

[lightly]

That's Allahu Akbar to you, pal.

Besides, it wasn't very long ago that the whiners were whining about us backing murderous dictators.

You can't have it both ways.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq accomplished a few things (strategically) that were promptly forfeited by Obama policy decisions.

Timely intervention in Syria would have added even more (again, strategically) to the U.S. position, but it's too late for that now.

Harte

hi Harte, would you mind expanding on these "strategic" Accomplishments? i'm asking with all respect and sincerity , because I just can't see where anything good was accomplished by either invasion.