Steeper Pullout Is Raised as Option for Afghanistan

Steeper Pullout Is Raised as Option for Afghanistan

www.nytimes.com

WASHINGTON — President Obama’s national security team is contemplating troop reductions in Afghanistan that would be steeper than those discussed even a few weeks ago, with some officials arguing that such a change is justified by the rising cost of the war and the death of Osama bin Laden, which they called new “strategic considerations.”

(visit the link for the full news article)

Obviously, this is what many of us expected: the killing of Bin Laden would provide the US government with a "valid" excuse to abandon Afghanistan. We've seen this long coming: Afghanistan is a second Vietnam; the guerrilla enemy is undefeated. Bush should have listened to Gorbachev who warned that a war in Afghanistan can't be won.

I have been a supporter of the war in Afghanistan and think it's shameful that the US abandons the nation it needed to invade so badly due to financial limitations.

Of course they claim enough troops will be left to fight the Taliban, but it is planned that all foreign troops are to leave by 2014, which means that three years are left until these terrorist can start bringing havoc on Afghanistan again. The Afghan National Army is not capable enough to fight off the insurgency on it own and slowly, those hiding in Pakistan and other neighboring countries will return like mushrooms after rain.

Some 2,400 coalition deaths and a huge number of civilians.
During a guest lecture here in Europe by nobel laureate winner Professor Stiglitz, it was mentioned that the real cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is some $4-5 trillion, rather than the official $2 trillion, which he named as one of the prime factors in causing the current economic crisis.

Thank you, coalition of the willing, for further destroying our earth.

www.nytimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

LOL are they serious "rising cost of war" the price of war has been the same since the first battle was fought.

that price is Blood and the needless loss of life, no other value can outweigh that of our blood soaked land.

Great post OP, sadly another vietnam was clearly in their plans and they are using this technique to get what they want all over the world.

One can only hope that we get out of there SOON. We don't need to be "nation" building. Bring our troops home, stop the bloodshed and turn off the money faucet. While we're at it, lets get out of Pakistan, Iraq and Libya.

reply to post by Mdv2


Who says the war wasn't won? First of all it depends on what the true motives were and how sucessful those were. People tend to view war as one group of people conquering another land and group of people. Not necessarily so. What type of war was being waged and what exactly was the outcome. Gates has already made the comment that there is plenty for the military to do after leaving afghanistan. Now there is Libya who knows exactly what is next. Those that do certainly are not going to let us in on their plans at least not now.

reply to post by fltcui


With all due respect, that's a rather pathetic attitude. Now things get bad at home, you and many of your countrymen suddenly don't appreciate the role of policeman anymore. Yet, when American prosperity seemed infinite, very few Americans disapproved America's role as the world's policeman. It's beyond ridiculous to bail out on Afghanistan due to financial reasons.

Whether you like it or not, you will remain the world's policeman as long as the US is the only true superpower, but don't worry China is eager to fill that vacancy as soon as the dollar comes to collapse. At that moment, people can start complaining about China's hostile behavior, I doubt they will like it better than the way America has behaved.

reply to post by Mdv2


I see where you are coming from in your post but you are misinterpreting something. that is what Americans as a whole think...

you cannot generalize an entire country unless you know everyone in that country, I am not sure where you got the info that most Americans supported going into Iraq because we were prosperous as a country financially.

if it was from the mainstream news?

well you can bet they are pushing an agenda that will make the masses think we need to go to war. that is why the news is saying now that we are done in Afghanistan and going to pull out faster than a prom date.
this is also why the news is popularizing the Libyan rebels they need US for their Freedumb

The only reason I can think of them pulling out of Afghanistan is to regroup to face a Chinese threat, so the forces wouldn't be so spread out.

I hope that's not the case but I can't see any other reason the criminals in power would actually start pulling out of there. Otherwise it's just more talk that will amount to nothing.

I suspect if they withdraw the troops out, the private contractors and mercenaries will go in and kill everyone left, which leaves:

Minerals - Nearly a trillion dollars worth of minerals to mine.
Heroin - 92% of the worlds heroin trade (4-500 Billion street value a year)
Oil - 135 Billion (annual yield).
Marijuana - 61Million (annual yield).

I've now heard from various sources the only thing this war has done has made Afghan into the biggest drug dealing centre in the world...oh yeah and we got that illusive guy on the donkey.

Does anyone actually feel safer?