I have lately begun to feel that in spite of what are likely many good Afghan people, it has some deep defects as a society that brings defending it into question. I often feel we are defending Afghanistan against itself. If I could find all the innocent good Afghans and get them out of there I would. But we can’t and meanwhile the society and the culture is to me no longer worth helping.
One case in point is that to convert from Islam is by Afghan law a legal capital offense. You can be sentenced to death in Afghan courts for converting from Islam.
Another case is that of male slave boys. Slave is the only thing that fits the captive sex toy that “pretty” boys often become to older men. In once instance an Afghan officer embedded with one of our units was keeping his boy toy chained to his bed - literally chained to the mans bed, where the man raped him every nite. One of our Marines got so sick of listening to the boys screams every nite, he caught that Afghan officer one day and beat the shit out of him. That Marine was reassigned, court martialed and eventually left the service. Our generals have been told that (a) it is “common” among Afghan men, (b) and if we demand all such men get booted from the Afghan forces those men will just go join the other side. THAT says how extremely thin is the loyalty to the Afghan we think we are fighting for.
We should leave. On the whole they don’t deserve us.
We should never have put the first boot on the ground.
No one has ever tamed Afghanistan and no one ever will.
Leave with a stern warning. If any “mischief” comes from Afghanistan, we will carpet bomb the area from which the mischief arose ... women, children, hospitals, churches, mosques ... everything. All from the air ... MOAB’s do a nice job and we have plenty. So get out of Afghanistan, let them do what they do and if any harm comes to the USA by their hand, they die. I think that is a reasonable “deal” both sides could live with.
Two things...
- They do have valuable minerals
- Leaving a vacuum will embolden Islamist’s, leaving a fertile environment for ISIS 2.0
I understand the ‘leave’ sentiment. I’m just not sure how we do that without consequences. This is the mistake Obama made in Iraq, leaving prematurely provided the radicals with a golden opportunity.
Yes, get us out-now!
Then who is going to guard the opium crops? :)
...just the first of many worthless pits we should pull out of.
The reason we are there is the same reason the Russians were there.
Afghanistan has enormous deposits of rare natural resources used on the military and high tech.
It’s easy to promote foreign military ventures when you aren’t at risk of having to go yourself.
After 16 years, the Afghan military should be ready, if they are ever going to be ready.
About freaking time but how about some Agent Orange on the poppy fields on the way out?
Before we leave, though, we need to drop Agent Orange on the poppy fields.
These heathens will NEVER adopt the principles of democracy and freedom.
Leave them to their fate and their false god.
And never another to soil Western Civilization.
If you’re going to leave LEAVE completely. I don’t think there is anything such as winning in Afghanistan without utterly destroying what little is there already.