Obama calls Afghanistan 'America's war'

[Pirate Smile]

Source: The Hill

-snip-
Schieffer, calling Obama’s plan “hugely ambitious,” asked the President if it was now his war.
“I think this is America’s war,” Obama responded.
Obama, who criticized the Iraq war during the presidential campaign as distracting from the battle against terrorism, said the conflict in Afghanistan was the same war the country inherited after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He said, “the focus over the last seven years I think has been lost.”

Obama made it clear his strategy is not centered around the number of troops in the region, a contrast from President Bush’s “surge” strategy in Iraq, which Obama opposed
Mindful of history’s lessons in the region, where armies have become dangerously “overextended,” Obama stressed his most recent decision to send primarily troop to train Afghan forces.
“The central part of our strategy is to train the Afghan National Army,” Obama said. “That has been one of the recent success stories.”

“This is going to be hard, Bob. I’m under no illusions,” Obama said of the Afghanistan conflict as a whole. “If it was easy it would have already been completed. And so we’re going to have to go with a strategy that is focused, that is narrowly targeted on defeating al-Qaeda.”

"We think that if you combine military, civilian, diplomatic, development approaches, if we are doing a much better job coordination with our allies, that we can be successful."
As he recommits efforts in Afghanistan, Obama also said, though, that he would not seek to accelerate planned troop withdraws in Iraq.
“I think the plan we put forward in Iraq is the right one,” Obama said.

Read more: http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-calls-afghanistan-americas-war-2009-03-29.html

[Deja Q]

1. I agree; the focus was lost.

Whether or not Saddam had WMDs or if it was about a family feud or about oil or if Saddam's offspring had cooties; that's a tangent. Bush was a nit for abandoning Afghanistan (and saying Osama no longer interested him; it's amazing how the idiot got re-elected in 2004...)

With luck, the President can re-engage the international community, and get Afghanistan dealt with properly, for once and for all. To an extent it is America's war, but if it's going to help the civilized world, let's bring in a new coalition.

[subsuelo]

79. WE are the ones that need to be "dealt with properly"

[Deja Q]

86. How do you mean?

[subsuelo]

99. We're the roguest nation on the planet

We do what we want, how we want, when we want, with no regard for the rights and dignity of the rest of the planet's inhabitants

[avaistheone1]

2. Oh puke!

America's War!

No, this is Obama's War. America will go down just like Russia did in Afghanistan, despite Obama's hubris.

[Runcible Spoon]

49. Dude, that was my exact response...

Oh puke is right!

It's not MY FUCKING WAR, MR. OBAMA!

March in protest April 4th, multiple cities

http://www.unitedforpeace.org/

[amandabeech]

57. Don't forget the British. They went down in Afghanistan near the end of the 19th century.

I find it really surprising that they have gone back.

I appreciate people wanting to get Bin Laden. He's not my type of guy, either.

However, I have serious doubts as to whether going to war in this god-forsaken place is the most effective method of protecting ourselves against him and his ilk.

I watched Viet Nam on TV as a kid and teen, and this just reminds me too much of how things escalated there.

Before you know it, we'll have General Petraus and the nightly body counts.


One, two, three, what are we fightin' for.

You know I don't give a damn, the next stop is Afgan-a-nam.

And I'm singing out five, six, seven open up the Pearly Gates.

Well, I don't have time to reason why.

Whoopee! We're all gonna die!

Well, mostly correct, anyway.

[unkachuck]

67. Afghanistan, Obamas' War....

....you're absolutely right....look at the bright side, the pentagon gets to keep their trillion dollar budgets....Obama gets to play commander-in-chief, the repug/wall street greedsters retain their corporate profits and the Dems now have a built-in excuse for not delivering on Universal Healthcare....

....business as usual, changeless change...

[PassingFair]

74. Is there a graphic for it yet?

[fuggbush21]

82. Thanks for the support.

Glad to know you'll have my back next time I'm there. :eyes:

[dipsydoodle]

3. You started it

so why not :shrug:

[mike_c]

4. not in my name....

