Hamid Karzai Needs To Rethink Afghanistan
Speaking alongside NATO's secretary-general, Karzai told a news conference in Kabul that his government's foreign partners should respect and honor his country's independence"Afghanistan ... will never be a puppet state," Karzai said.
The elections were to be held August 20th, but Karzai brought them up to April 21st to improve his chances of remaining Mayor of Kabul. Even if he manages to get elected again, however, his reason for being there is already over. Team Obama has no apparent plan other than to huddle with counterinsurgency experts who use the basic population control metrics and time frames. These usually work out to be 600,000 soldiers for 8 more years. That's not a solution. It's a hallucination.
At this point the only guy capable of bringing order to Pashtunistan is war hero Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban, Afghanistan's ruler from 1996-2001. He's the guy who told BushCo to shove its pipeline someplace else than through his country. He is renowned by Pashtuns as a man of integrity, bravery, and faith. He hasn't been seen since the US bombed his house in 2001 and killed his 10-year old son, effectively ruining our diplomatic options, and he is "rumored" to be under the ISI's protection. It is he who commands his people's will, now more than ever, and his rep as the toughest mo-fo around is necessary for governing the rampantly corrupt, comically chaotic region.
Yes, I am advocating The Big Dee-Dee Mao, leaving it all to the wrath of the Taliban. Bombing more villages of the poorest people in the world, well you might better try and kill them all and these are not the folks you want to have a "Who's Toughest" contest with. They'll win every time, and they have.
Robert Greenwald of Brave New Films is going to interview people on the ground for a new documentary, "Rethinking Afghanistan." The upshot is of course that the US shouldn't send more soldiers in to worsen a bad situation, so that's predictable enough, but Robert will also be there right when the plastique is blowing up the fan. Anything could happen, he won't have the US military or a team of handlers to protect him and the spring thaw will bring out the roadside bombs. Robert is a truth-seeking missile and all he's asking for is $20 to buy some rocket fuel in exchange for a production credit on his movie.
Sounds like a good deal to me, because we sure need to Rethink Afghanistan.
8 comments:
I still say we take all the women who are willing out of the country, arm them, train them, then send them back in to blow some taliban butt off the map.
Bingo, instant revolution. We cannot wage their revolution for them, but we Staters do have some degree of experience in revolutions, so I don't have a problem acting as consultants. Extending the ground war in afghanistan, though - not a good idea.
Bee-san,
That at least would have some justice in it and has a much better chance of working. My sympathies and regards to your poor husband.
This is proof of American arrogance. Anyone with an 8th grade education should know from history that Afghanistan will not be defeated. It is farcical, absurd, and downright ludicrous for us to say we'll win 'the hearts and minds' of these people. Where do we get the arrogant audacity to believe that our 230+ year experiment is the best in the universe? These people have a 5,000 year history of tribal culture. They don't desire porn shops and liquor stores. They don't seek acceptance of homosexuality and adultry. They don't want their religion snuffed out as being inferior. They only ask to be left alone.
Water seeks it's own level. Even were we to obtain an illusionary 'victory', it would not be sustainable. Americans need to put themselves in the Afghan's sandals. What, exactly, would we do if a foreign military power were to come here and try to force their will on us? Duh....The same thing the Afghans are doing -- fight to the death. And the same is applicable to Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Iran, et al.
Americans had better pull their collective heads out of their asses, quit acquiescing to the venal corporate plutocracy, and change the Foreign Policy, to get off this rocky road that is leading to our eventual demise. This is not an option, this is a necessity.
Whether you believe this or not, God will not hold America guiltless. Wreaking havoc, death and destruction on innocents, raping and pillaging of the earth's resources, and trying to lord over the earth by military might, will not lead to the final goal of salvation.
When will they ever learn?
Human animal never learns, look at Wall Street. Afghanistan is as bad, if not worse off than Iraq because it has the Taliban knocking on the door and we sit there with a handful of troops, air support, a few missiles off shore. Pull out folks . . . let them settle their differences their way. We are hated by everyone and when is it a war crime, lying to get us into Iraq, et al, if the U.S. refuses to prosecute the criminals???
Bro Tim,
I'm going to have to post that inspired and factual rant.
Z-man,
we could have a huge army in Afghanistan and it still wouldn't work. Bee's solution above has more legs (ahem). I think women are as powerful as men in shaping modern societies, but they're two centuries behind. Two millenia.
I have mixed feelings about this conflict. Unlike Iraq, there is a direct link between the Taliban and al Qaeda. I am also convinced that if Afghanistan falls Pakistan will be next. We can't let that happen, or I should say the rest of the world can't let that happen. We need to form an international coalition to fight this war, and this is one war that needs to be fought, but not by us alone.
Hi Mike,
yep very mixed feelings here too. The real problem with the region is that it has fake borders, and those give Tal-Qaeda its impetus.
There should be a Pashtunistan, and indeed one is emerging. We can either help it emerge, get out of the way, or rule with brutality like the Brits did. An international coalition? There's one there right now and it's not working.
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