When Obama was running for President, he stated his intent to try to win the war in Afghanistan. In his defense, I think that few knew just how much the total incompetence of the Republican Bush Regime had made the war unwinnable. Nevertheless, Obama has failed to adapt to that situation. Part of the problem is that he is working with other countries and has committed not to leave them hanging. But conditions on the ground have gotten so bad that our allies are tiring of this senseless conflict.
President Nicolas Sarkozy of France suspended military operations as part of the American-led coalition in Afghanistan on Friday and said he was considering an early pullout of his nation’s forces after an Afghan soldier shot and killed four French soldiers on a base in eastern Afghanistan.
A Western official said Mr. Sarkozy’s threat could lay bare “real cracks in the coalition” at a time when the alliance is seeking a cohesive position to assure the Afghan government of its long-term commitment and to push the Taliban insurgents to negotiate a peace deal rather than continue fighting.
It was the second fatal attack in a month involving an Afghan soldier opening fire on French troops and came at a time when American forces are deeply concerned about increasing numbers of killings of American and other allied forces by the Afghan soldiers they fight alongside and train. It also comes as many European countries with troops here are facing unprecedented economic pressures at home and adds to public questioning of the value of continued involvement in Afghanistan.
If France, the fourth-largest troop-contributing country after the United States, Britain and Germany, were to reduce its numbers more than planned it could spur other countries to follow suit, leaving the Afghans feeling less secure, said Western and Afghan officials… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <NY Times>
When Crawford Caligula initially invaded, there were two announced goals: to capture or kill Osama bin Laden and to overthrow the Taliban. Instead of following the primary goal, the Bush Regime installed one of their oil company buddies, Hamid Karzai, to turn Afghanistan into a puppet state and to facilitate another Republican pipeline scheme, but they lacked the competence to secure the route to build it. If Karzai were not corrupt beyond measure, he would never have colluded with Republicans to screw his own people. The people of Afghanistan perceive us as an invading enemy, because Bush shunned authentic freedom for their nation.
Now that the very troops we are training are turning on and killing the soldiers that are training them, it is time to recognize the futility of this war and work out a final withdrawal with our allies. Since Obama eliminated Osama, the stated goals of our invasion have been met. The Taliban is not in power. Osama is dead. Bring the troops home!
12 Responses to “Afghanistan: Will Sarko Bail?”
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It’s time for us to bail too.
Amen, Patti!
You got that right – get the hell out and count your “blessings” – the money should be spent in trying our infamous traitors who began that and the other illegal war in Iraq, closing gitmo and trying to improve the moral character of this nation! Time for some good ol’ American “justice” clear the “ranches” of bush and cheney and the rest of the infamous characters of that dread history, instigators of yet another chapter that disgraces our nation!
Lee I agree. I disagree with Obama when he promised to look ahead,. not backward in reference to Republican war crimes before we elected him. As for Gitmo, he did everything he could have done, but Congress passed a law preventing it.
EVERYONE should bail on Afghanistan. It is a hopeless cause.
Amen, Pope Jack!
How is a win in Afghanistan defined? Do we even know?
The military defined it as a stable democratic government friendly to the US. Not happening.
Declare Victory and come home; There has been enough blood shed , enough lives lost–Get the hell out of the quicksand that is Afghanistan
Ditto!
The Russians invaded Afghanistan for their own reasons and then left in defeat after what, 10 years. The coalition was next with stated goals of bringing down the Taliban and Osama bin Laden. The latter is accomplished, although I’m not as sure about the former. However the rampant corruption in Afghanistan, starting with Karzai, mean that nothing further can be accomplished in my opinion. I know that one thing Canadians were hoping for was to try and make life better for everyday Afghanis. But with differing value systems, how do you do that? There is so much corruption in their own ranks — president, governors, warlords — that effecting significant change is virtually impossible without the everyday people. But they are poor, illiterate, and scrambling just to eat and stay alive.
As much as I hate to leave a people to the barbarity of their government, I think that is all that can be done. If the coalition does pull out, my guess it won’t take long for Karzai to go hat in hand back to the US, or perhaps another country like Iran. I have heard rumblings of an Iranian two-step there.
Crawford Caligula — nice name for Baby Bush and ever so appropriate.
Lynn, we were completely successful in knocking the Taliban out of power, but they had made a resurgence through Republican mismanagement of the war before Obama took office. They are extremists, but they are not corrupt, which is why the people prefer them over Karzai.
The vast majority of the population has no idea whatsoever that 9/11 ever happened. I hate to say so, but grafting a democratic republic onto such a backward culture won’t work.
Thanks. That one is a TC original.