Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

U.S. is lost in Afghanistan
Chicago Tribune ^ | May 31, 2004 | Robert Novak

Posted on 05/31/2004 1:43:51 PM PDT by GreatOne

Edited on 05/31/2004 1:48:29 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

The handful of valiant American warriors fighting the ''other'' war in Afghanistan is not a happy band of brothers. They are undermanned and feel neglected, lack confidence in their generals and are disgusted by Afghan political leadership. Most important, they are appalled by the immense but fruitless effort to find Osama bin Laden for purposes of U.S. politics.

This bleak picture goes unreported because journalists are rarely seen there. It was painted to me by hard U.S. fighters who are committed to the war against terrorism but have a heavy heart. They talked to me not to undermine policy but to reveal problems that should and can be corrected.

Afghanistan constitutes George W. Bush's clearest victory since the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The Taliban regime has been overthrown, eliminating al-Qaida's most important base. But the overlooked war continues with no end in sight. Narcotics trafficking is at an all-time high. If U.S. forces were to leave, the Taliban -- or something like it -- would regain power. The United States is lost in Afghanistan, bound to this wild country and unable to leave.

The situation in Afghanistan, as laid out to me, looks nothing like a country alleged to be progressing toward representative democracy under American tutelage. Hamid Karzai, the U.S.-sponsored Afghan president, is regarded by the U.S. troops as hopelessly corrupt and kept in power by U.S. force of arms.

Those arms are not what they seem. The basic U.S. strength in Afghanistan is 17,000 troops of ''straight-legged'' infantry -- conventional forces ill-prepared to handle irregulars. The new unit assigned to Afghanistan is the 25th Infantry Division, which has been stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and has not seen combat since the Vietnam War...."


TOPICS: Editorial; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; elvisbinladen; joebtfsplk; robertnovak; southasia; waronterror
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 121-140141-160161-180 ... 201-209 next last
To: RaginCajunTrad
RaginCajunTrad "I am firmly against the war and I have no hesitation admitting it."

'nuff said, you cajun scum.

141 posted on 05/31/2004 3:48:46 PM PDT by Leisler (The Democrats. The nation's oldest organized crime family.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: dennisw
This sounds about right for Afganistan. The truth hurts.

???? What do your sources say?

142 posted on 05/31/2004 3:53:12 PM PDT by sandlady
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: RaginCajunTrad; LoudRepublicangirl
Here you go Cajun, chew on this. Yours is an empty life, devoid of honor, integrity and pride. You have my pity.



Troy Harworth of Williamsburg, Va. holds up his son Johan Harworth to the
Vietnam Memorial during Memorial Day remembrances in Washington Monday,
May 31, 2004. Troy's father, Air Force Sr. Master Sgt. Elroy Harworth, was
shot down over Vietnam in May of 1966, two months before he was born.


143 posted on 05/31/2004 3:53:59 PM PDT by O.C. - Old Cracker (When the cracker gets old, you wind up with Old Cracker. - O.C.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Mister Baredog
And after 9/11 your solution was what?

Hm--I really wanted RCT to answer that and now he's banned...

144 posted on 05/31/2004 3:58:05 PM PDT by sandlady
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: RaginCajunTrad
I don't think President Bush is doing what he's doing for political reasons, simply by dint of the fact that this whole forray into Iraq has hurt his standing w/the electorate, not helped him. War is never really good politics when taking the long road there, and the WOT is one with a very long road ahead, and perhaps one with the longest road in history.

I do have the sense that we were never really told the whole story on why we were going into Iraq. I've always thought that in order for us to be able to gather real, live, good intelligence with regards to possible terrorist attacks we need a presence in the ME. We also probably wanted to have a presence there in case we need to prosecute a war vs. some of the countries there. Iraq was the perfect staging point for this because we could kill two birds with one stone: elimiate a vicious dictator for the Iraqis, and help ourselves in the bargain. And in the meantime do our best to try and erect a quasi-secular democracy in a sea of theocratic totalitarianism. A lot of that, if true doesn't bother me that much because sometimes a leader has to act like a leader, and at times that may involve deceit and/or omission.

You say that you think Novak's on point because of impressions of the war related to you by your brother. Why does your brother think that we've lost our way there, and when you say that the troops can see the politics, what do you mean?

I'd be interested in what you have to say because I've been wondering these last few weeks how the troops view this. They bear the biggest burden and have the least say.

Last week on the Hannity show, he had a troop on, and Sean asked him if he liked President Bush, and he refused to say. Now I know that Soldiers aren't entitled to a publicly held opinion regarding the CIC, but the manner in which the Soldier dodged the question left me with the impression he wasn't at all pleased with the President's leadership. And he took Sean off-guard with his answer too, so I don't think it was just me who viewed his answer that way.

I know that the troops are like the rest of America, with probably myriad opinions about the efficacy, value and merit of the war, but I would really like to know if there is a consensus among the troops that the path we're on is the right one.

145 posted on 05/31/2004 4:06:14 PM PDT by AlbionGirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: CWOJackson; Doctor Raoul

I guess some people must have been against WWII also. I remember there was one woman Representative and may be others in the House that voted against the declaration of war.

But at this point in time it is amazing what a poor attention span people like Novak and many other here have. If they had the ability to remember what the President said right after the attacks of 9-11 they might understand:

1. The War on Terror would be fought on many fronts, some public some not, some military some diplomatic. This is very important. The press has adopted the strategy of calling these battles wars to try to separate the parts of the War on Terror in the minds of the American people. Among the fronts so far:

A. Afghanistan, a public battle won easily only mopping up going on now.

B. Iraq, a public battle won easily only mopping up going on now.

C. Yemen, a less public battle with success against terrorists.

D. Libya, a behinds the scenes diplomatic battle which seemingly the US has won.

E. Spain, a set back in a diplomatic battle when terrorist succeeded in changing the government with an election eve attack.

