Our dead in Afghanistan has now reached 2000. As anti-American protests and sentiments continue to grow, the Obama Administration continues to spend billions in the country and continues to send our soldiers into harm’s way. In the most tragically apt moment, we reached 2000 dead with yet another American killed by an Afghan soldier that he was treating as an ally and comrade in arms.
A civilian contractor with NATO and at least two Afghan soldiers also died in the attack by what the government refers to clinically as “an insider.” In addition to our 2000 dead, 1,190 more coalition troops from other countries have died.
With the Afghanistan President referring to Americans as “devils” and saying that he wishes he could have joined the Taliban, it is not surprising that we are training some soldiers who view our soldiers as the enemy.
Despite Obama’s promise of the withdrawal of U.S. forces, American, NATO and allied troops are still dying in Afghanistan at a rate of one a day. We are years into Obama term and we still have thousands of troops in a country where we are widely viewed as enemies and continue to spend billions as our own cities and states shutdown basic public programs for lack of money.
Source: Yahoo
BettyKath,
Thank you, we got sidetracked. The so-called war goes one. We see that after Surge started that we have lost fewer soldiers. Shall I guess that when they came back after our initial surge ops, that political wisdom was to disengage, and play the “Afghan training alternative” card. Now that is siinking up the campaign. But hold out is the order of the day. Let Karzai spout, then we’ll take him out.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/01/nato-forces-afghanistan-early-retreat
Nato withdrawal from Afghanistan could come early, says Rasmussen
Exclusive: Anders Fogh Rasmussen admits ‘green on blue’ attacks have hit morale, and raises prospect of pullout before 2014
Sting is what is needed. That was taken away with the draft being replaced by a pro armed forces.
Hope you are right. Maybe a renegade bunch of former special ops can do it with their own special solution. Wonder what the new presidents name will be.
Obama will reward you if you invest in the military/security/intelligence services complex. And if you tell your friends, they’ll know you’re a liberal.
Go Green. Vote for Jill Stein. She may not be quite as liberal as O, or as
rich as Romney, but she’s just as good as either of them.
Here is a graphic video based on data released by Wikileaks. The video depicts IED blasts up to about three years ago, overlaid on a NATO map of the place. Notice a pattern? The more we “pacified” Afghanistan, the number of explosions went up, not down.
OS,
Amen as Elsie said.
Never knew of any war which was justified. Not even our civil one.
Wars, at least since WW ONE are recognized profit opportunities. All else is BS. IMHO.
source google to wikipedia.
Any net or media reaction? Next a raid on the Portugese embassy, or has that happened?
Yesterday afternoon, my daughter and I watched the movie, “The Hurt Locker.” I do not recommend it to anyone who has a problem with combat related PTSD. I am still stunned by the movie, its intensity and the truth it speaks.
We need to get them out. Now. It is time. It is past time.
We are NOT “winning,” will never win there, and when we leave they will do whatever it is they were doing before we came. Only difference is, they will hate us more when we leave than they did before we got there and occupied their country.
yep, it is here. pirate bay connection.
“Based in Stockholm, PRQ is owned by Gottfrid Svartholm and Fredrik Neij, two founders of The Pirate Bay.[1]” Ballsy people. Gottfrid did the interview.
All, re wikileaks raid.
I don’t watch the news here. You tell me.
Just want to remind those who saw the long Australian reportage on Assange and the rape accusations. One of the very smooth Swedish men inteviewed had a nuke proof site with servers he was donating space on to Wikileaks, and who knew Assange personally. He was keeping his distance carefully in the interview and in reality most likely, for he had a business to protect, but this could be the facility raided. Wonder what the excuse is?
Seems to be ongoing: just posted on twitter-
WikiLeaks @wikileaks
PRQ.se, one of a number of ISPs used by WikiLeaks has been raided by Swedish police; 4 servers seized. Police still in office.
shano, do you have any links?
bettykath, Wikileaks exposed the real casualty rate in our wars for oil. One reason that Sweden just raided one of the Wikileaks servers today, with American encouragement of course.
Previous post does not include Iraq or Afghanistan casualties. They don’t count in our attempt to “liberate” them. [sarcasm]
ID,
I hope no one has to set themselves on fire to “ignite” a movement against war. It can be done with demonstrations and at the ballot box, but it is an uphill battle when very few families have felt the sting of the loss of a loved one.
707, Good question.
