Posted on 08/07/2011 7:17:08 PM PDT by DBCJR
HE DEATH of 30 Americans on a Chinook helicopter Saturday marked the single-deadliest day for this country in its 10-year war in Afghanistan. Among the dead were 22 Navy SEAL commandos, including members of SEAL Team 6, the famous unit that killed Osama bin Laden. That is tragedy enough. But the attack also holds a mirror up to the war itself and exposes the fallacy that we can leave Afghanistan on our own terms.
Operationally, Saturday’s events show how little we have progressed in turning Afghanistan over to the Afghans. For a nation whose exit strategy was based on sharing the war-fighting efforts with the Afghan military, the fact that there were only a few Afghan commandos on the mission belies any notion of shared responsibility. Three hundred seventy-nine coalition troops have died this year in Afghanistan.
Throughout Afghanistan, as coalition troops withdraw, the Afghans are simply unable to come in and create civic order. Last week, the International Crisis Group reported that despite the $57 billion in aid spent in Afghanistan, sustaining nation building was “virtually impossible.’’ The Afghan police and army “have thus far proved unable to enforce the law, counter the insurgency, or even secure the seven regions’’ handed over to them.
The Wardak district where the raid took place is only 60 miles from Kabul. Though NATO has been focusing military missions and monetary support there consistently for more than a year, the Taliban is clearly able to organize and launch attacks. This isn’t the hinterlands of the border with Pakistan, or even the Taliban’s historic stronghold in regions further south. Little outside of Kabul itself seems ready for independent governance. ....
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
it’s time to pull out every troop now.
not one more dime or American life wasted. bring them all home now!
As a Vietnam Vet I see the exact same thing happening in Afghanistan and Iraq.....the freaking politicians have taken over and won’t let us win...how about a couple of nukes in the right place after we pull the troops back a few miles?
While I respect the way the system is set up with civilians in charge, I do not see them allowing us to win a military victory...so in the ens..just pull our guys out and let the ragheas go at each other?
Meadow Muffin
Under Obama there’s no reason to believe that ANY report is real. Was there really a Chinook copter that got shot down? Did it have Seal Team 6 members on board? Is Obama dead? Was Obama killed in Pakistan, or was it a staged show?
Is there a movie about the Tuscaloosa Airmen that needed AF-One flying by the Statue of Liberty in a backdrop shot for the closing scenes? Is there a movie planned about Obama’s heroic decision against all advice to go after Obama in Pakistan? Is there a real birth certificate? Did Obama ever really attend Columbia College?
Was Obama already long dead?
We only know this: Obama can party, and party wildly all over the world lavishly using all the fabulous wealth of America. Obama has many fans and supporters. Obama as a concept, that is.
We also know the truths of many small things. Using small things, little actions made in the public, and the little actions not made: these are a true measure too.
See how Obama is measured by those small things. See how Mr. George W. Bush, the President ages (it seems) ago was measured by small things. On that Minerva’s Balance, who comes off with more good weight?
Osama, Obama. What is the froggin difference?
I’m confused. Did you mean Osama in some of those “Obama” references?
Sorry, that train has already left the station. Our nation never resolved to do more than go shopping and occasionally watch the news. Our military strength is a trillion dollar hammer being used as a paperweight.
Obama destroys more than just two giant towers of American Finance and World Trade, and one-fifth the Pentagon. He is destroying many American business structures, and also the military.
While the grey-stick flyweight Osama was busy bartering wife's like some reality-show charlatan, Obama easily bested him and then some.
this needs to become a tea party position IMO.
Sorry, I just can’t understand why they would put so many valuable troops onto on chopper. This seems like a stupid decision on someones part to me... Damn it all, way too many A+ troops lost on a single helo...come on!
In Vietnam, they wouldn’t let us bomb the North. We bomb the North, they cave in. We hit them where it hurts most.
In the raghead world we get to them if we use pig byproducts on them. It gets in their heads and they cave in terror.
We are killing them nicely. Kill them with malace as that is the only thing they understand. Damn their souls to Mohammedan Hell.
That is ONE chopper and yes, I’m disgusted and mad about the stupid people that put so many wonderful soldiers on one chopper! Assholes all!
Exactly, the Chinook has great roles in our warfighting, but it is slow, big and this is the second group of SPeCOPS guys toasted in in one of these Machines. Same number of guys got Bin Laden, and thy were numerous H-60’s. Who in the hell planned this?
We have no business still being there.
I agree. I do not think that is protocol. That is another fishy aspect of this matter.
Yup, an illegal war (sorry but it is, no declaration) costing us trillions of dollars, thousands of lives FOR NO BENEFIT TO THE AMERICAN CITIZEN!
Absolutely the truth! We should not even think about armed action unless our troops are allowed to win. In this kind of situation we should assign a “scorched earth” policy OR pull everyone out of that country.
Do the politicians think we can win by slapping the enemy ion the wrist? They tie our warrior’s hands behind their backs and send them to fight.
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