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Helen Thomas: "What Are U.S. Goals In Afghanistan?" [GRAPHIC IMAGES]
TheBostonChannel.com ^ | 12 Mar 09 | Helen "Hezbollah Point of View" Thomas

Posted on 03/12/2009 1:21:37 PM PDT by seanmerc

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is making a big mistake in escalating U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan, where he already has acknowledged he doesn’t believe victory is possible.

We should ask: What are we doing there seven years after the 9/11 attacks by the al-Qaida network? Historically, the country has lacked a strong central government and has been governed by locally strong tribal leaders and warlords.

Al-Qaida was able to take advantage of this loose structure and turn Afghanistan into the plotting ground for the terrorists who struck the Pentagon and the World Trade Center in New York.

But what are our goals there in 2009?

While the U.S. is supposed to wind down its presence in Iraq in 19 months (rather than the 16 months promised by Obama on the campaign trail), the president has ordered a military buildup in Afghanistan to more than 50,000 troops, both from the U.S. and other NATO members.

He would leave 50,000 Americans in Iraq to cope with the resistance there. Such was the folly of President George W. Bush, who invaded Iraq after his hawkish neo-conservative advisers told him we would triumph in a few weeks.

To this day none of Bush’s reasons for attacking Iraq have held up to examination. There were no weapons of mass destruction, no Iraqi ties to al-Qaida and no threat to the United States.

There have been no apologies from Bush or his cohorts.

When Obama visited Afghanistan last summer as a presidential candidate, he joined several other senators in a get-tough statement that said: "We need a great sense of urgency because the threat from the Taliban and al-Qaida is growing and we must act. We need determination because it will take time to prevail. But with the right strategy and the resources to back it up, we will get the job done."

What exactly is the job that he says needs to get done? What is the U.S. exit strategy? Does anyone in power remember the lessons we were supposed to have learned from Vietnam?

Afghanistan is known as the "graveyard of empires" because of the repeated failure of invaders over the centuries to achieve their goals in that rugged country. U.S. prowling around in Afghanistan hasn’t aroused anti-war protests as did the March 2003 U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. I am puzzled about this. It seems to me we are leaping out of the frying pan into the fire!

American public aversion to our military adventures in Afghanistan has been fueled by our shock at the toll that U.S. planes and aerial drones have inflicted on Afghan civilians.

There have been indications that Obama may start diplomatic overtures to the Taliban at a time when the human and financial costs of the two wars are wearing down the U.S. as it struggles with an economic depression that has no end in sight.

According to White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, the president is evaluating the situation in Afghanistan.

Obama would do well to study the trajectory that took us into the Vietnam War and the terrible price we paid there. We lost the war and fled by helicopters from Saigon.

Both Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard M. Nixon thought that they could win in Vietnam but they were brought down as much by the American people -- who rebelled against the war -- as they were by the North Vietnamese.

Obama could go deeper in history and check out President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s career for a lesson on how to end a war.

When running for the White House in 1952, when the American public was growing frustrated about the long U.S. involvement in the Korean War, Eisenhower told voters: "I shall go to Korea."

And he did. The Korean War ended in a standoff in 1953 -- much to the relief of the American people.

Despite some ensuing skirmishes in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas, a truce has endured ever since.

During the 2008 campaign, Obama indicated that he was willing to speak to all parties in the military or diplomatic disputes we were involved in. He was criticized for his plan for outreach to the militants in Afghanistan.

But there is no alternative.

Sooner or later American presidents should learn that people will always fight for their country against a foreign invader. And peace should be the only goa


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: agitprop; axisofevil; barackobama; bho2009; bho44; democrats; dims; dumbocrats; first100days; helenthomas; islam; liberalmeathead; obama; obamatruthfile; pravdamedia; proterrorist; rats; senileoldbat; usefulidiot
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To: seanmerc

Thomas should report back to her Arab masters in Riyadh for emergency face-list treatment.


