What lies beneath the war in Afghanistan

[unhappycamper]

What lies beneath the war in Afghanistan
by Eric Margolis | October 12, 2009 - 10:39am

Truth is war's first casualty. The Afghan war's biggest untruth is, "we've got to fight terrorists over there so we don't have to fight them at home."

~snip~

Obama has been under intense pressure from flag-waving Republicans, much of the media, and the hawkish national security establishment to expand the war. Israel's supporters, including many Congressional Democrats, want to see the U.S. seize Pakistan's nuclear arms and expand the Afghan war into Iran.

Obama should admit Taliban is not and never was a threat to the West; that the wildly exaggerated al-Qaida has been mostly eradicated; and that the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan is causing more damage to U.S. interests in the Muslim world -- now 25% of all humanity -- than Bin Laden and his few rag-tag allies. The bombing in Madrid and London, and conspiracy in Toronto, were all horribly wrongheaded protests by young Muslims against the Afghan war.

We are not going to change the way Afghans treat their women by waging war on them, or bring democracy through rigged elections.

I wish Obama would just declare victory in Afghanistan, withdraw western forces, and hand over security to a multi-national stabilization force from Muslim nations. Good presidents, like good generals, know when to retreat.

Rest of article at:: http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/24328

[Enthusiast]

1. It is the

power and influence of the military industrial complex. Correcting the problems in Afghanistan are IMPOSSIBLE. Every moment we remain there is a waste.

[Mari333]

2. this line is good

'I wish Obama would just declare victory in Afghanistan, withdraw western forces, and hand over security to a multi-national stabilization force from Muslim nations. Good presidents, like good generals, know when to retreat.'

this country needs to collectively get over it's sick sick need to behave like a 10 yr old bully on the playground and grow the f up.

[hobbit709]

3. Afghanistan, like Iraq was about OIL.

The pipeline is what it's all about.

[polly7]

4. Imo helping the women was never a priority ...

Supplying warlords with Viagra to take home for their 8 year old brides isn't helping any woman ...... or child. It is all about the pipeline and gaining any kind of influence having to do with oil or the transport of it imo and that was a huge factor all along.