oh, that's right - you took the blood also - didn't you? On Sep 7, 11:24 am, Hollywood <[email protected]> wrote: > plain, > > Now THAT was one of the most idiotic fucking statements you have EVER > made. > And considering the level of idiocy of many of your posts that's > really saying something. > > On Sep 7, 11:21 am, plainolamerican <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Afghanistan the next Vietnam? > > --- > > it already is > > > as long as the US government offers it's soldiers cash money, > > benefits, and educational reimbursement they'll kill anyone, anywhere > > on command > > > Warmongers Beware! > > Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. > > > On Sep 5, 10:16 am, Pradeep Sharma <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > Sep 05 2009 > > > > The Other Voice - Afghanistan the next Vietnam? > > > > Barack Obama campaigned like an anti-war Presidential candidate, but on > > > assuming power was confronted with the reality that the West's position in > > > Afghanistan had become intractable -- same that Nixon faced in Vietnam? > > > Afghanistan is proving to be one of Barack Obama's toughest foreign policy > > > challenges. Eight years after the US, along with its NATO allies, > > > intervened > > > in Afghanistan, the situation there only seems to have got grimmer and > > > parallels are being drawn between Afghanistan and America's war in > > > Vietnam. > > > "Could Afghanistan become Obama's Vietnam?" wrote Peter Baker in a New > > > York > > > Times article last week. Though he agrees that historical analogies are > > > "overly simplistic and fatally flawed," he has set in motion a major > > > debate > > > on the subject. > > > > Just a few months back, at the time of his inauguration, Obama was being > > > hailed as a Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D Roosevelt rolled into one, who > > > would usher in a `new deal' that would see the resurgence of the US after > > > eight years of what many saw as the flawed policies of George W Bush. The > > > moment was projected as one of those once-in-a generation occurrences and > > > perhaps expectations from Obama were unrealistically high. Obama acquired > > > the image of an anti-war candidate in the election campaign. However, > > > Presidents, after taking the oath, often confront situations that they do > > > not always either anticipate, or discover, as perhaps Obama did once he > > > assumed office, that there is not much room for maneuverability in foreign > > > affairs. This perhaps accounts for his opting for the "status quo" on the > > > foreign policy front. He gave support for continued NATO expansion as well > > > as maintaining American garrisons around the globe. > > > > "But his escalation in Afghanistan most obviously demonstrates that he is > > > a > > > man of the interventionist left," > > > says Doug Bandow of the Washington DC-based CATO Institute. Obama's second > > > 100 days in office have also seen his popularity decline below the 50 per > > > cent mark in July mainly on account of two factors, dissatisfaction with > > > his > > > handling of the economy, especially healthcare and the environment issues, > > > and the manner in which the war in Afghanistan is being conducted. > > > According > > > to Peter Baker, "In this summer of discontent for Mr Obama, as the heady > > > early days give way to the grinding battle for elusive goals, he looks > > > ahead > > > to an uncertain future not only for his legislative agenda but for what > > > has > > > indisputably become his war." > > > > There was general optimism when the Obama administration declared its > > > Af-Pak > > > policy on March 27, 2009. The core strategic goal to "disrupt, dismantle, > > > and eventually defeat al-Qaeda and to eliminate the safe havens in > > > Afghanistan and Pakistan" seemed attainable given the popular support that > > > the new administration enjoyed at that time. All that seems to have > > > changed. > > > According to the Stanford University historian, David Kennedy, as quoted > > > in > > > the NYT, President Obama is concerned that Afghanistan could yet `hijack' > > > his presidency, even though he still refers to the war in Afghanistan as > > > "not a war of choice but a war of necessity." > > > > The policy of escalating the war in Afghanistan with increased troop > > > presence presents its own challenges. > > > While the generals feel they are over-stretched on the ground, Obama finds > > > that even his own party men in Congress have begun to question the wisdom > > > of > > > sending more troops. There appears to be a growing consensus within the > > > United States to deploy more drones that are seen to be doing a great job > > > in > > > Pakistan and are credited with having decimated the top Taliban leadership > > > in Pakistan territory, including dreaded Baitullah Mehsud. > > > > According to a recent Rasmussen Report, 41 per cent of the voters who > > > participated in the poll are less hopeful in August, as compared to a > > > similar poll in June, of the situation improving in Afghanistan. A similar > > > poll conducted in July by the NYT and CBS News showed that 57 per cent of > > > Americans felt that things were not going right for them in Afghanistan. > > > > July 2009 also saw the heaviest casualties among the western forces in the > > > eight-year-war. The toll stood at 43 US soldiers and 31 from among the > > > western allies. > > > Mid-July also witnessed emotional scenes in the small town of Wootton > > > Bassett in England when the bodies of eight British soldiers killed in one > > > day's fighting in Afghanistan arrived home. > > > According to a report, an aircraft carrying the coffins landed at an air > > > base in the western Wiltshire County, where a flyover of military jets > > > took > > > place, followed by a ceremony for the families of the dead. > > > > Britain has 9,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, stationed in the seething > > > southern Helmand Province which has witnessed pitched guerrilla warfare > > > between the Taliban fighters and British soldiers. Britain is not used to > > > such high casualties in Afghanistan, and the average Briton is beginning > > > to > > > question the value of fighting a long-drawn battle in a faraway land over > > > the long term, especially when the real fight against the Taliban seems to > > > have just begun. > > > > While British Prime Minister Gordon Brown might emphasise the need to > > > persist in Afghanistan, the overall public support for his government is > > > dwindling. In his address to the House of Commons recently he declared: > > > "It > > > has been a very difficult summer and it is not over yet, but if we are to > > > deny Helmand to the Taliban in the long term, if we are to defeat this > > > vicious insurgency and by doing so make Britain and the world a safer > > > place, > > > then we must persist with our operations in Afghanistan". > > > Brown is also under sustained attack from the Conservative opposition for > > > allegedly neglecting the safety of British troops by not equipping them > > > properly for the war in Afghanistan. > > > > While Britain is committed to "building a better and more stable world", > > > there is no denying the fact that the trans-Atlantic alliance is under > > > tremendous pressure as the western allies try to look for solutions that > > > would create conditions for a quiet withdrawal. For the moment this seems > > > to > > > be wishful thinking.- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
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