The Forever War: U.S. military officials play down year-end Afghan review

[unhappycamper]

Gen. David Petraeus, appearing on Capitol Hill with Michele Flournoy, undersecretary of Defense for policy, clarified his position on the Afghan withdrawal plan.


U.S. military officials play down year-end Afghan review
By David S. Cloud, Los Angeles Times
June 17, 2010

U.S. military officials Wednesday damped expectations for quick results from offensives in Afghanistan and played down a year-end review that the Obama administration had portrayed as a major evaluation of the U.S.-led war.

"I would not want to overplay the significance of this review," Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, who oversees U.S. forces in the Mideast and Afghanistan, told members of the House Armed Services Committee, referring to plans by the administration to evaluate progress in Afghanistan in December. "We would not make too much out of that."

Administration officials announced the review last year when President Obama ordered 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. At the time, officials characterized it as an opportunity to evaluate whether it would be possible to begin handing off security responsibilities to Afghan forces in July 2011, the deadline set by Obama for beginning a U.S. drawdown.

"If it appears the strategy is not working, and we will not be able to transition to Afghan security forces by 2011, we will take a hard look at the strategy," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said at the time.

But Petraeus emphasized Wednesday that December would be too soon to make a far-reaching evaluation, noting that all of the additional U.S. forces would have been there for only a few months.

[ixion]

1. The American Empire: All war, all the time.

I made this graphic years ago...2002, I think. I'm very sad that it still applies today. :(



I guess I'll have to update the whole 'Bush' thing, since this is now Obama's Dirty Little War. :banghead:

[sendero]

2. Surprise..

.... the military and it's illustrious leaders cannot deliver on the ridiculous promises they made to do the impossible.

Like a fly by night home remodeler, they want to continue working on the house indefinitely, with no real improvement made and no end in sight.

We are not going to fix Iraq or Afghanistan no matter how long we stay. If a rube like me can figure that out I'm sure these lying assholes already know as well.

[TexasObserver]

3. Dumbest war ever.

This war has several justifications, none of them legit.

Its purpose is the use of military personnel and assets, to create a market for war merchants and their goods. It is an industry, and keeping us at war is how it creates demand.

There is economic opportunity in minerals there, but will the profits from those minerals ever be worth more than the war costs spent trying to secure the unsecurable? Of course not.

The whole poppy harvest is a diversion. No one cares about that. They've been growing those and selling them for longer than anyone can remember.

Afghanistan cannot be conquered. Its landlocked status is also its gravel moat. Marching in and flying in are the only ways to move materiel and men into the region to fight. Afghanistan can be occupied, but it cannot be defeated.

[WinkyDink]

5. IN A PERFECT NUTSHELL. Thank you! The soldiers need the jobs; we offer none back home.

War materiel is our major industry.

[WinkyDink]

4. It's a War of Aggression to STEAL AFGHANISTAN'S TREASURE. Is this not CLEAR yet to everybody??