21 posted on 03/12/2009 1:38:53 PM PDT by ZULU (Obamanation of Desolation is President. Non nobis, non nobis Domine, sed nomini tuo da gloriam.)
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To: seanmerc
YIKES!!!!!!!!
22 posted on 03/12/2009 1:44:22 PM PDT by Cheerio (Barack Hussein 0bama=The Complete Destruction of American Capitalism)
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To: seanmerc
...an antidote
I was prepared.

23 posted on 03/12/2009 1:45:24 PM PDT by skinkinthegrass (just b/c you're paranoid, doesn't mean "they" aren't out to get you.. :^)
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To: a fool in paradise

That Don Imus is one ugly cowgirl.


24 posted on 03/12/2009 1:45:35 PM PDT by SERKIT ("Blazing Saddles" explains it all.....)
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To: woofie

Not nice...


25 posted on 03/12/2009 1:45:40 PM PDT by Brad’s Gramma ( PRAY! Pray for the U.S. Pray for Israel.)
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To: SERKIT

Some would say that Helen Thomas makes him look pretty attractive...


26 posted on 03/12/2009 1:49:35 PM PDT by seanmerc
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To: j_guru

same here. damn what a horror show.


27 posted on 03/12/2009 1:51:38 PM PDT by bobby.223
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To: seanmerc

28 posted on 03/12/2009 1:56:18 PM PDT by Dallas59 ("You know the one with the big ears? He might be yours, but he ain't my president.")
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To: seanmerc

If I may interject a question. If we capture terrorists in Afghan or Paki, where do we take them now that Gitmo is turning into a beach resort?


29 posted on 03/12/2009 1:56:20 PM PDT by nufsed
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To: seanmerc
Helen, there is no need for Bush to apologize for stopping acts like this one below. If you were a real woman, you would have applauded.


30 posted on 03/12/2009 1:59:20 PM PDT by Clock King (See Atlas shrug. Shrug, Atlas, Shrug!)
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To: Clock King

They should have these photos and the 9-11 builidngs hanging in the wh press room. Every time she asks one of these psuedo-naive questions lower the appropriate photo.


31 posted on 03/12/2009 2:02:03 PM PDT by nufsed
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To: Markos33
Can you imagine if Henry Waxman and Helen Thomas had had a love child?...


32 posted on 03/12/2009 2:04:00 PM PDT by a fool in paradise ("I certainly hope he (Bush) doesnÂ’t succeed" - Democratic strategist James Carville 9-11-2001)
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To: Clock King
Helen, there is no need for Bush to apologize for stopping acts like this one below. If you were a real woman, you would have applauded.

Helen only cares about other women if she can use that to bash Republicans and or America. Otherwise, she does not give a crap how many are butchered.

She is neither male or female. She is only Left and whatever serves the left is what she will support.

33 posted on 03/12/2009 2:04:37 PM PDT by Ditto
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To: a fool in paradise

You da’ man.


34 posted on 03/12/2009 2:09:32 PM PDT by Semper Mark (Communism is Socialism with a gun to your head.)
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To: seanmerc

You’re a sicko.


35 posted on 03/12/2009 2:36:26 PM PDT by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good.)
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To: seanmerc

36 posted on 03/12/2009 2:42:02 PM PDT by paulycy (BEWARE the LIBERAL/MEDIA Complex)
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To: seanmerc

Helen, our only goal in Afghanistan is to piss you off, you terror-abetting harridan!


37 posted on 03/12/2009 2:52:58 PM PDT by Buck W. (The President of the United States IS named Schickelgruber...)
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To: armymarinemom

That looks like Obama, probably screaming from how “The Presidency is hard!”


38 posted on 03/12/2009 2:57:27 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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To: seanmerc

39 posted on 03/12/2009 2:58:34 PM PDT by doug from upland (10 million views of .HILLARY! UNCENSORED - put some ice on it, witch)
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To: doug from upland

40 posted on 03/12/2009 2:59:21 PM PDT by doug from upland (10 million views of .HILLARY! UNCENSORED - put some ice on it, witch)
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