I reject this war. Obama and the war pigs can have it.

[Mari333]

5. not in my name either!!

yes the fuckers can own it and leave my name out of it.

[Ticonderoga]

28. Nor in my name either

Plain and simple that at this point in time it's nothing more then another war for MIC and those who profit from another's misery.

[unhappycamper]

6. or mine either.

I said it both before the election and after the election - I'll be out on the streets to end the occupations.

[Mari333]

7. I guess I was living in dreamland to think much would change

back in the streets, again to protest. fucking military empire horseshit.

[CountAllVotes]

24. add me to the

NOT IN MY NAME list!


God damn you Obama, god damn you!

:dem:

[mvd]

25. Yes, anti-war is still anti-war

Troops are being sent to train Afghan forces, but there are still a good number of combat troops there. Obama's foreign policy is more sane than Bush's, but I still have reservations about it. :hi:

[ClayZ]

35. NO MOR WAR

My marching boots are ready!

We will be out in the streets, too!

K and R

[acmavm]

8. Oh crap. NO, this is now Obama's war, not mine.

[jkappy]

18. And the Dems War Too----NOT MINE!!

[No Elephants]

100. If you're not a Dem, why are you posting here?

[dipsydoodle]

9. Mineral-Rich Afghanistan a Valuable Corporate Property

Pipelines transporting the immense gas and oil reserves of Central Asia and the Caspian basin to global markets will undoubtedly play an important role in Afghanistan's future, but the country's abundance of strategic minerals has the potential to greatly enrich the Afghans-if the wealth of the nation is not plundered.

Afghanistan has rich and extensive mineral resources including gold, silver, uranium, beryllium, copper, chrome, lead, zinc, manganese, iron and nickel. Lapis lazuli, amethyst, beryl, ruby, emerald, sapphire, alabaster, tourmaline, jade, and quartz are just some of the precious and semiprecious gemstones that have been mined in the country for centuries.
>
Beryllium and uranium are among the minerals in Afghanistan of the greatest strategic value, Chamberlin told AFP.

http://100777.com/node/239

Forward dear reader and check out uses of BERYLLIUM

'Nuff said.

[Mari333]

12. thanks for that link! nt

[dipsydoodle]

13. There's loads like that

That was just the first I opened. :hi:

The Russians did the subsequent surveys and when last reported won't hand them over. :)

[acmavm]

19. Yes. Thank you for posting. This has a lot to do with it no doubt.

[martymar64]

71. They have great hash and opium too!

Some Black Afghani Hash would be nice right about now.

[cali]

10. nope. this is your war, Mr. President. You bought it, you own it.

[galileoreloaded]

11. Shhh. Calm yourselves. Submit already. It's ok.......................

I really hate all hypocritical actions and people equally, regardless of party.

[humbled_opinion]

14. Everyone here should be so proud

giving fodder to the right wingers... Nice..

[dipsydoodle]

15. Maybe we just don't want it become

Animal farm.

[avaistheone1]

16. And whose fault is that?

Obama's and his military industrial complex buddies.

...So who is their right mind is going to cry Obama a river on this one?

[Mari333]

17. not sucking up to the right wingers is more like it

and the bush war policies that it seems Robert Gates and his WH are still engaging in.

[ProgressIn2008]

22. Opposing perma-war for empire is now "giving fodder to RWers?" Ah. Hard to keep up. nt

[Mithreal]

44. Democracy is in doubt when we cannot speak openly for fear that others will hear. nt

[Hugabear]

46. Do you check with the rethugs before forming your opinions?

Nice to see that you think we should all be concerned with what the repukes think about our positions.

[liberalsince1968]

53. When Obama sounds like Bush, I'll criticize him just like I did Bush.

[aquart]

20. "America's war"? Words to eat later.

While Russia laughs.

[ProgressIn2008]

23. Yep, as the bodies pile up, his words will be played back in a loop for a lot of yrs to come. nt

[earcandle]

21. Pull the plug on both funds and our willingness to let our children die.

Don't let your sons and daughters die for this foolishness.  
And pull investments out of those stocks and funds that fund
weapons and wars.  
We got to find the root and pull it out.  

