On the subject of Afghanistan---------

[gyrafoam]

Heres' a good op/ed from the "other-side":

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/opinion/11rich.html

 

[jeffg]

Unlike Iraq, I've run into very few people who say our invasion of Afghanistan was a mistake. Many of al Quaeda's training centers were located there, and al Qaeda's main support structure (the Taliban) was and still is based there.

But as with most other U.S. foreign policy decisions since the end of WWII, our actions in Afghanistan prior to 2001 amount to mass insanity, or stupidity. Your choice. In 1979 the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan for precisely the same reason we did in 2001, but instead of supporting them, our government boycotted the Olympics. They put Osama bin Laden on CIA's payroll, helped him assemble a mujahideen (which eventually became al Qaeda), and shipped 65,000 tons of munitions to them by 1987. Brilliant, no?

 

[gyrafoam]

Well the latest think-tank talk is that Al Quaida has been largely broken-up at this point although Northern Pakistan is loaded with them, the largest concentration of them is gathering in Yemen.-----(our next Iraq)? In fact, Yemen has such a gathering of them they are looking like they will have their largest base EVER, located there.

I think Obama has to either make a decision to either get all the way into this thing and go-for-broke. Or get out------ and concentrate on Northern Pakistan and Yemen.

Afghanistan has seen invasion by the British, the Soviets and now us and every time previously they sent the invading army scrambling home, tired and broken.

IMO if the Soviets, who have proven themselves to be very cold-blooded and ruthless occupiers could not do the job (and the Russians couldn't give a rats-a$$ what the rest of the world thinks,anyway)then I don't see the sense in us spinning our wheels there.

The battle against Al Quaida, no matter where they go, is likely to be endless.

 

[jeffg]

GWB was al Qaeda's wildest dream, and president Obama is their worst nightmare.

 

[gyrafoam]

Richard Engle on Maaaaartha Stewart this morning. It is his opinion that if we were to stay in Afghanistan to attempt "nation building" we are talking about a time frame of 10 or more years.
That is crazy.

What governments exist there now are a de-centralized hodge-podge. Because of all the different tribes and cultural differences it will always be de-centralized.

The Kharzi Government is TERRIFIED that we will leave, and then they will most certainly be driven out.

But the problem still remains. The troops we currently have in Afghanistan need help NOW! Things are getting more and more dangerous for them.