SUBMITTED BY LAWRENCE RAFFERTY, GUEST BLOGGER
I had a very peaceful Sunday afternoon watching my beloved Bears take it on the chin against their biggest rival, the Green Bay Packers. It was sadly peaceful until I read a story that quoted Sen. Lindsey Graham on Meet the Press as stating that he wanted the United States to maintain permanent military bases in Afghanistan even after all NATO forces are transitioned out by the year 2014. I thought the Bears had done enough to tie my stomach in knots, but Lindsay Graham’s statements forced me to find the last remaining antacid in the house!
I have a son who is currently serving in Afghanistan with the Marines, and the thought of anyone else’s son or daughter serving on American bases in Afghanistan after 2014 is just scary. To be sure that I heard the story correctly, I went online and found the following quote from Senator Graham in response to a question from NBC’s David Gregory: “DAVID GREGORY: But that’s important. You believe a permanent U.S. Military presence in Afghanistan is required in order to head off a potential failed state in the future? SENATOR GRAHAM: I think it would be enormously beneficial to the region, as well as Afghanistan. We’ve had air bases all over the world. A couple of air bases in Afghanistan would allow the Afghan Security Forces an edge against the Taliban in perpetuity. It would be a signal to Pakistan that the Taliban are never gonna come back in Afghanistan. They could change their behavior.”http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40871803/ns/meet_the_press-transcripts
I have a radical idea for Senator Graham and any other politician in Washington who agrees with him. Why don’t we listen to the Afghan people who want us out now and save the Billions that would be wasted by building and staffing permanent military bases in Afghanistan, and use that money to actually do some good for our country and our economy? The Afghan war is already our longest war so why should we continue to drag it out beyond 2014? What do we get out of it or I suspect I should ask, what does corporate America get out of a perpetual presence in a country that does not want us there? Shouldn’t Senator Graham be more concerned about getting some judicial nominees approved to relieve the judicial vacancy crisis here at home? I realize those are a lot of questions and it is late on a Sunday evening, but I’m just asking.
Field testing done right here in the US of A, one might guess…
http://www.dailytech.com/USAF+Gorgon+Stare+Camera+Pod+Will+See+All+But+Usefulness+is+Questionable/article20542.htm
“Military officials warn that any counterinsurgency needs an understanding of the local population and Army Col. Steven A. Beckman says, “That really only comes from human intelligence or boots on the ground.”
Air Force Maj. Gen. James Poss said, “Gorgon Stare will be looking at a whole city, so there will be no way for the adversary to know what we’re looking at, and we can see everything.” -from the following article
U.S. Air Force to Deploy New Surveillance System in Afghanistan
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/1/3/headlines#3
The Washington Post is reporting the U.S. Air Force is preparing to deploy to Afghanistan a new airborne surveillance system called Gorgon Stare, which will be able to transmit live video images of physical movement across an entire town. The Big Brother-like system is made up of nine video cameras mounted on a remotely piloted aircraft that can transmit up to 65 live images to soldiers on the ground or to analysts tracking enemy movements.
Air Force Maj. Gen. James Poss said, “Gorgon Stare will be looking at a whole city, so there will be no way for the adversary to know what we’re looking at, and we can see everything.” The Air Force has been exponentially increasing surveillance across Afghanistan. The monthly number of unmanned and manned aircraft surveillance sorties has more than quadrupled since the beginning of 2009.
Money and who contributes to his campaign….
There are many reasons to stay in Afghanistan and we will do so until the money which enables this war of empire, dries up. We aren’t building a giant embassy there for nothing. We mean to stay.
Jeremy Scahill points to a very important aspect of the problem– private contractors. We now have twice as many contractors in Afghanistan as we do US military. The amounts of money they make on conflict are staggering. We have privatized our wars of empire. This ensures it isn’t in powerful people’s interest to end such profitable ventures. Both parties take money from these contractors, in fact, they were some of Obama’s largest contributors.
You must then add in the exciting new technology developed by the govt. We will deploy an even more deadly drone capable of surveillance over an entire city at one time. The turf war between govt. agencies to develop and control ever more disgusting and death dealing weapons should never be underestimated as a “reason” that we are staying.
Add in an oil pipeline, the drug money which launders the govt.’s black project money and the mineral wealth, put it together with a complete lack of concern for the welfare of either the American or Afghani people and voila, permanent war.