Obama, making declarations like this, just shows that he is
more of the same. 
There is no reason for us to be killing people anywhere. This
is not the way. 
We have no money for war.  We need to educate, and invest in
our own. IMNSHO.

I am appalled at the rhetoric.  It sickens me. 

[antimatter98]

26. He's echoing the Military Industrial Complex and Neocon propaganda. n/t

[Dollface]

27. An American president started this mess whether you voted for him or not (I'm thinking not on DU)

Let's give his successor 6 weeks to fix it and then impeach him. :sarcasm:

Pakistan has nukes and the Taliban is trying to move in. Training the Afghans make sense. There has already been a response from Europe (I don't remember which group, it was on Maddow, last Friday I think)offering funds and trainers. Mr. Obama is a smart guy and a student of history. I'm not going to accuse him of serving corporate masters just yet. (And yes, I did protest Viet Nam and Bush 43's Iraq.)

[amandabeech]

58. I was and am a student of history, and I don't think that is Obama's strength.

His undergraduate degree was in international relations with which he seems to be quite comfortable.

I was a history major in college, and seriously considered getting my Ph.D. in the subject. I don't think that history is his strong suit.

[ConcernedCanuk]

29. President Obama - there are two Americas, North and South. USA is only ONE country in North America

.
.
.

Canada and Mexico are the other two.

Just an FYI

USA does NOT speak for all of North America

although it seems to try . . .

(sigh)

[Mari333]

37. THANK YOU

I see that all too often. sadly, its utter arrogance.

[Boojatta]

56. Is the term "African-American" arrogant?

[Mari333]

61. not to me, because one can be from any of the americas

and have ancestors from africa.

[Boojatta]

63. What about use of the term "African-American" to refer...

to citizens of the USA and excluding all people throughout North America and South America who aren't citizens of the USA?

[Mari333]

68. I guess I wouldnt consider that arrogant if I didnt know where they were from

I usually tell people I live in the United States rather then say Im an american. I like being a citizen of the planet anyway. :)

[SoxFan]

81. African-Unitedstatesian will suffice, thank you

[paulsby]

73. if you want to get pedantic

there are THREE

north
south
central

[ConcernedCanuk]

78. "Central", also referred to as Middle or Latin America is part of the North American Continent

.
.
.

Mexico is also part of North America

and I betcha they don't like to be called "Americans" because much of the World thinks of Americans as United States people only.

Technically - we are "Americans" - but I don't think many of us Canuks would appreciate the title

USAmericans have sorta grabbed the title,

along with most of the globe . . .

"American" has sorta become a bad word these last few decades . .

And the USAmericans don't even really OWN the distinction.

Canadians are Canadians to the World - but also part of "America"

Mexicans are Mexicans to the World, but are also part of "America"

Venezuelans are Venezuelans to the World, but are also part of "America"

and so on . . .

So where does the United States get off calling themselves "Americans"?

something needs to change here -

The "Americas" are NOT fairly represented by "Americans" << that being the war-mongering nation known as the United States OF America.

US citizens need a new nomenclature for themselves

"Americans" they are NOT!!

[paulsby]

89. the problem is

there is no easy short version of "person who is a citizen of the united states of america", so people naturally use "american" even though as you correctly point out, it is incorrect, since "americans" are in many countries.

i've traveled extensively in central america (costa rica, nicaragua), and yes people there do refer to themselves sometimes as "americans" in the broad sense.

[ieoeja]

90. We were first?

The United States of America was the first modern, independant country in the Americas. Formed as a union of states in the Americas, I'd say at the time that United States of America made sense.


And what about Mexicans? The Aztecs ruled over one small island nation called Aztlan. When their population grew too large to support, they split in half. Those remaining in Aztlan retained the name Aztec. Those who left adopted the name Mexica and settled in the Valley of Mexico. It is not known whether the valley was named for the Mexicans, or the Mexicans named for the Valley. The Mexicans went on to create an empire (the "Aztec Empire" never existed; it was a "Mexican Empire").

