For some reason that's a story that's getting lots of ink.
In spite of the fact that it's complete bullshit. How many times before has the US eliminated top Taliban leaders? Seems the US forces of righteousness have been rubbing out those Taliban leaders for what, ten or fifteen years by now?
But, just like the Energizer Bunny, those Taliban leaders keep on coming. Knock out one with a drone strike, and there's two more right there to take his place.
Far be it from me to suggest the US strategy is not working, but who can ignore the fact that the US strategy is not working?
Apparently the US high command has no problem whatsoever ignoring the fact that their strategy is not working. They just keep doing the same and doing the same and then doing the same again, and then feigning complete surprise when their strategy is not working!
Hey fellas!... it's not working and it's never worked! The towellers are just sick of having you in their countries!
Go home already!
Let them figure out their own shit!
Showing posts with label US war on Afghanistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US war on Afghanistan. Show all posts
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Thursday, July 31, 2014
What's the big deal about 1500 civilian casualties in Gaza?
Make no mistake; Operation Off the Cliff is political theatre of the highest order. It's not about tunnels and it's not about rockets; it's about avoiding any "peace" that would threaten the long-term goal of the maximalists in Israeli politics, the eventual consolidation of a "greater Israel" from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean.
Or perhaps from the Euphrates to the Nile... it's always tough to nail down the borders of the Promised Land.
All the blather about "rockets raining on Israel" sounds good but doesn't justify a war that at this moment has taken the lives of 56 IDF soldiers. That's twice as many dead in a couple of weeks as the number of Israeli civilians killed by Gaza rocket attacks over the last 15 years.
Those Gaza rockets have claimed the same number of Israelis in fifteen years as lose their lives every month in traffic accidents.
In other words, there's absolutely nothing about the rocket threat that could possibly justify the thousands of civilian Palestinian deaths in this war on Gaza, and the one before, and the one before that.
Having said that, the war boosters have a point when they accuse the world of hypocrisy for its condemnation of Israel, especially when that condemnation is emanating from that most exceptional nation, the United States.
Afghanistan has never fired a single rocket at the US, but tens of thousands of innocent Afghan civilians have died at the hands of the US military.
Iraq has never fired a single rocket at the US, but hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians died at the hands of the US military.
Vietnam never fired a single rocket at America, yet millions of Vietnamese civilians died at the hands of the US military.
So, yes, it's hard to argue with that charge of hypocrisy.
Or perhaps from the Euphrates to the Nile... it's always tough to nail down the borders of the Promised Land.
All the blather about "rockets raining on Israel" sounds good but doesn't justify a war that at this moment has taken the lives of 56 IDF soldiers. That's twice as many dead in a couple of weeks as the number of Israeli civilians killed by Gaza rocket attacks over the last 15 years.
Those Gaza rockets have claimed the same number of Israelis in fifteen years as lose their lives every month in traffic accidents.
In other words, there's absolutely nothing about the rocket threat that could possibly justify the thousands of civilian Palestinian deaths in this war on Gaza, and the one before, and the one before that.
Having said that, the war boosters have a point when they accuse the world of hypocrisy for its condemnation of Israel, especially when that condemnation is emanating from that most exceptional nation, the United States.
Afghanistan has never fired a single rocket at the US, but tens of thousands of innocent Afghan civilians have died at the hands of the US military.
Iraq has never fired a single rocket at the US, but hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians died at the hands of the US military.
Vietnam never fired a single rocket at America, yet millions of Vietnamese civilians died at the hands of the US military.
So, yes, it's hard to argue with that charge of hypocrisy.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Crunch time for Karzai
Never during Karzai's ascent to power has any serious person doubted that he was anything other than America's flunky in Kabul.
The current debate about the future of US troops in Afghanistan after all US troops leave Afghanistan is just the latest instalment in a long-running charade. In the first instance, the very fact that anyone is having such a debate would make Orwell blush. You're either leaving or you're not.
The privileged classes in Afghanistan know what side of the debate they're on. No one knows better than Karzai himself that a complete withdrawal of the US means the end of the comprador kleptocracy that he has led for over a decade.
At the same time, he needs to preserve at least the appearance of some shadow of Afghan sovereignty. This is mainly for the benefit of the west rather than Afghans. It allows our elites to portray Karzai as something other than a puppet. "Oh look what a hard bargain the man is driving in the name of Afghan sovereignty."
In Afghanistan "the people" know better.
They know that lasting peace will never come with American boots on the ground.
They know that even a "bad" peace is to be preferred over unending war.
They know that "sovereignty" is an empty fraud if it is imposed by a foreign occupier.
And Karzai well knows that they know.
The current debate about the future of US troops in Afghanistan after all US troops leave Afghanistan is just the latest instalment in a long-running charade. In the first instance, the very fact that anyone is having such a debate would make Orwell blush. You're either leaving or you're not.
The privileged classes in Afghanistan know what side of the debate they're on. No one knows better than Karzai himself that a complete withdrawal of the US means the end of the comprador kleptocracy that he has led for over a decade.
At the same time, he needs to preserve at least the appearance of some shadow of Afghan sovereignty. This is mainly for the benefit of the west rather than Afghans. It allows our elites to portray Karzai as something other than a puppet. "Oh look what a hard bargain the man is driving in the name of Afghan sovereignty."
In Afghanistan "the people" know better.
They know that lasting peace will never come with American boots on the ground.
They know that even a "bad" peace is to be preferred over unending war.
They know that "sovereignty" is an empty fraud if it is imposed by a foreign occupier.
And Karzai well knows that they know.
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