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Robert Reich on MOAB
Robert Reich (Facebook)
1 hr ·
What the hell is going on? The Pentagon announced today that U.S. forces in Afghanistan dropped a 22,000-pound GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB), on Islamic State forces in eastern Afghanistan.
It’s the first time the bomb -- nicknamed the "mother of all bombs," and one of the largest air-dropped munitions in the U.S. military’s inventory -- has ever been used in a combat. (By comparison, U.S. aircraft commonly drop bombs that weigh between 250 to 2,000 pounds.)
The target was an ISIS cave and tunnel complex and personnel in the Achin district of the Nangarhar province in northeast Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border. It’s unclear what the GBU-43 strike accomplished, since the bomb is not designed to penetrate hardened targets such a bunkers or cave complexes.
But the bombing could represent a shocking escalation of America’s war in Afghanistan—and one that place more civilians in greater danger than ever before.
After years of limiting air strikes in order to minimize civilian casualties, Trump seems to be making good on his promise to “bomb the shit” out of ISIS. The Pentagon says “U.S. Forces took every precaution to avoid civilian casualties with this strike,” but what does that mean? The Pentagon is now hitting suspected militants faster and with less vetting. Inaccurate U.S. air strikes reportedly killed hundreds of civilians in Mosul in Iraq last month.
Trump seems to have unleashed his generals for all out war on – exactly whom? Assad? ISIS? ISIS in all its forms and permutations, wherever they occur? The Taliban? Al-Qaeda?
Does Congress have any say in this? Do we as citizens of the United States have any say? Where is this leading?
What do you think?
It’s the first time the bomb -- nicknamed the "mother of all bombs," and one of the largest air-dropped munitions in the U.S. military’s inventory -- has ever been used in a combat. (By comparison, U.S. aircraft commonly drop bombs that weigh between 250 to 2,000 pounds.)
The target was an ISIS cave and tunnel complex and personnel in the Achin district of the Nangarhar province in northeast Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border. It’s unclear what the GBU-43 strike accomplished, since the bomb is not designed to penetrate hardened targets such a bunkers or cave complexes.
But the bombing could represent a shocking escalation of America’s war in Afghanistan—and one that place more civilians in greater danger than ever before.
After years of limiting air strikes in order to minimize civilian casualties, Trump seems to be making good on his promise to “bomb the shit” out of ISIS. The Pentagon says “U.S. Forces took every precaution to avoid civilian casualties with this strike,” but what does that mean? The Pentagon is now hitting suspected militants faster and with less vetting. Inaccurate U.S. air strikes reportedly killed hundreds of civilians in Mosul in Iraq last month.
Trump seems to have unleashed his generals for all out war on – exactly whom? Assad? ISIS? ISIS in all its forms and permutations, wherever they occur? The Taliban? Al-Qaeda?
Does Congress have any say in this? Do we as citizens of the United States have any say? Where is this leading?
What do you think?
7 replies
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