Just as an American could technically be considered anyone from the Americas, a Mexican is technically a member of one and only one native tribe. So if we are going to ignore convention and go with technicalities, we United Statesian would like to introduce you to our southern neighbors, the Republicofunitedstatesofmexicoians.


And since "Canada" is the Iroquoi word for "village", our neighbors to the north will henceforth and forevermore be known as (drumroll please)...

The Village People.

:evilgrin:

[Blandocyte]

30. More like "corporate America's war."

just like Ike warned us about.

[stillcool]

31. and the empire marches on...

I expected it to stop in its tracks. After at least 50 years, you'd think they'd give it up. Let China and Russia have it..and give them the Pentagon too.

[azul]

34. America's Empire, it's all our property.

Godfrey Daniels we're not going bankrupt for nothing. (Insane laughter while Washington and the whole planet over-cooks.)

[stillcool]

39. We've built it for sure..

I guess we're silent partners.

http://www.alternet.org/story/86573/
The Mega-Pentagon: A Bush-Enabled Monster We Can't Stop

By Frida Berrigan, Tomdispatch.com. Posted May 28, 2008.

The Pentagon has developed a taste for unrivaled power and unequaled access to the treasury that won't be easily undone by future administrations

The Pentagon's massive bulk-up these last seven years will not be easily unbuilt, no matter who dons the presidential mantle on January 19, 2009. "The Pentagon" is now so much more than a five-sided building across the Potomac from Washington or even the seat of the Department of Defense. In many ways, it defies description or labeling.

------------------------------------------
The attacks of September 11, 2001 decisively ended that debate. The Bush administration promptly declared total war on every front -- against peoples, ideologies, and, above all, "terrorism" (a tactic of the weak). That very September, administration officials proudly leaked the information that they were ready to "target" up to 60 other nations and the terrorist movements within them.


The Pentagon's "footprint" was to be firmly planted, military base by military base, across the planet, with a special emphasis on its energy heartlands. Top administration officials began preparing the Pentagon to go anywhere and do anything, while rewriting, shredding, or ignoring whatever laws, national or international, stood in the way. In 2002, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld officially articulated a new U.S. military posture that, in conception, was little short of revolutionary. It was called -- in classic Pentagon shorthand -- the 1-4-2-1 Defense Strategy (replacing the Clinton administration's already none-too-modest plan to be prepared to fight two major wars -- in the Middle East and Northeast Asia -- simultaneously).

Theoretically, this strategy meant that the Pentagon was to prepare to defend the United States, while building forces capable of deterring aggression and coercion in four "critical regions" (Europe, Northeast Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East). It would be able to defeat aggression in two of these regions simultaneously and "win decisively" in one of those conflicts "at a time and place of our choosing." Hence 1-4-2-1.

And that was just going to be the beginning. We had, by then, already entered the new age of the Mega-Pentagon. Almost six years later, the scale of that institution's expansion has yet to be fully grasped, so let's look at just seven of the major ways in which the Pentagon has experienced mission creep -- and leap -- dwarfing other institutions of government in the process.

read more:http://www.alternet.org/story/86573

[LARED]

32. test nt

[AzDar]

33. Stunningly stupid words from such a smart man...

:puke:

Perfect for eating later.

[AmyCamus]

36. "It's not MY war, it's AMERICA's war." Well, FUCK YOU Barack.

Schieffer, calling Obama’s plan “hugely ambitious,” asked the President if it was now his war.
“I think this is America’s war,” Obama responded.

--------
A world-class cop out.

[tavalon]

38. Actually, I was one of the less than 10% who didn't want us to go into Afghanistan

I wanted a police action against our former and possibly current employee, Osama Bin Laden.

I don't see it as America's War, it's America's folly. Ask the former Soviet Union. They can tell us how this will go.

[EFerrari]

45. Me, too. Were there so few dissenters? I didn't know that. n/t

[OwnedByFerrets]

40. Why are we at war with Afghanistan? If not with "them"

why are we in a war in someone else's country? MY stand has been from day one that we shouldn't be there.