Iraq Coalition Military Fatalities By Year
Year US UK Other Total
2003 486 53 41 580
2004 849 22 35 906
2005 846 23 28 897
2006 823 29 21 873
2007 904 47 10 961
2008 314 4 4 322
2009 149 1 0 150
2010 60 0 0 60
2011 54 0 0 54
2012 1 0 0 1
Total 4486 179 139 4804
Afghanistan Coalition Military Fatalities By Year
Year US UK Other Total
2001 12 0 0 12
2002 49 3 18 70
2003 48 0 10 58
2004 52 1 7 60
2005 99 1 31 131
2006 98 39 54 191
2007 117 42 73 232
2008 155 51 89 295
2009 317 108 96 521
2010 499 103 109 711
2011 418 46 102 566
2012 262 39 46 347
Total 2126 433 635 3194
Source: http://icasualties.org/
anonymously posted, Thanks for the video. I’ve seen it before. We all need to see it over and over and pass it on again and again. It’s as relevant and well said as Smedley Butler’s “War is Hell”.
Hope no one feels I am jacking this thread, but here’s a cross-post from “Prime Minister”-thread worth putting here as Afghanistan, after Israel vs Arabs, is the hottest area (ignoring the real ones like Iran, SA, etc) Here goes:
“idealist707
1, October 1, 2012 at 12:15 pm
“This is a bomb….! if taken seriously and with another viewpoint makes it clear that we are capable of annihilating ourselves today.
We fight similarly and negotiate using the same tools used 8,000 years ago. We rule with generally the same tools the peoples under us.
Our capability to “other” your neighbors, here and around the world, is extraordinary, and effect us greatly emotionally.
Witness the Shía versus Sunni slaughter that went on weekly in Iraq, and presumably does today.
These problems are highlighted by the speechs made at the UN.
Was enforced peace under the threat of arms so bad? As under the British protectorate to take one example of many.
The problem is, as we know, that strife between neighbors is not the problem today. There is still water, air, space, food, though it is increasingly controlled by “food producers” who can control us.
It is world hegemony and resources, whether it is solar panels or oil.
And so long those driving factors exist, we will be encouraged in our rages to continue to be pawns.
Seems I have heard that word before.
Well an imposed uncomfortable peace may be best for all. An ultimate “share and share alike” may be necessary for the world. We have global knowledge now.
By enforced peace I DO NOT mean an American one. But lacking an alien from space to impose it, I wonder if the American one is not the only alternative, or the Chinese, or the Israeli one…..the latter one in all seriousness. But that is another story.
I’ll close by saying what I did in a comment yesterday.
We ARE heading towards an imperial Presidency, and an imperial position internationally. And intentionally also, with the consent of Congress.
For the same reason that Rome left the democratic Senate (with the terrible reality behind that), and embraced the Imperial Caesars who became divine.
Why?
Democracy is too slow in reacting. Too cumbersome to control. Military discipline is necessary say our leaders, not democracy.
Where is the space for the individual? I think we will have to begin to study that problem again.
Meanwhile we must admit we are up against a tyranny, corporate tyranny of the most inhuman kind.
An example from yesterday’s thread on Pensions. The rape of the pension systems and replacement with 401Ks yielding reduced benefits, withdrawal of health care……all including pensions were paid in advance as withheld salary; fully funded, and capable of being siphoned off into—guess?—executive salaries and feeding into the corporate budget as earnings. I diverge. But check out the Ellen Schultz links given yesterday. Both the radio interview and the recorded address by her are excellent.
So we know who the enemy is: the “job creators”; we know how they work: using “money” to purchase laws, contracts, preventing enforcement of enacted regulation and oversight, etc.
“So, whatta you gonna do?” asks the demonstration leader.
The GOVinc are rapidly equipping themselves and organizing against unruly citizens who can oppose.
They do many things, some viewable,l some not.
The longer we wait the more difficult it will be to make a change.
Ellsberg calls for massive civil disobedience.
http://www.refuseandresist.org/article-print.php?aid=2459
Any better ideas?
The corporations control so much, that a list would frighten the most hardened.
Food, fuel, minerals, money, etc. They can make life difficult for the USA as a whole. Clinton said to Jon Stewart, that if you don’t know what the money market and our national debt means, then you won’t survive. (my paraphrase—-the interview is recommended)
So no wisdom here, just a few observations on where we stand. None originated with me. Much borrowed here.
As some say, our only media sources of truth are the comedy shows, like Stewart and Colbert.
PS Civil disobedience. How could that work. 200,000 in Washington won’t work now. So many ways to stop it. So many ways to turn the buses around, stop them from being hired out.
It will be foot demos at first. Unfortuanately, in numbers like OWS which can disappear into the injustice systme, be silenced quickly in nightly news, be ignored by the NYTimes, etc.
We will be slandered, abused, etc. Are your kids prepared.
Don’t take it personally Rafflaw when I point out you and your fine son, whose survival gladdens us all. What can he do with the young Veterans Against War.
Who will ignite this fuse? Who will immolate themselves like the monks in Vietnam who electrified a watching world. The steps of the Congress stand available. Someone said here that a great shock would be needed to ignite the people. The questions remain unanswered. Who, what, when, where and why.
Anonomously Post……………. Thank you for sharing…. Very well said
Great film, idealist. Yes, that describes perfectly the real problem all humans face under the Multinational war machine.