Today, our country passes an important anniversary, which (unlike the 9-11 anniversary) will be largely ignored by politicians and the White House. We have now been in Afghanistan for ten years. That’s right, ten years. We have had 2 million troops in the country and lost roughly 1,700 lives. We have spent hundreds of billions of dollars. Yet, the President and other politicians would prefer to have the anniversary pass without much notice for good reason. It has been a disaster and it is not improving. In the meantime, the public is heavily opposed to our presence in the country. In the meantime, a general has used the anniversary to assure the American people we are now halfway to meeting our goals.
We have now been in Afghanistan longer than any prior war from the Revolutionary War to World War II to Vietnam. Yet, the American people are still unsure why we are there while their leaders shutdown vital educational, scientific, environmental and social programs for lack of funding at home. Polls show 6 out of 10 people want us out of Afghanistan, but it does not seem to matter. This year alone Afghanistan will cost over $116 billion. President Obama has set a date of 2013, which will guarantee more loss of life and money in this ill-conceived war.
The reasons for going into Afghanistan were credible after the Taliban gave Bin Laden shelter, but many of us questioned the need for a full-scale invasion. Even if such an invasion were needed, many of us opposed remaining in the country that has spent hundreds of years in bloody civil wars and conflict. From the outset, our objectives were dangerously ill-defined. If we were hunting Bin Laden, it seemed akin to Blackjack Pershing chasing Pancho Villa with the U.S. Army in Mexico — an unlikely goal. When the Bush Administration did trap Bin Laden in Tora Bora, it proceeded to allow him to escape.
If we were there to fight Al Qaeda, it contradicted the statements of the Bush Administration that the terror group would have to be fought in a variety of countries and forced the U.S. to effectively occupy and run a shattered country.
If it was to create a new democracy, it was a fool’s errand because this country was heavily steeped in fundamentalist Islamic practices and deeply divided along clan and regional lines.
Nevertheless, once we invaded, no politician wanted to take responsibility for pulling out and claiming anything other than victory. So we have continued to lose lives and spend billions while the country descended into grotesque corruption (here) and hardens its religious-based laws against women and minorities. To try to achieve any level of peace, we are now trying to hand over parts of the country to the Taliban and extremist religious groups.
Our invasion on Oct. 7, 2001 was loosely defined as “denying a safe haven for Al Qaeda,” though we knew the group was working around the world and that terrorist groups tend to move more freely than a regular army. Bush then pushed us into a war in Iraq based on false intelligence and claims. That war is also continuing and has claimed nearly 4,500 U.S. lives. Both wars have resulted in tens of thousands of wounded military personnel.
Afghan leaders repeatedly have called for us to leave the country. The corrupt president of the country has repeatedly called the West an enemy, stripped women of protections, expressed a desire to be with the Taliban, and sought to tax even the aid to his country.
It is a rather sad anniversary. But the saddest aspect is the desire of our leaders to ignore it. Ending the war made little sense for politicians in either party who wanted to avoid accusations of being soft or defeatist. The result is a conflict that history will likely record as either a folly or a failure — a tragic example of how politicians are often quick to start wars but often lack the character or conscience to end them.
Of course, the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks was an irresistible temptation for politicians who fell over each other to get to the front of public events and photo ops. Even ten years later, politicians relished the opportunity to give tough-on-terror speeches and proclaim their hawkish records on terror. In contrast, the Afghanistan war is a subject no one wants to talk about. We keep it out of sight and out of mind — like a trunk in the attic. We will mark the anniversary with a collective shrug and move along.
Well, here is to the anniversary. Ten years and going strong.
You are right OS! I am blessed.
Football – SPORTS
Patriots Running Back Recalled to Active Duty by Navy
FOXBOROUGH, Mass — – Practice squad running back Eric Kettani’s dream of playing for the Patriots was temporarily derailed Thursday — after he was summoned back to active duty in the navy.
Kettani will return to the USS Klakring frigate in Jacksonville, Florida on Friday morning, NESN.com reported.
“I love my country, and I’m happy to serve it,” Kettani said.
Kettani, who has already served two years of active duty, was given select reserve status in time to report for training camp in July, under the condition that he helped promote the navy.
Despite his willingness to serve, he has launched an appeal to stay with the team.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2011/10/06/patriots-running-back-recalled-to-active-duty-in-navy/#ixzz1a9Hylpu8
gbk
i’d say it’s more like fatigue. no matter what we say or who we elect, republican or the current republican lite, nothing seems to change.
remember the 2006 congressional elections, we thought we sent a message. what happened, send more troops (and lots of bribe money) for a “surge”.
we tried again in 2008. hope and change? not so much.
every time we throw the bastards out, we seem to wind up with new bastards.
i’m cautiously hopeful for the recent taking to the streets, but given the media blackout/misinformation i’m not betting on anything.