[Pastiche423]

41. NO, this is OBAMA'S WAR!

He's the one promoting and pushing it. The majority of Americans have wanted out of both wars for years. And we have made that abundantly clear.

Sorry dude, it's your war!

Fuck this shit!

:grr:

[Karenina]

66. Look, he HAD to take on a never-ending military conflict

to keep the bankers, MIC and M$M happy. They're making a MOUNTAIN O' DOUGH on this shit. American citizens have yet to do anything but direct all their pent-up anger from the last few decades at him. At the point Amis are willing to protect him the way the Venezualans covered Hugo's ass, then MAYBE we'll have something to discuss...

He has said repeatedly, PUSH ME IN THE DIRECTION YOU WANT ME TO GO.

[Pastiche423]

84. I have been pushing him

It has done no good.

Lookit, he is the decider now. He is making the decisions that affect all of our lives. Continuing the previous administrations fuck ups is his decision and he should expect to get all the grief that can be thrown at him for his incredible stupidity.

[Karenina]

88. I don't disagree.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

42. The Soviets didn't want it any more so WE claimed it.

Makes sense to me... :shrug:

Oh, yeah: :sarcasm:

[Fumesucker]

43. And it's one two three what're we fighting for

Don't ask me I don't give a damn
next stop's Afghanistan

And it's five six seven open up the Pearly Gates
no time to wonder why, whoopee we're all gonna die

[amandabeech]

59. And it's General Petraus with the nightly body count. n/t

[dflprincess]

97. Come on wall street don't be slow

why man this war is a go-go
there's plenty good money to be made by
supplying the army with the tools of its trade
let's hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,
they drop it on the Taliban


We can't afford single payer health care, but "we" can afford this war. I'll just say thanks, but no thanks.

[bobshin]

47. In other words, "Fuck You, People, we care more about the military industrial complex"

Our troops will train them and then they will use their training against us and god know who else, just like in Iraq. Or they will use their training and US made weapons to attack others just like that unmentionable "country" that begins with the letter I. Great logic.

[Brucie Kibbutz]

55. Our military has already found Blackwater trianing certificates

on enemies that they captured or killed in Afghanistan. We are paying mercenaries six figure salaries to train them how to fight alongside us. Then, after their training is done, they link back up with the enemy and resume attacking us.

Like you, I wonder why some people aren't thrilled that we're going to do more of the same. :crazy:

[tonycinla]

48. No Sir!

I have seen this movie before.It does not have a happy ending.Get out of Iraq,Afghanistan,and the rest of that general area.Let Israel defend itself .We are the biggest suckers in the world.I thought Obama was going to be different.He is one of "them".

[Brucie Kibbutz]

50. Fuck yes! Shock and Awe, bitches!

It's AMERICA'S WAR now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0OQXI8lvqY

[liberalsince1968]

51. It ain't MY war. Obama sounding more like Bush all the time.

[Alamuti Lotus]

52. "change you can...umm, how did that line go again?!"

[martymar64]

72. Change you can have your kids die in a foreign land for

I think that's the new meme

[chill_wind]

54. No, sorry. NOT.

Not THIS American's war.

[bottomtheweaver]

60. Ouch. If 1964 comes,

can 1968 be far behind?

[anonymous171]

85. Nah. The anti-war left won't reemerge unless Obama reinstitutes the draft.

[paparush]

62. Goddamnit! Is it ever going to fucking stop? EVER?

Billions. Trillions of dollars wasted on EMPIRE, when it could have been spent transforming our society into a global leader for a sustainable future. Wasted. Squandered. Stolen.

[newspeak]

80. amen brother!!!

Those are my thoughts!!! After 9/11, we could have done what we've done before and captured those who were guilty and put them on trial!!! But, oh no, we had to have a PR firm sell us on the "War on Terror." What redeeming value has the "war on terror" been to our country? Going to war under false pretenses, murdering civilians in a country that had nothing to do with 9/11, helping recruit more for Al Quada, and actually depleting our resources--taking resources away from our citizens, watching our infrastructure go down the tubes, watching people lose their jobs. The previous administration had a chance after 9/11 to open dialogue with other countries-but no, he publicly branded them as the enemy, like some John Wayne movie. Maybe, * and Kim Jong have something in common--they both think they're John Wayne-and probably both are afraid of horses.

