I can think of three reasons why we are involved in Afghanistan. Can you add?

[branders seine]

1. Pipeline deal.

2. Heroin (probably the real reason).

3. The MIC's desire for perpetual war.

I can't think of another reason that doesn't just break down into absurdity when you give it a moment's thought. Can you?

[babylonsister]

1. Ask Bin Laden, or idiot son. Get back to me. nt

[branders seine]

2. No one in the whole world thinks bin Laden is in Afghanistan.

Try again.




(that is, no one in the whole world except apparently you)

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[notesdev]

3. 4. Handy distraction from domestic looting and pillaging

[branders seine]

13. that goes well with the foreign looting and pillaging

[NYC_SKP]

4. To really, really, piss off a small splinter group of progressives.

I think that's the biggie!

:P

[undeterred]

5. Economic stimulus for the defense industry.

Killing people requires spending a lot of money.

[Thickasabrick]

10. I just talked about this in another thread. This was the main reason

for Vietnam - the economic boost of the war machine.

[kenny blankenship]

6. This is probably part of your #3. By the end of 2011 we're *supposed* to be all out of Iraq

How will we threaten Iran if we are moving our offensive ground capability out of Iraq - and out of Afghanistan at the same time? The Pentagon has waited a Loooong time to have a dagger at Iran's throat and with Bush they had it and another one to spare. If we hold to the Status of Forces Agreement which Maliki of Iraq negotiated with Bush and we simultaneously withdrew from Afghanistan, we would be unable to credibly threaten Iran with regime change.

There's that and the fact that Afghanistan is all ours. We can project power throughout the gas-rich Central Asian region without anybody's by-yer-leave. We make only minimal pretense that it has or can have a government, and in any case it's not a govt. we are bound to respect. Move a million men into Afghanistan? Sure why not! Nobody can say anything about it -we're already there. Station main battle tanks and heavy artillery in Afghanistan? Sure. Nuclear weapons - who's gonna stop us? All other countries in the region that we have bases in have strict controls on how many men we can station there and what we can offload there and do there. They all want rent money too. Afghanistan presents no such obstacles. The govt such as it is can't say no to anything. The Pentagon has a literally 50 year plan for war(s) throughout the Islamic Crescent. Having complete control of Afghanistan is like parking 200 aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf that can't be hit with antishipping missiles. It is literally priceless to the Pentagon as we slowly get thrown out of Iraq.

[valerief]

8. #3 needs expansion. Why do they desire perpetual war? They don't need war to justify

their existence.

[Nevernose]

12. Oceania has always been at war.

One weapon of control in an arsenal..

[EFerrari]

9. Theater. Theater is very important to American politicians.

It's was they use to dress up their corruption.

[bridgit]

11. R&D