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Afghan war may be lost
Rushlimbo
Posts: 832
Way to bog us down in Iraq you dumbass empire spreading neocons and those who voted for them. They are screwing up the one good thing this administration has done in its 6 years. I guess all is not lost - they can diversify their stock portfolios to include burqa making companies for the surge in demand once the Taliban return.
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Afghan war may be lost: experts
Taliban are back in force, MPS hear. Contradicting military chief's optimistim
ANDREW MAYEDA
CanWest News Service
Friday, March 30, 2007
Two Afghanistan experts painted a sobering picture of the conditions there yesterday, arguing support among Afghans for NATO forces is plummeting, the U.S.-driven policy of poppy eradication is wrongheaded, and the war might not be winnable in its present form.
U.S. scholar Barnett Rubin and Gordon Smith, Canada's former ambassador to NATO, delivered their withering comments to a Commons committee only days after Canada's top military commander, Gen. Rick Hillier, touted progress being made there.
Hillier, the chief of defence staff, this week predicted Canadian troops in southern Afghanistan will soon see a rise in attacks from the Taliban. But he insisted on using the term "surge" rather than "offensive."
He also noted many Afghans are moving back into their homes in districts west of Kandahar following a Canadian-led NATO offensive last fall.
But Rubin, who has been to Afghanistan 29 times over more than two decades, said yesterday many Afghans are growing frustrated with the pace of Western efforts to stabilize the country.
"They're not at all happy. Support for both the international presence and the government has plummeted in the past year or so," he told the foreign affairs committee.
He said Afghans aren't seeing the results of promises by the United States and NATO, which took over the mission in 2003, to increase security, establish democracy and improve the economy. "The main complaint that I hear from Afghans is ... that we haven't delivered what they think we promised."
Rubin recently published an article in Foreign Affairs magazine warning Afghanistan "is at risk of collapsing into chaos." In it, he blasts the U.S. for underestimating the influence of Pakistan, which he accuses of providing "safe haven" to the Taliban.
Smith, meanwhile, threw cold water on Hillier's suggestion that Canadian troops are facing a weakened enemy.
There is evidence Al-Qa'ida-affiliated militants, who often fight alongside the Taliban, are actually gaining strength, said Smith, now executive director of the Centre for Global Studies at the University of Victoria.
"The Al-Qa'ida problem has not gone away," he told MPs. "It's important that we not forget the original motivation for going to Afghanistan, and that was to deal with Al-Qa'ida."
Smith recently released a critical report of his own, titled Canada in Afghanistan: Is it Working? He questions whether NATO can achieve its stated goals, even within 10 years. Canada has committed to maintain its military presence until 2009.
He argued NATO needs to hike its troop commitment, while using development aid more effectively and opening negotiations with the Taliban. Smith also said NATO must create a market so Afghan farmers can sell their opium for legal use in medical products like morphine.
Both Rubin and Smith suggested Canada needs to have a new debate about its role in Afghanistan. Liberal MP Keith Martin welcomed their remarks.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=2b354bb5-32fb-4a49-8092-ed5668d841dc&k=21972
==============================================
Afghan war may be lost: experts
Taliban are back in force, MPS hear. Contradicting military chief's optimistim
ANDREW MAYEDA
CanWest News Service
Friday, March 30, 2007
Two Afghanistan experts painted a sobering picture of the conditions there yesterday, arguing support among Afghans for NATO forces is plummeting, the U.S.-driven policy of poppy eradication is wrongheaded, and the war might not be winnable in its present form.
U.S. scholar Barnett Rubin and Gordon Smith, Canada's former ambassador to NATO, delivered their withering comments to a Commons committee only days after Canada's top military commander, Gen. Rick Hillier, touted progress being made there.
Hillier, the chief of defence staff, this week predicted Canadian troops in southern Afghanistan will soon see a rise in attacks from the Taliban. But he insisted on using the term "surge" rather than "offensive."
He also noted many Afghans are moving back into their homes in districts west of Kandahar following a Canadian-led NATO offensive last fall.
But Rubin, who has been to Afghanistan 29 times over more than two decades, said yesterday many Afghans are growing frustrated with the pace of Western efforts to stabilize the country.
"They're not at all happy. Support for both the international presence and the government has plummeted in the past year or so," he told the foreign affairs committee.
He said Afghans aren't seeing the results of promises by the United States and NATO, which took over the mission in 2003, to increase security, establish democracy and improve the economy. "The main complaint that I hear from Afghans is ... that we haven't delivered what they think we promised."
Rubin recently published an article in Foreign Affairs magazine warning Afghanistan "is at risk of collapsing into chaos." In it, he blasts the U.S. for underestimating the influence of Pakistan, which he accuses of providing "safe haven" to the Taliban.
Smith, meanwhile, threw cold water on Hillier's suggestion that Canadian troops are facing a weakened enemy.
There is evidence Al-Qa'ida-affiliated militants, who often fight alongside the Taliban, are actually gaining strength, said Smith, now executive director of the Centre for Global Studies at the University of Victoria.
"The Al-Qa'ida problem has not gone away," he told MPs. "It's important that we not forget the original motivation for going to Afghanistan, and that was to deal with Al-Qa'ida."
