Will Karzai's Cut Make NATO Run?

IBD Editorials ^ | June 2, 2011 | Staff

[Kaslin]

Afghanistan: Embattled President Hamid Karzai orders the U.S. and its coalition partners to stop airstrikes on residences after 12 children and two women are inadvertently killed. Is this Vietnam redux?

The deaths of nine civilians at the hands of NATO forces in volatile southern Helmand province on Saturday, only three days after over 20 Afghan police officers, plus a number of civilians, were killed in the northeast in Nuristan province, set the stage for Afghan President Karzai's lashing out.

In a clear reference to the Soviets' disastrous occupation of Afghanistan three decades ago, Karzai announced that "history is a witness how Afghanistan deals with occupiers."

Without stating specifics, he warned of "unilateral action" if the U.S. did not heed his demand. Karzai indicated that he would be more specific when he meets with NATO commanders Sunday.

Speaking to reporters from his presidential palace, Karzai said that "from this moment, airstrikes on the houses of people are not allowed." It was strong language even for someone not known to mince words.

Is this the Vietnam script getting an encore performance in the 21 st century?

The My Lai massacre burned into the minds of many the notion that the U.S. was in Southeast Asia for no good reason.

In fact, we were there for the best of reasons, one huge one being to prevent the deep-water South Vietnamese port of Cam Ranh Bay from becoming Moscow's largest naval base outside the Soviet Union — which is exactly what happened.

[bgill]

I had high hopes for Karzi when he first stepped on the stage. Now, he needs to either step down or support the US 100%. If he doesn’t want our help, then fine, we’re outta there.

[org.whodat]

Time to get out, it it is more than apparent that NATO does not know what in the hell it is doing.

[hinckley buzzard]

Now it is not good for the Christian's health to hustle the Aryan brown,

For the Christian riles, and the Aryan smiles and he weareth the Christian down;

And the end of the fight is a tombstone white with the name of the late deceased,

And the epitaph drear: "A Fool lies here who tried to hustle the East."--Rudyard Kipling

Someone should have read this to G Bush while he was supposedly studying history at Yale. Yes it's about Afghanistan, in case there is any doubt.

[SevenMinusOne]

Bottom line is, in a number of these events we most certainly would be better off putting trigger pullers through those doors, not JDAMs ontop of them.

Yes, there is more immediate risk, to the boots going in... but years in to a war like this, there is much more prolonged risk by not taking that risk up front through those doors.....Now this is not in all cases. But in some of these situations the Civ casualty risk / enemy KIA reward is not worth it.

With that said, Karzai can pound sand if I could have comments behind closed doors with him. And hopefully some within the current Admin are telling him such (as the past Administration most certainly did).

[exit82]

I spent a large chunk of Tuesday afternoon calling Senators and Congressman and telling them it’s time to get the heck out of A-stan.

It is not worth one more American life, and we lost eight Americans over the long weekend there.

Enough! Karzai’s ridiculous restrictions have resulted in rules of engagement which are costing the lives of American combat troops.

We don’t need to keep protecting his sorry posterior any longer. The truth is, two weeks after we leave, the Taliban will be in control.

If they want their women to be covered up,unschooled and shot in the head in soccer stadium for the enjoyment of the mullahs, then to hell with all of them.

[bgill]

It is not worth one more American life, and we lost eight Americans over the long weekend there.

I'm a bit more disgusted than usual because I'll be attending one of those young mens' funeral in a few days. There will be no end to the ME conflict until it's turned into that parking lot that it should have been right after 9/11. It's all a game to their leaders. Sure, bring in US dollars and then it's lies, lies, and more lies between them sabotaging and laughing at us.

[exit82]

Amen,bgill. Amen.

All I could think of this weekend was those eight soldiers, and that their families were going to be receiving “the visit”. Broke my heart.

[SoldierDad]

The deaths of nine civilians at the hands of NATO forces in volatile southern Helmand province on Saturday, only three days after over 20 Afghan police officers, plus a number of civilians, were killed in the northeast in Nuristan province, set the stage for Afghan President Karzai's lashing out.

Where is the story on Karzai lashing out at those responsible for the deaths of those police officers and civilians? This type of rhetoric isn't very helpful to the U.S. soldiers fighting to keep Karzai's government from being overrun by the Taliban. Prayers up for my son and all the U.S. men and women now serving in Afghanistan.

[SoldierDad]

Meaning, we should never have engaged in this war in the first place?

[blueplum]

we got OBL - mission accomplished - so why are we still there?

[Mariner]

Without a US intent to invade Iran and/or Pakistan there is absolutely no interest in Afghanistan which requires more than 5,000 men.

[Flag_This]

I wonder how long Karzai will keep his head after we leave? 5 or 6 minutes, I imagine.

[gogogodzilla]

We should have annexed Afghanistan when we went in, then moved the Afghani’s to ‘reservations’.

Then opened the territory up to any American to stake a claim. IE: ‘40 acres and a mule’

If we had, Afghanistan would be a thriving 1st world territory... probably right on the cusp of applying for statehood.

And if we had some balls, we still could.

[af_vet_rr]

I wish the "Afghanistan = Vietnam" morons would stop pushing this bs.

As for this:

In a clear reference to the Soviets' disastrous occupation of Afghanistan three decades ago, Karzai announced that "history is a witness how Afghanistan deals with occupiers."

We're not the Soviets. Maybe Karzai needs to brush up on his history as well - The Brits pretty much ruled over Afghanistan for 25 years before signing a treaty that reduced their influence.

[af_vet_rr]

we got OBL - mission accomplished - so why are we still there?

While we should not have been in Iraq and now Libya, there were very good reasons to have invaded Afghanistan and to still be there.

Radical Islam and the threat posed by their controlling Afghanistan is understood by many of our allies. It's not a coincidence that France fully integrated with NATO again a few years ago, and it's not a coincidence that so many countries have joined us in fighting the radicals in Afghanistan, including non-NATO countries. FReeper Stonewall Jackson posted this list of the allies that are currently serving with us in Afghanistan:

Albania - 260
Belgium - 510
Bulgaria - 600
Canada - 2,920
Croatia - 310
Czech Republic - 485
Denmark - 750
Estonia - 160
France - 4,005
Germany - 5,000
Greece - 140
Hungary - 335
Iceland - 4
Italy - 3,880
Latvia - 140
Lithuania - 220
Luxembourg - 10
Norway - 410
Poland - 2,530
Portugal - 105
Romania - 1,870
Slovakia - 300
Slovenia - 80
Spain - 1,500
Turkey - 1,785
UK - 9,500
US - 93,780
Armenia - 40
Austria - 3
Azerbaijan - 95
Bosnia and Herzegovina - 55
Finland - 165
Georgia - 925
Ireland - 8
Macedonia - 165
Montenegro - 35
Sweden - 20
Australia - 1,550
Jordan - 10
Malaysia - 30
Mongolia - 100
New Zealand - 155
Singapore - 40
South Korea - 425
Tonga - 55
UAE - 35

It's a damn shame that so many in this country have forgotten the threat that radical Islamics pose. We've gotten too lazy and soft because we haven't had a serious attack by the radicals in the US since 2001, but plenty of countries around the world understand the threat, and I thank God that young men and women keep enlisting, knowing there is a chance they'll go to Afghanistan.