I used to support the war in Afghanistan...

[Ardent15]

Like almost all of you, I never harbored any support for the war in Iraq. That invasion was a war crime and completely unjustified, plain and simple.

But the war in Afghanistan was different, at least for me. I understood that that was where Osama bin Laden and his allies lived, that was where the people who attacked us were. That was where we needed to fight.

But as bin Laden slipped away from Tora Bora into Pakistan, the mission changed. The mission changed to an occupation of an uncontrolled nation of hostile tribes. I started to question why, and then one day, it hit me.

We went into Afghanistan not to capture al-Qaeada leaders, but as an "exercise" for the Bush Administration's real target-Iraq. If you question this, the man in charge of the missions, Donald Rumsfeld, has arrogantly and openly admitted to this. "There were no good targets in Afghanistan to bomb."

Additionally, what lies between Afghanistan and Iraq? Iran, of course, one of the largest oil reserves and one of the most hostile nations to America in terms of its government. American oil companies never got over the Shah being overthrown in 1979-not because the Ayatollah is a mad dictator, but because the flow of oil has stopped. By encircling Iran, America has strategic leverage in the Middle East, and can position itself to begin the mission of dictating to the world the price of oil.

Now our new Democratic President is escalating our military presence in Afghanistan. This is frankly, alarming and disturbing. American Empire is no way for this nation to live, not after what has happened to us when we meddle too much with the affairs of other nations. We clearly have not learned the lesson of 9/11.

So, my fellow Americans, if you still support the war in Afghanistan, I won't make you change your mind. But I can do my best to persuade you. We need to hold our leaders accountable for their actions, even if we lose politically in the short term. The cost of pursuing indefinite war in Afghanistan-the "graveyard of empires"-is simply too high.

[RKP5637]

1. Agree! And BTW, very well stated by you! 9 years now, how long is long enough!

[Ardent15]

2. Thank you. Unfortunately, for the military industrial complex, endless war is good for business.

The MIC is a threat to the world, including (especially) America.

[timeforpeace]

3. It's turned completely from mostly support to opposition here in like a week! Memo go out?

[Ardent15]

4. Nah, McChrystal's media attention probably changed the tides...

..from support to opposition.

[samplegirl]

5. I will never support a war in the middle east

when our own country is on its last leg.

[RKP5637]

8. Exactly!!! n/t

[bullwinkle428]

6. Apparently, if we stay long enough, and kill enough "insurgents", we'll "win".

Maybe I'm just too feeble-minded to grasp it all.

[Roland99]

7. Read the batshit insane neocons (Kristol, Ledeen, et al). Iran was the grand prize

Iran was going to be the target of a squeeze play between US bases in Afghanistand and Iraq.

It was foolproof (except it was being thought up by fools!)

[NNN0LHI]

9. Here is the question I kept asking on the lead up to invading Afghanistan

Why would the people who were smart enough to mastermind 9/11 be stupid enough to hang around in Afghanistan waiting for the arrival of the US Calvary to kill them?

I never got a good answer to that question. Actually I don't recall getting any answer to that question.

Did you ever ask yourself that question?

Don

[obliviously]

10. How much does that question weigh?

[Oregone]

11. Few were asking questions at all

Less were answering any. America displayed its insanity