NATO, Afghan Forces Prepare War’s Largest Joint Offensive

[G_j]

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/4/headlines#4


NATO, Afghan Forces Prepare War’s Largest Joint Offensive

In Afghanistan, the NATO occupation force and the Afghan military are preparing their biggest joint offensive of the over eight-year war. The attack is expected to target the Taliban-controlled town of Marja. The US hasn’t given a time frame, but Marja residents have been given leaflets warning them to be prepared to flee. Meanwhile, President Obama’s escalation of the Afghan war is in high gear. Testifying before Congress, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, said US troops in Afghanistan will soon outnumber those in Iraq for the first time.


Admiral Mike Mullen: “We have already moved nearly 4,500 troops to Afghanistan and expect that about 18,000 of the President’s December 1st commitment will be there by late spring. The remainder of the 30,000 will arrive as rapidly as possible over the summer and early fall, making a major contribution to reversing the Taliban momentum in 2010. Indeed, by the middle of this year, Afghanistan will surpass Iraq, for the first time since 2003, as the location with the most deployed American forces.”

[Mari333]

1. 'Offensive.' indeed, very offensive.

and people wonder why we are so hated.

[G_j]

2. longer than Vietnam, and we're just getting started it seems

so freaking backwards

[Mari333]

3. its the money as usual.

always is. always has been.

[G_j]

12. Petraeus: Afghanistan will be long campaign

& the beat goes on

http://www.fwbusinesspress.com/display.php?id=11897


Petraeus: Afghanistan will be long campaign

BY LESLIE WIMMER
February 05, 2010

The War in Afghanistan will be the longest campaign in the War on Terror, General David Petraeus told a crowd in Dallas Feb. 4.

“We are in this for the duration, and I’m not saying we’re in Afghanistan forever, nothing like that, but the struggle against extremism is one that we will be seized with for quite some time,” Petraeus said.

Eighteen percent of the additional 30,000 troops to be sent to the country are currently on the ground in Afghanistan, Petraeus said, explaining that he believes the war in Afghanistan will be won with a village-to-village and valley-by-valley strategy.

“That approach of small teams working with village-by-village approaches… is hugely important in a country that is much, much more rural than is of course Iraq, and has a number of other differences from Iraq,” Petraeus said.

Among the challenges he said troops will face are establishing infrastructure, building headquarters and creating communications systems in Afghanistan, which he said will be more of a challenge than the military faced in Iraq.

..more..

[NNN0LHI]

4. Has anyone else noticed that when we put "armed" NATO and "armed" Afghan Forces together ...

... they all start killing each other?

I may have this wrong but it sure seems that way.

Don

[G_j]

5. it does seem to be a problem

this war isn't popular with the citizens of the other NATO countries involved either.

[G_j]

6. ==

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Piss meets wind. K&R

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. deleted dupe

[G_j]

9. I know what you mean

the largest combat operation since the US invaded Afghanistan...

ho hum...

[gratuitous]

10. So you're sitting at home in your occupied country

You hear the carrier deliver the mail, so you go out to the box, and there's a flyer. Glossy, four-color, one hopes. High class and snazzy, as befits the superpowers that occupy your dirt-poor hovel of a country. The flyer says that the occupiers have decided that your town is next up on the hit parade, and you are hereby warned "to be prepared to flee."

Forget Afghanistan. Forget NATO. Forget that you're a U.S. citizen for a second. Put yourself, really and truly, in the scenario: What would your reaction be?

[NNN0LHI]

11. An old Bruce Cockburn song comes to mind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7vCww3j2-w

[Forkboy]

13. I'm sure we'll bag the #2 man is some group.

[NNN0LHI]

14. kick ... before its too late

[G_j]

15. Feb 15 is just a few days away

sadly ironic timing