Smith recently released a critical report of his own, titled Canada in Afghanistan: Is it Working? He questions whether NATO can achieve its stated goals, even within 10 years. Canada has committed to maintain its military presence until 2009.
He argued NATO needs to hike its troop commitment, while using development aid more effectively and opening negotiations with the Taliban. Smith also said NATO must create a market so Afghan farmers can sell their opium for legal use in medical products like morphine.
Both Rubin and Smith suggested Canada needs to have a new debate about its role in Afghanistan. Liberal MP Keith Martin welcomed their remarks.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=2b354bb5-32fb-4a49-8092-ed5668d841dc&k=21972
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
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Sorry about your friend. You should be proud of your friends for the efforts they are giving. I think it's our governments we should be ashamed of.
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
Being proud of your troops and being proud of your government are entirely 2 separate things. It reminds me of that sienfeld sketch on how "sleep and THAT somehow got all tangled up" and misconstrued. I think Harper is a fucking piece of shit and ANYONE that thinks i don't support the troops becuse of that is as equally fucking shitty.
After 9/11 America went on about how the terrorists killed 3.000 in the wtc blah blah blah nothing can justify the killing of innocents they yelled. Then they go and carpet bomb towns and villages.
Link please.
- The elimination of Al-Quaida?
- The elimination of the Taliban?
- Setting up a "democracy"?
Afghanistan was very much destroyed by the Russians prior to 9/11. Then the US came in a did much of the same. The West is not interested in aiding Afghanistan be a democratic state, unless they choose who will be running things.
seems like a black hole to me.
But on a smaller scale, like our troops, these great humans are the ones doing the good when it should be the fucking politicians. Its the politicians that are keeping them there for thier(are) OWN green diseases. Expendable at the cost of our comfort and thier hearts of gold. Fucking disgusting. I support the Troops, our government sees them as expendable. Reverse pshycology at its best.
http://www.rawa.org/s-kill2.htm
http://www.cursor.org/stories/ontarget.htm
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/04/07/0216234
http://www.cursor.org/stories/civilian_deaths.htm
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Now we have a huge comeback by the "taliban" or "al queida", but how can that be so many years after 9/11? I tell you why, they are the sons of the dead fathers due to US bombs and the fathers of the dead sons due to US bombs. these are the new taliban/al quieda... poor people, farmers. ones that had loved ones,sons, daughters,mothers,fathers all killed by America.
It's easy to lable the survivors of these american attacks "al queida" simply because it takes away from the truth, the real reasons of this "comeback".
America is the cause of these problems, america is the true threat. the afghan war was lost the day it started. Also what makes me sick are the the people who cry about how unjust the iraq war is and in the same breath say that they support the US war in afghanistan. disgusting.
how do you feel about the 3000 americans who died on 9/11? are their deaths justifed since america is the true threat? are you hoping for more attacks against our evil country?
Ye, dont stop there man im with ya, how about the people killed by that postal bombing thing, AND the IRA in the UK, AND the other time they tried it on the WTC, AND the blitz in london, the whole fucking WW2!!! Nazi B'stards!! and dont even get me started on the Redcoats!! and when are we gonna apolgise for slavery huh? and what about them guys that used to steal you're lunch money evryday J and flush you're head down the toilet. Lets blow the whole World up its the only way to even it all out!! its the only fair way!
fuck off JLew i've read that post 100 times now.
You bring nothing to the table.
Nice. How ironic that you would be calling someone out for not bringing anything new to the table.
How ironic that your standing up for your bum boy, u just pulled out?
LOL. Sorry, that was funny.
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
yeah I was reading poppy crops are up 2000% over last year, or something like that...
The new US fertilizers must work great
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
omb? dmb? blt? ou812?
~Michael Bolton
Ooooohh... Nice guess... but, Al Qaeda and/or Usama Bin laden is the correct answer.
Hail, Hail!!!
Why is it ironic? Do you understand what irony is? And it is "you're". When you learn to speak english and have an original thought, get back to me.
LOL. At least get it correct if you are trying to get some dignity back from the guy. It is actually "your" as he has it. True irony....LMAO !!
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
Read it again, son. There are 2 instances of your in his quote. One is incorrect. If you're smarter than a 5th grader you'll be able to tell me which one.
you're correct about your posts of yore
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
Because 9/11 occured out of an historical and political vacuum, right? Nothing that had gone before in any way prompted these attacks? Like the 100% unconditional support for Israel, for example? Or the decades of economic warfare against middle eastern countries?
WEll, it's true that thre has been no heroin on the streets here in Oz since that was takaen down.
I'm wondering who is arming and financing teh new wave of Afghan resurgents.
no
it really pisses me off when people like you smile and stood on your couch and cheered when the WTC was attacked.
neither of your pathetic examples are justification for killing thousands of innocent people.
oopsy...that would be OBL...:o
perhaps, but the control of the drug trade has been a nice bonus...
as someone has mentioned...the poppy fields are a poppin'...more so now than before the occupation...
occupation?
ok....invasion and attempted occupation...
is that better...?