Originally posted by Xcathdra

Originally posted by Cosmic911
I agree that this will continue for years to come. I'm not sure what direction the U.S.

The reason for going into Afghanistan was to end Bin Laden.

Mission accomplished there.

If the Afghans want our help in their country, why not.

If they dont want us in their country, off we go.

At the rate the Afghan government is going, its time to cut our losses and leave. When the citizens of that country get fed up with the Taliban or whoever else is in trouble, they can make the changes to the goverment on their own.

If they dont wish to fight for their freedom, like they did with the Soviets, and to an extent the US, then why bother?

They will make their bed, and will have to lay in it also.

Everyone knows why we sent troops to Afghanistan, yes, to capture/kill Bin Laden. I agree, but, and this is a BIG BUT, let's see how long we stay there. Mark my words, this won't end with Bin Laden, We knew he wasn't in Afghanistan for years. We knew he was hiding in Pakistan, with or without sanctions from their government. And in the end, where did we find him? In Pakistan. We will never completely pull out of Iraq and we will won't completely pull out of Afghanistan. To pull out because Bin Laden is dead would be premature and irresponsible. How many times have we started something and left it only to have it bite us in the ass years later. That would be twice we've done it in Afghanistan, first arming the Taliban against the Soviets and now again? It bit us in the ass in Irag when we put Hussein in power. Yes, Bin Laden is dead, big deal. We have a little closure on 9/11, but if the Taliban and Al Queda is being supported by Pakistan's ISI (and they are as evidenced by Bin Laden's proximty to Pakistan's military academy), then we have bigger problems. Pakistan won't support us because we support India's interests as well. They are mortal enemies.

Leaving afghanistan now, without a legitimate and capable government would only prove what we already know....the U.S. Government doesn't give a sh$% about Afghanistan and that we are only looking out for U.S. interest abroad. It's the same reason we invaded Iraq. We don't really think the U.S. cares about the Iraqi people, right? It's the oil we care about. There are atrocities happening everyday in Africa, rape, mutilation, murder, but have we done anything about that? No, because there is nothing for us to gain. There is nothing exported that we need. No natural resources. Nothing. An occupying force should never leave until there is an adequate infrastructure in place to support itself, for without this, the power vaccumm that would open up would be disastrous and monolithic.

Do I agree with you that we should leave? 100% We've spent enough money and sacrificed enough lives for all of us. But do I think it would be a disaster? I do...

Originally posted by Paulioetc15
Afghanistan has been always an unstable region for thousands of years like that before the Americans got involved in the late 1980s. You can thank Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for contributing to this. We let them do the rebuilding for their own country.

I see this argument all the time from my fellow Americans, and every time, this is what's really being said.

"I'm ignorant of the subject, too stupid to know how to fix that, and waaaay too lazy to bother trying anyway, so screw it."

Aghanistan has not always been "unstable," Paulio. In fact it was more stable than both of its major neighbors - Iran and Pakistan - for its entire existence as a nation. Before that, instability was external - the British and the Russians using the region as a battleground; however the Afghans themselves remained a very stable community. granted it wasn't a nation-state community, but it was, in fact, stable.

We broke Afghanistan, Paulio. From the late 70's onward, we've been up to our elbows in Afghanistan, trying desperately first to make the Russians lose, then trying desperately to add it ot our own empire, and now trying desperately to keep from looking too desperate about it.