Just why?

We should be in Pakistan if we really wanted to get the Taliban and Al Qaeda...and Saudi Arabia needs a swift kick to their balls, too.

Fish on...

Todd

Training for the invasion of Iran.

That is an excellent question Mr. Vedder.....

Because we'll look SOOOOO good when we leave?

I think Hank is pretty close to right . Bush screwed up by invading the country instead of just bombing the [Bleeeeep!] out of it. Then he didn't wanna admit defeat so he wouldn't leave. Then obama ignored history and thought he could win an unwinnable war and is too damn stubborn to admit defeat and leave.

My comment was tic. IMO, there is no way for us to leave without just doing it. Nothing to gain.....for anyone.

In the 80's, one of the Soviet commanders was quoted as saying "Afghanistan is easy to get in to. It's really hard to get out of."

We probably should have listened.

Dan,

I don't doubt he said that, or something like that, but it probably sounded like this kkkzzklzklВы неkzzk моkzkzгли бы говорить помедленнее. I have been to Russia and have heard them talk and tried to read their signs. Its a damn tough language to even get a hint of what they mean. Can you blame Bush for not understanding that? He probably thought he said something altogether different. I wonder what he thought they were saying? I wonder what Cheany told him they said?

war = MONEY...

thats why we are still there...and likely always will be in some form or another...

Time to leave.

This is the beginning of World War 3 and it was just a matter of time before it happens. I think it will be China because we owe them so damn much money. Why not wak em? ...just like the movie...goodfella's

I think most Americans wanted to kick some Al Qaeda azz after they hit the Trade Center.
Then there was Tora Bora and Anaconda and Iraq and then the Taliban and then nation building. WTF.
I just read a partial account of the Anaconda battle.....
not much to say after reading about what our people have to do.

Why? Who cares. Just GTFO. F'em . Let 'em kill each other.

It was entirely predictable with common sense.

Like the drug war, there are profits to be made all over the place in the fighting of things.

"Why? Just Why?"



Opium????????????

didnt i say we would still be there in one form or another?


http://news.yahoo.com/us-defend-afghanistan-decade-drawdown-112505244.html

Dave,

You are old enough and have probably read the answer in Norman Mailer's 1967 book titled "Why we are in Vietnam."

Different location, same answer: "Vietnam, hot damn!"

Grizzly bears, Texans, money, greed, homophobia/homoeroticism, big cock syndrome, all the usual suspects.

Sg

Wars , no matter where they are fought or against whom, are the way the politicos work to devert the attention of Joe American from the internal problems at home. Nothing takes Americas' mind off the problems at home like a messy war with a lot of flag waving.

It is also very lucrative and all of that defense spending has to go somewhere. Imagine how many cronies are involved somewhere down the line in all of those defense contractors.


Course I'm probably just a little pessimistic.


Fishy

things would have been different without the Iraq episode........

Just maybe there's something the government isn't telling us.
Seems like Obama ran on the idea of getting us out of that hell hole.
Perhaps when he became Prez, the military powers to be sat him down with some secret intelligence and he said "Oh F*kk, we can't leave yet".



I'm thinking that the Pentagon boys know a lil more about A'stan than the experts at PP.

No facts to bolster this just a bit of thinking aloud...

BTW, I want us out too.

I wish we would pull out and let those folks kill each other off.
Wishful thinking.
Fremen.

Russia has historically always had their fingers in the politics of
that area. Kipling wrote a book, "Kim," about the never ending
struggle between the Raj and the Russians for influence in that
part of the world. Nothing has changed I suspect, exception,
we are killing off a lot of our young people in a 'no win' struggle.

If they knew shItall about Afghanistan, they'd have known better than to go there.

Egad, that would make us as venal as those of the Third Republic
that guaranteed France's collapse.
I am sure some of that goes on, however, I don't believe that is
the prime reason we are there.
I believe 911 put us there and we don't seem to have the sense to
get out.

War is always about money and resources.

Always.

Fish on...

Todd

War is about people and their fear and greed. Money, resources and
power are the medium of the belligerents.

Looks like we'll have some troops there for ten more years.

Fish on...

Todd

Aren't we still there so Obama can give more speeches from Kabul and claim credit for more stuff?

Watching the "experts" on O'Reilly in the "Spin Like a Tornado Zone"...

Up until today, lots of gleeful finger pointing..."Obama said he'd get us out of there, but he's done nothing!"

The he gets Bin Laden..."Yeah, but we're still there!"

Today announces that we'll be transferring power over the next couple of years, and be down to supporting roles after that, for eight years after the transfer and drawdown begins.

Today..."Cut and Run! He's been cutting forces in Afghanistan all along and just trying to get us out of there!"

The only thing more moronic than those "experts" are the "experts" here and elsewhere who agree with those morons.

Fish on...

Todd

The only thing more moronic than those "experts" are the "experts" here and elsewhere who agree with those morons.

Fish on...

Todd


HAhahahhHA, I always appreciate how you walk in that grey area.


Fishy

Could be longer.
We'll be taking shots with the drones for long time, I suspect.

I'm thinking that some news outfit needs a dose of The Todd!

You'd set 'em straight, wouldn't ya?

Maybe a title for your newly broadcast tid bit would have a name like...............Todd's Sass.........what do you think? Kinda catchy ain't it?

Actually Obama increased the number of troops in Afghanistan shortly after taking office. Used a "Surge" similar to what was considered effective in Iraq. The actual troop decrease that has been taking place over the last 10 months is really just cutting the troops back to the level they were prior to the surge. We will be there for at least 12 years due to the agreement signed today. Now while we will be doing a lot of training and assisting, we will fight with them when asked. As someone who has worked side by side with the ANA, I see us doing a lot more fighting than training.

"Four things greater than all things are, --
Women and Horses and Power and War"

Perhaps that is why. A quote from tribesmen at the market in Peshawar.