I know it may sound tin foilly, but I've asked it before-are we intentionally being brought down-I mean you can't have a country like the US in the New World Order--an order that is controlled mostly by a few sociopathic corporations. (at least that's my interpretation) I see in Poppy's New World Order, no democracies-for the wealthy oligarchy or businesses, their voices will be heard over the people. OR, is it just plain greed and stupidity of those on Wall Street, with no goal other than accumulating wealth and power-influencing Washington for their own corporate interest--who could care less about the American people or this country, as long as they got theirs?

The money that's been needlessly squandered, I tell ya "we could have been contenders." Leading the world in alternative energy creation, humanitarian efforts, education and social reforms for our own. Instead, we're coming close to being just another "Banana Republic."

[cambie]

64. Training the Afghans

sounds good - until we remember that we already did that. Trained about 83000 Mujahideen freedom-fighters in Pakistan. Now we have to train a lot more to kill the first batch. Maybe this time there is some plan for how to dispose of them later?

[earcandle]

65. Yea. what's to keep the trained from turning on us someday?

We are creating international police all over the world.

Why? 

[Mr. Hyde]

70. Don't be daft, the Afghanis will never turn on us.

:sarcasm:

[PassingFair]

75. One man's "freedom fighter".....n/t

[bitchkitty]

77. Deja vu. n/t

[Individualist]

69. Not in my name!

This is Obama's war.

[jody]

76. Afghanistan is now "Obama's War". n/t

[Mr. Mojo Risin]

83. I'm sure to be flamed for this....

I think Obama is right. This is America's War. It was our war on 9/12/01. If someone attacks you, you don't just sit back and blow bubbles at them. You hit back. This isn't about imperialism or war profiteering. Its about hitting back at the MFers who killed our brothers and sisters in NY PA and DC. I don't want WAR, but I believe its ok to hit back. Just for once, is it possible to believe in the ideals of the United States. Just maybe, this isn't about our imperialistic interests in Afghanistan...maybe we have been actaully good for human rights in Afghanistan. Weren't they blowing up 1000 yr old Buddah statues before we got there...Now some girls in school?

I think Obama's point was that we, as Americans, wanted Bin Laden's head on a stake on 9/12. I for one, still do. The previous pres let us down and led us down the wrong path in IRAQ, if the anti war "no matter what" crowd wants to forgive and forget, thats fine for you not for me. I'm all for Obama going after Bin Laden and the Taliban in a smarter way, after all, that's what he said he was going to do during his candidacy.

[Deja Q]

87. Well spoken.

You won't be flamed by me; sorry to disappoint you...

[MetaTrope]

91. So you're saying we should attack Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Lebanon and Egypt?

That is, after all, where the hijackers came from.

[knixphan]

105. I'd support the Saudi Arabia Part!

[brentspeak]

92. You mean we didn't hit back at the Taliban yet?

The U.S. retaliated against the Taliban over seven years ago.

[newspeak]

93. I am definitely no friend of the Taliban

especially when it comes to human rights. But, you see, the US wasn't really interested before 9/11 that Afghanistan had the HIGHEST rate of female suicide in the world, nor didn't seem too interested when they funded the most fundy group to fight against the Soviets. You might say that al quaeda was actually created by the US government--I remember an article in the Nation about the US funding extremists instead of the moderate Afghanistan people who wanted their country back. Al quaeda was a group of extremists from all over the middle east, but, particularly Saudi Arabia. When Bhutto was interviewed she said that our funding such a group would come back to bite us.

