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Why U.S. Troops Want to Stay in Afghanistan
The Wall Street Journal ^ | Oct. 25, 2013 | MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS

Posted on 10/25/2013 9:06:34 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

U.S. and Afghan politicians are in the middle of a heated debate over whether a small American and NATO force will remain in Afghanistan at the end of next year.

But what's a political and strategic question at the negotiating table is an emotional question at bases around Afghanistan, where soldiers watch the discussions with one eye on their sacrifices over the past 12 years and the other on the American withdrawal from Vietnam four decades ago.

In short, they don't want to go home without the win.

After repeated combat tours, an untold number of divorces and nearly 2,300 U.S. dead, American servicemen want their losses in Afghanistan to have been worth it. For many of them, that means keeping a residual force here to help the Afghans fend off a resurgent Taliban.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; bhogwot; military; oef; stay; troops; us; waronterror
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1 posted on 10/25/2013 9:06:34 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

Why would they want to come home to Queerville Obamacare Gulag Land??? Better to wait it out.


2 posted on 10/25/2013 9:10:17 PM PDT by Viennacon
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To: MinorityRepublican

The troops don’t want to pull out without a win because that would mean all the lost lives and limbs of their brothers were for nothing.


3 posted on 10/25/2013 9:12:10 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: MinorityRepublican

If this is really coming from in-theater vets... I don’t know who has currency to argue otherwise.


4 posted on 10/25/2013 9:16:00 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us one chance in three. More tea anyone?)
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To: Lancey Howard

You nailed it.


5 posted on 10/25/2013 9:22:47 PM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company last election, and I laughed while they cried (true story))
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To: Lancey Howard

It seems like they were for nothing. The histories of the geographical areas now called Iraq and Afghanistan tell a tale of repeated failures at civilizing them, at least in the western way.


6 posted on 10/25/2013 9:23:16 PM PDT by 1010RD (First, Do No Harm)
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To: 1010RD

Iraq has a chance at civilization. Afghanistan was, is, and will remain a stone age toilet.


7 posted on 10/25/2013 9:24:52 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: MinorityRepublican

Without reading it I’m going to say in the top three of many reasons is the same reason a kid would stay with a neglectful aunt rather than go home to mom’s abusive boyfriend. At least there are movies and you can play a boy’s game once in awhile with rules


8 posted on 10/25/2013 9:26:11 PM PDT by stanne
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To: Lancey Howard

“pull out without a win because that would mean all the lost lives and limbs of their brothers were for nothing”

That’s completely childish thinking. So are we supposed to lose hundreds more so it has “meaning”? The best way to honor those lost is to not lose more pursuing a war where we have to be careful not to insult the enemy or their religion.

It’s meaning was lost when we decided that they should ever be trusted with a weapon or self governance. It’s meaning was lost when we have to show difference to islam. It’s meaning was lost when McChrystol refused fire support to men in battle.
It’s meaning was lost when our troops were told not to be critical of Afghan moslem pedophilia.


9 posted on 10/25/2013 9:27:21 PM PDT by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Just another Obama foreign policy disaster.

Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Libya and Afghanistan.

So close to victory just five years ago and now Obama will retreat like the coward he is.

We have lost more wars under Obama than all other presidents combined.

Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria.


10 posted on 10/25/2013 9:29:09 PM PDT by Oliviaforever
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To: 1010RD
The last Westerner to have any lasting success in Afghanistan was Alexander the Great. Maybe there is a clue in that little tit bit.

FYI, Taliban targets descendants of Alexander the Great 2,500 years later and they (afghans) are still pissed.

11 posted on 10/25/2013 9:36:09 PM PDT by jpsb (Believe nothing until it has been officially denied)
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To: Lancey Howard

“all the lost lives and limbs of their brothers were for nothing.”

Yes, I’m afraid so. At least all those lost after the first six months. We should have gone in, and killed as many bad people as we could find. Screw Gitmo; just kill them and leave the bodies for the crows.

Then we should have left.


12 posted on 10/25/2013 9:47:44 PM PDT by henkster (Communists never negotiate.)
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To: DesertRhino
That’s completely childish thinking.

Go tell the troops that, tough guy.

13 posted on 10/25/2013 10:11:41 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: Lancey Howard

I look at everything, everything, from an eternal point of view. Those who served because they love their country, their families, their brothers in arms, and do their part out of love, have not loved in vain. No Greater Love is never given in vain.


14 posted on 10/25/2013 10:27:29 PM PDT by huldah1776
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To: huldah1776

That’s a good post right there.
Thanks for that.

FRegards,
LH


15 posted on 10/25/2013 10:40:26 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: MinorityRepublican
In short, they don't want to go home without the win.

Win is not in the playbook of this administration. These troops are in danger for even talking to anyone about their thoughts on this.

The Obama team will solve it like they did with Seal Team 6.
16 posted on 10/25/2013 11:07:02 PM PDT by JSteff (It was ALL about SCOTUS.. We are DOOMED for several generations. . Who cares? The Dem's do & voted!)
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To: DesertRhino

That about sums it up.


17 posted on 10/26/2013 12:37:30 AM PDT by Eagles6 (Valley Forge Redux)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Given the pending obamacare debacle,
Afghanistan may be a safer place to be.


18 posted on 10/26/2013 12:46:01 AM PDT by clearcarbon
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To: Lancey Howard

No one is blind to how the douche bag pissed on the Iraq effort.


19 posted on 10/26/2013 1:01:40 AM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: Lancey Howard
The troops don’t want to pull out without a win because that would mean all the lost lives and limbs of their brothers were for nothing.

On a twist of the old saying used in the stock market "Don't throw good money after bad."

Don't throw away living blood after the dead.

20 posted on 10/26/2013 1:09:25 AM PDT by ClaytonP
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