IGTNT = I Got The News Today
Raff, you are blessed that his story did not appear here:
http://www.dailykos.com/blog/IGTNT
I make a point of commenting in each and every one of those posts, no matter how hard it is.
Well said OS. When my Son returned from Afghanistan in mid-June, I was able to breathe again for the first time in the 7 months that he was deployed. I can’t even imagine the fear and horror the families whose sons and daughters have dealt with multiple tours of duty have endured. And for what?
gbk, I don’t think you will find many here that disagree with you at least in part, if not in whole.
raff, our town has skin in this game. The first man killed in this Afghanistan misadventure is buried only a few yards from my wife and grandson. And he was killed by friendly fire. The only place in town big enough to handle his funeral was the high school basketball arena and the place was packed.
Father Denis O’Brien (Sgt, USMC, Ret.): “Friendly fire…isn’t.”
It’s strange to me that this posting by JT has only nine responses. It’s also strange to me that more people don’t see the connection between the current financial straits of our country, the playing of one political side against another, and the placid acceptance of obscene claims and actions by the executive branch with our current wars.
Tax the rich – why, so we can perpetuate the status quo of a war economy? I have no problem with progressive tax rates, but I also think that to make this demand while ignoring the elephant in the room of “defense” budgets and war costs is futile and ignores the root of our country’s current plight.
This country is addicted to war, and until we realize this and insist that our financial system and priorities as a culture are directed to endeavors more gracious all is naught.
I agree that we need to exit Afghanistan as quickly and as safely as possible for the sake of our military families and the treasury.
OS,
That is a sad story, but an important one.
Why are we still there? Bring them home. It is time. It is PAST time.
Headline:
Story:
http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/oct/07/widow-marks-10-year-anniversary-war-afghanistan-ar-1367709/
Anon nurse, don’t worry, he’s on the hit list 😉
What a surprise…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/07/haqqani-network-afghanistan_n_987762.html
Jalaluddin Haqqani, Once CIA’s ‘Blue-Eyed Boy,’ Now Top Scourge For U.S. In Afghanistan
by Dan Froomkin
Posted: 10/7/11 03:02 PM ET
WASHINGTON — The U.S.’s new public enemy No. 1 in Afghanistan is one of its own making.
Ten years into the occupation of Afghanistan, American officials describe the militia led by Jalaluddin Haqqani as the country’s deadliest insurgent group, responsible for a slew of particularly bold attacks, including the day-long assault three weeks ago on the U.S. embassy in Kabul.
But Haqqani’s rise to power can be traced directly back to the secret, multi-billion-dollar U.S. campaign to create a radicalized and well-equipped army of Islamic jihadists — known as the mujahideen — to lead a war against the Soviet Union in Afghanis (end excerpt)
I celebrated the anniversary with a letter to the President, a letter to my useless Congressman, a letter to my Senators, and a letter to the editor.
Frankly —
Halfway through your post and my mind screamed “ROLLERBALL!”
AY – I think we have to understand the the oligarchy is not ‘American’. Yes, it is dominated by Americans at the moment but there are representatives from every corner of the world in their club. They use the American military because it dwarfs all the other in the world put together & Americans seem so willing to do the dirty work. It is sometimes necessary to toss in a little NATO to make sure the US is on board and Europe still can drop a bomb but we are being bled dry for the oligarchs.
Some are Arabic, some Latin American, some Russian, some Chinese and some American – but the work our military is doing is for billionaires not for this, or any other, country. This is globalization at the dawn of the 21st century.
We are there because people want democracy….That’s what Bush said….That is why we are there….
I think it is the Oil and as Gene said….minerals that we own under the soil…..and yes of course other nations get the rights to mine….it is just a matter of time before those markets are suppressed and Hailburton et al gets involved….if you don’t believe….read the oil industry….I wonder why Haliburton built a big assed compound in the Arabic world….oh yeah….at least or more than 50% has to be locally owned….
Doubleplus ungood.
We have always been at war with Eastasia. Get used to it.
Do a simple cost-benefit analysis of the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan & Irag with almost any other alternative, and the conclusion is inescapable — Bin Laden achieved a greater victory than he could have ever imagined.. Centuries from now he will be hailed as a one of the greatest Arab and Muslim of all time.