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The Never-Ending War in Afghanistan
The New York Times ^ | 13 March 2017 | Andrew J. Bacevich

Posted on 03/13/2017 1:14:55 PM PDT by Theoria

Remember Afghanistan? The longest war in American history? Ever?

When it comes to wars, we Americans have a selective memory. The Afghan war, dating from October 2001, has earned the distinction of having been forgotten while still underway.

President Trump’s Inaugural Address included no mention of Afghanistan. Nor did his remarks last month at a joint session of Congress. For the new commander in chief, the war there qualifies at best as an afterthought — assuming, that is, he has thought about it all.

A similar attitude prevails on Capitol Hill. Congressional oversight has become pro forma. Last week Gen. Joseph Votel, the head of Central Command, told Congress that the Pentagon would probably need more troops in Afghanistan, a statement that seemed to catch politicians and reporters by surprise — but that was old news to anyone who’s been paying attention to the conflict.

And that’s the problem. It doesn’t seem that anyone is. At the Senate hearings on the nomination of James Mattis as defense secretary, Afghanistan barely came up.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; editorial; karzai; mancausedisaster; mattis; muslimworld; nationbuilding; obama; obamlegacy; oef; overseascontingency; rop; warofnecessity; wot
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To: mikey_hates_everything

Something like 4% of the entire population of Japan (and 8% of Germany) was killed in a matter of a few years. That’s how to win wars.


21 posted on 03/13/2017 1:56:17 PM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
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To: mac_truck

> more training and support troops to get the Afghans back on the offensive <

What Afghan in his right mind would fight for the current Afghan government? The Taliban are just waiting to take back power, which they will swiftly do once the Americans leave.


22 posted on 03/13/2017 2:12:46 PM PDT by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
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To: Theoria
Here is my limited understanding of our fight over there:

1) By following bad intelligence GWB spend months bombing Tora Bora even though we now know in Dec, 2001, OBL and Al Queda were already in the hills of Pakistan.

2) We wasted millions of dollars and months on that effort to no avail

3) From what I get from eyewitness account related to television we are constantly fighting for position killing a handful of our enemies each day

4) Killing a dozen a day is getting us nowhere.

23 posted on 03/13/2017 2:14:30 PM PDT by Sam Gamgee
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To: allendale

GWB was a tool.


24 posted on 03/13/2017 2:15:07 PM PDT by Sam Gamgee
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To: Theoria

The people who complain the loudest about the way something is done are most often the same people who scream even louder when nothing is done.

Includes many on Free Republic.


25 posted on 03/13/2017 2:53:53 PM PDT by rlmorel (President Donald J. Trump ... Making Liberal Heads Explode, 140 Characters at a Time)
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To: allendale
Generally agree with you and I'm not a Bush fan but I seem to recall the tollybon offer as not serious.

They offered to maybe turn him over to a third party "islamic organization for cooperation" or some such, providing that we gave them what they deemed acceptable evidence of guilt and stopped all military action in afcrapistan.

26 posted on 03/13/2017 2:58:52 PM PDT by Eagles6 (My weapons are lubricated by liberal tears.)
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To: KC_Conspirator

“Ah, after 8 years of doing nothing, now the NY Slimes has taken notice.”

Exactly...not a peep outta these lowlifes for 8 years of Obama, but now it’s suddenly a big deal again.


27 posted on 03/13/2017 3:32:34 PM PDT by Bishop_Malachi (Liberal Socialism - A philosophy which advocates spreading a low standard of living equally.)
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To: Leaning Right

The Americans aren’t going anywhere...the number of terrorists in that part of the world mean its a target rich environment.

We’re much better off teaching the Afghan government forces to fight effectively, which can be done with more troops.


28 posted on 03/13/2017 3:40:15 PM PDT by mac_truck (aide toi et dieu t'aidera)
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To: Sam Gamgee
I really think George W. Bush was a tool of the Neocons. Did he invade Iraq because they told him Saddam tried to assassinate his Dad?

What was the purpose of invading a Country that we had totally contained

29 posted on 03/13/2017 4:31:04 PM PDT by scooby321 (o even lower)
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To: scooby321

I rejected that charge, from the left and some on the right, at the time. But in retrospect he really was...and a tool of the Saudis.


30 posted on 03/13/2017 4:56:26 PM PDT by Sam Gamgee
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To: Leaning Right

FDR turned on a dime when the war started and told private industry, “build what we need. Cost is no object.” He cleared away all regulations and harassment. Funny how that works.


31 posted on 03/13/2017 6:16:31 PM PDT by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: All

I cannot believe many of the comments here.

There is no winning in Afghanistan. Unless you are willing to kill 90% of the male population and that isn’t going to happen. Short of that, anyone who thinks they can WIN there is absolutely, beyond belief, delusional.

If you want to fight there just as a stalling tactic, fine. But fully understand what you can and cannot realistically accomplish.


32 posted on 03/13/2017 8:14:31 PM PDT by TheTimeOfMan (A time for peace and a time for war)
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To: 353FMG

they aren’t only laughing, they are doing what we did against them. There are reports they are supporting the Taliban.

“Now American military officers see a growing Russian effort to bolster the Taliban’s legitimacy and undercut NATO’s military effort there, seemingly disregarding the harsh lessons of its previous invasion — or perhaps seeing a chance at ironic form of revenge for America’s Cold War efforts.

“America’s top military officer in Europe, Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, said Thursday that Russia had increased its support to the Afghan Taliban, including potentially the provision of supplies.

‘”I’ve seen the influence of Russia of late, increased influence in terms of association and perhaps even supply to the Taliban,” Scaparrotti told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“Scaparrotti, who is also NATO’s top military commander, did not specify what kind of war materiel the Russians might be supplying to the Taliban.”

Excerpt from CNN yesterday by Ryan Browne
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/28/politics/russia-afghanistan-libya-syria/index.html


33 posted on 03/29/2017 4:42:52 AM PDT by huldah1776 ( Vote Pro-life! Allow God to bless America before He avenges the death of the innocent.)
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To: Theoria

Why aren’t we pulling out?


34 posted on 06/18/2018 8:38:33 PM PDT by Impy (I have no virtue to signal.)
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