I definitely remember the day of 9/11. I remember an announcer asking "where's the president-where's the president?" I remember an interview on TV with an immigration agent (I bet he got booted out) stating that they were instructed to only do brief inquiries from those who were coming from Saudi Arabia. Now I've been told that fifteen of those highjackers were from Saudi Arabia, a country who also has one of the worst human rights records. The Taliban after 9/11 told the US government, give us proof that OBL orchestrated this and we will give him to you. And, if they are to be believed, two french (ex-agents) who said that the US before 9/11, told the Taliban give us our pipeline deal or we'll give you a carpet of bombs, may also be a reason why we are in Afghanistan.

What has culminated by attacking Iraq and Afghanistan? Well, we've spent approximately ten billion a month on what? We've allowed contractors like Halliburton, KBR, Blackwater to become richer, not even including the control of areas by the oil boys. We've bombed, "accidently" killed families (children), thus, making more terrorists (you know, all that "an eye for an eye" stuff). I mean you think that they're falling on their knees kissing our feet for murdering their children, parents, spouses. We've decimated their infrastructure--gee, did you know that Baghdad actually has tall buildings and freeways? You wouldn't know when they keep showing dirt huts. And how many soldiers have we lost? How many are wounded? Is it 5,000 gone and over 50,000 maimed? Does it make up for the approximately 3,000 on 9/11? Does it make up for our deteriorating infrastructure or the many who are losing their jobs, homes? I vote for salvaging my country, making it healthy once more, over getting Goldstein, um, I mean OBL.

[ohio2007]

95. US accuses Pakistan ( ISI ) of helping Al Qaeda ( the hard decisions are yet to be made)

The "US" has to refine that definition of "spies" so there can be no mistaking the "US" is serious in his implications.

US accuses Pakistan spies of helping Al Qaeda


WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States has vowed to put the heat on Pakistan's spies in its new regional strategy, with top officials openly accusing elements in powerful intelligence agency of abetting Al-Qaeda.

President Barack Obama on Friday unveiled a plan to root out extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan by boosting troops and drastically increasing civilian personnel and aid to the region.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai immediately hailed the proposals.


snip

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jBs_MR2HFabpaowjNKkGDWHomWvw

time to call a spade a spade
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200903301021.htm

[BreweryYardRat]

104. No flames here.

Before the Taliban took power over there, Afghanistan was liberal by Middle Eastern standards. Afterwards...

Also Reagan/Bush crew (including a lot of people who went on to join the Bush II administration) funded the Taliban and Bin Laden as cat'spaws against the USSR. It's our goddamn mess, we need to clean it up.

And I want Bin Laden's head on a spike too, along with ever. Try him for mass murder, convict, execute, display head. Of course, I'm also in favor of charging Bush, Cheney, and Rice with high treason for the gross incompetence they displayed in ignoring all the warnings they were given, and convicting/executing them too. My opinion may be biased.

I don't play nice. I don't expect perfection from any government, left or right, but I won't tolerate gross incompetence that gets thousands of my fellow Americans killed.

[Tim01]

94. Thank goodness Mccain didn't get elected. It would be war.

Sorry, I just couldn't resist. I'm just kidding.

[and-justice-for-all]

96. Enough with the Imperialism bullshit!!!

They are not going to irradicate al-Qaeda no more than they are going to win the war on drugs.
The Middle East occupation is a waste of time and resources.

Sorry Mr. Prez, but this is where we disagree.

[latebloomer]

98. We can't AFFORD this bullshit!

Our country is crumbling- how can we be spending more untold billions on this CARNAGE?

I was afraid Mr. O was bought and sold, and here you go.. You aren't allowed to be President unless you bend over.

[No Elephants]

101. If it's my war, can I stop it?

[readmoreoften]

102. How can it be America's war when the majority of America wants it over?

The war in Afghanistan is ludicrous. It is thoroughly pointless. There is not even a defined goal. Who are the allies over there again? The Karzai puppet and a few urbanites in Kabul? Afghanistan is heroin producing warlords, the anti-heroin Taliban, and now roving bands of locals who are pissed off at US soldiers.

Completely absurd.

[ShortnFiery]

103. No Sale! We need to get our troops OUT of the entire M.E. arena. n/t