This war will likely end only when the oligarchy has squeezed the last drop of blood from the American populace after the coming economic collapse. It’s not a Republican or Democratic plan. It is the plan of an insane, despotic oligarchy who uses both parties to achieve their sociopathic goals. Obama just killed 18 people in the Pakistan border region for new years with his drones. Which party’s presidnet sent those drones? Not the Republican party. So please don’t make the mistake of thinking Lindsay is only speaking for himself, he speaks for the oligarchy. Obama acts on their behalf. It is up to us as citizens to oppose them both through peaceful, soul force.
As Buddha noted, “Afghanistan is the place where empires go to die.”
Pretty well sums it up. And dying we are.
I think it’s critical for our future security that permanent bases be built in Afghanistan, with Senator Graham and those who agree with him forming a defensive perimeter outside the wire (permanently).
Buckeye,
Bingo! Rare earth metals are the answer and now we all get to move on to Final Jeopardy.
Afghanistan is the place where empires go to die.
About that water park in Baghdad… “Surreal”, comes to mind and, like so many other things that the U.S. does, while it may sound like a good idea on the face of it, it appears to be an unmitigated failure…
(Thanks for the link, eniobob.)
What I don’t quite understand is why are these politicians blathering such jibberish. Read your history, the history of Afghanistan is not about conquering armies as many have tried and failed. Sadly the war there was lost when the first boots hit the ground and the same applies to Canada also in this. History is there for a reason. look it up and see.
Graham doesnt want to leave because of this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIS5n9Oyzsc
it captures the spirit and thought process of beauracrats everywhere and makes about as much sense to normal people.
Buckeye, Thanks for posting the link to NY Times article.
While the lithium alone would put Afghanistan on a course to become the “Saudi Arabia of lithium, according to an internal Pentagon memo”, there are vast reserves of other minerals availble, as well:
“The previously unknown deposits — including huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium — are so big and include so many minerals that are essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centers in the world, the United States officials believe.”
In the end, it’s always about money (and power), isn’t it?
Why? Because he is a high-priest of the religion, fully devoted to the sacrosanct.
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2011/01/virgin-momcom.html
Otteray Scribe:
To your above point.
“If you throw money into places that have not been secured yet, it’s like throwing meat between hyenas and lions,” Collier said. “They’re going to fight over it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/02/AR2011010202491_5.html?hpid=topnews
It has been said that Afghanistan is where empires go to die. It was a disaster for the British in the nineteenth century and for the Soviet Union in the twentieth. And is headed in the direction of being a monumental disaster for the USA in the twenty-first century. To quote Peter, Paul and Mary; “When will they ever learn?”
I see an article on HuffPo this morning that we spent a huge amount of money on roads that nobody can seem to find. And that big contractors are collecting a lot of money for contract work by mechanics that are working, on average, 43 minutes a month. I truly fail to understand Senator Graham. He has worn the uniform and took an oath to defend the country and its Constitution, but all that has taken a back seat to his corporate and political masters. If he is gay, as many suspect, he has even sacrificed who he really is on the altar of political expediency. I give up. The inmates really are running the asylum.
Frank and Buckeye,
I sense you are both correct. I have read about the Lithium deposits, but I am sure there are other valuable assets for American coporations to get rich off of in Afghanistan. Bases in Afghanistan would also be a thorn in Iran’s side knowing that there were US aircraft within striking distance although we do have some bases in nearby countries.
“To lose Viet Nam would be to lose a valuable source of rice and rubber and prodigious sources of tin” – D.D. Eisenhower
The more things change the more they stay the same
We should create a legal peace corps and send lawyers around the world teaching people to sue their governments.
What do we get out of it or I suspect I should ask, what does corporate America get out of a perpetual presence in a country that does not want us there?
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Your question stumped me for a bit because there’s no oil there that I know of. Then I remembered this article.
The answer is Lithium, among other valuable minerals.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/world/asia/14minerals.html
Lindsey is the epitome of a chickenhawk… pinch the boy and he’d cry.
He has no problem sacrificing our best and bravest, but he couldn’t be a hero if his life depended on it.
If you use Sen Graham’s logic then right now…Afghanistan should be the safest place on Earth. We should listen to the Afghan people and not stay past 2014.