These are only the ones, I know about. Mostly these have been successes but as the president said this has not been a cakewalk. The KIAs and other casualty levels have been low but not zero.


146 posted on 05/31/2004 4:06:20 PM PDT by JLS
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 130 | View Replies]

To: RaginCajunTrad
BTW, what could I say that would get me thrown off this site? I have been really wondering.

You're becoming more transparent. You seem less the sincere, sweet innocent and more the obvious "bad-mouther". Remember that all good actors must stay in character.

147 posted on 05/31/2004 4:17:43 PM PDT by Zechariah11 (faith alone in Christ alone)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: JLS

Her name was Rankin I believe.


148 posted on 05/31/2004 4:18:03 PM PDT by Doctor Raoul (How can they call it a "Peace March" when they unconditionally support those who kill our soldiers?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 146 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant

No he is dead.


149 posted on 05/31/2004 4:19:56 PM PDT by Bombard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: GreatOne

"They talked to me not to undermine policy"

FOX has been traveling with these guys and they have not said anything even close to this. How did Novak find these "disgruntled" people in Afghanistan .. since he's not there.

Ever since this "Wilson" thing, I've seen a change in Novak. A change I DON'T LIKE .. AND I don't support what he says.


150 posted on 05/31/2004 4:21:44 PM PDT by CyberAnt (The 2004 Election is for the SOUL of AMERICA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GreatOne

Novak and that homo Tucker Carlson are paid to be conservative...

Draw your own conclusions.


151 posted on 05/31/2004 4:23:09 PM PDT by antaresequity (This is not the "War on Terror"...we don't fight tactics.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AppyPappy

Looks as if he/she "got it".


152 posted on 05/31/2004 4:26:33 PM PDT by babaloo999 (Zionist troll since 2001)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: GreatOne

There were some absolute disasters in the early part of the Second World War. If Novak and his brothers at CNN had been in control of coverage we wouldn't be celebrating VE and the world would be a very different place.

They were allowed to do their dirty work in Viet Nam and we lost heart and abandoned the field. The result was the slaughter of millions, and generations doomed to communist rule, still under communist rule after it collapsed everywhere else in the world.

They are hard at work trying to sap our will again, and if we listen to these jaybirds we will lose again. These guys are beneath contempt. There is room for critical coverage and we depend on it. But these guys are trying to undermine the work we are doing and if they get their way the result will be a disaster.


153 posted on 05/31/2004 4:33:35 PM PDT by marron
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GreatOne

There were some absolute disasters in the early part of the Second World War. If Novak and his brothers at CNN had been in control of coverage we wouldn't be celebrating VE and the world would be a very different place.

They were allowed to do their dirty work in Viet Nam and we lost heart and abandoned the field. The result was the slaughter of millions, and generations doomed to communist rule, still under communist rule after it collapsed everywhere else in the world.

They are hard at work trying to sap our will again, and if we listen to these jaybirds we will lose again. These guys are beneath contempt. There is room for critical coverage and we depend on it. But these guys are trying to undermine the work we are doing and if they get their way the result will be a disaster.


154 posted on 05/31/2004 4:33:42 PM PDT by marron
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: vbmoneyspender
You previously said it was a slander to call Novak an Arabist.

Correction, I asked if it was baseless slander. To date you've provided no basis for me to assume the slander has merit.

Now you are saying that we provide too much aid to Israel.

No, I simply showed that being against sending American taxpayer dollars to another nation is Washingtonian, unless you now contend that George Washington is also an 'arabist', because he didn't want us to get America wrapped around the axle of other nation's intrigues.

Whether or not that is the case, I take it you now agree that it is not a slander to call Novak an Arabist?

A failure on your part to provide any evidence that Novak is an 'arabist' has not compelled me to agree with you. The smear is still baseless, as "I say so!" isn't very convincing evidence on your part.

155 posted on 05/31/2004 4:37:30 PM PDT by Gunslingr3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 126 | View Replies]

To: RaginCajunTrad
'I am firmly against the war and I have no hesitation admitting it."

Tell us more; what else are you against, in this country? Better yet, tell us what you think about Islam, communism, religion, capitalism, marriage, homosexuality, the right to bear arms, our founding fathers. I bet I know how dark your 'mind' is.

156 posted on 05/31/2004 4:49:20 PM PDT by gedeon3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: RaginCajunTrad

You know there is another stupid sob named ragincajun. That would not be you would it james?


157 posted on 05/31/2004 5:07:25 PM PDT by cksharks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: LibLieSlayer; aynrandfreak

Don't ever forget that Robert Novak is a registered Democrat.


158 posted on 05/31/2004 5:17:52 PM PDT by Howlin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: RaginCajunTrad
Yes, "outing CIA agents" at the request of the Bush Regime.

ROFLMAO.........this shows just how little you know; Bob Novak is the last person in the world, next to Billy Kristol, this adminstration would call with a tip.

159 posted on 05/31/2004 5:23:28 PM PDT by Howlin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: sinkspur
Um, sinky.

Michael Peroutka (their candidate) wrote a position paper where he called the Iraqi war "immoral" and "unconstitutional."

I voted CP the last two presidential elections, but after reading that, was moved none too subtly to pull the lever for W. in November.

Maybe their platform doesn't say it (I didn't bother to read it this year), but his position paper sure does.

160 posted on 05/31/2004 5:28:49 PM PDT by sauropod (Paleo-cons make better lovers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 121-140141-160161-180 ... 201-209 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson