It’s time to end America’s war in Afghanistan

[daftandbarmy]

It’s time to end America’s war in Afghanistan

A child born on this date in 2001 – just before the terrorist attacks of 9/11 – is old enough to be fighting today in the war in Afghanistan.

This week – almost 17 years after the war began – the Taliban attacked Ghazni, killing more than 100 Afghan army soldiers. The

Taliban also overran a base, where they killed another 17 soldiers.
 
It’s not hard to imagine that some of the fighters on both sides of this week’s battles – those fighting for the Afghan army and the Taliban – were not yet born on 9/11.

As America’s longest war continues in Afghanistan, it is sapping America’s resources and strategic focus while the list of far more serious national security threats – from climate change to the rise of China – continues to grow. It is time to find a way to wind down America’s war in Afghanistan, one way or another.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/19/its-time-to-end-americas-war-in-afghanistan

 

[tomahawk6]

Afghanistan doesn't sap US strength and I don't believe in man made climate change.But the cost is no longer worth it imo. We got the Taliban out of power and encouraged democracy. If the government cant stand on its own without US/NATO help after 17 years then something is wrong.

 

[Jarnhamar]

[quote author=tomahawk6] If the government cant stand on its own without US/NATO help after 17 years then something is wrong.
[/quote]

We taught them North American welfare and to worship money.

What could go wrong with that?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I think everyone should just get out of the ME and SWA. Switch our focus from co-operation to containment. Then they can do whatever they want to each other.

 

[CBH99]

As nice as that would be, I think we would basically just be telling the Chinese to come in & take over all of the economic resources, raw materials, etc etc the region offers.

Does the US really care about Afghanistan that much?  Objectively, probably not.  A headache for one, and a constant source of fuel for the US military industrial complex.  Whether for ammo, bombs, or back in the height of the war - lots of innovation & new technologies.

Does the US care about the huge amounts of raw materials potentially accessible in Afghanistan?  Yes.  Very much so. 


Same applies to a few regions around the world.  By leaving them to their own devices & letting them sort their own mess - while desirable on the one hand - would basically be leaving those same regions to be exploited by the Chinese or the Russians. 

 

[daftandbarmy]

As nice as that would be, I think we would basically just be telling the Chinese to come in & take over all of the economic resources, raw materials, etc etc the region offers.

#thegreatgamefallaciescontinued

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Game

 

[CBH99]

Indeed.  The next chapter in the game, just with different players & different rules.

Yet this time around, due to the changed nature of the world, it's no longer "The Great Royal Navy" and the "British Empire" protecting their crown jewel & global ambitions.

It's China.  Smarter, 3 steps ahead, and playing by their own rule book.  Cutting out the red tape.  Offering loans & funds with very few questions asked.  No caveats.  Directly to the people who matter.  Knowing full well the governments borrowing the loans won't be able to pay them back, then seizing the assets they build with the funds they borrowed.  (Like a bank lending you a mortgage, knowing full well it's going to foreclose on your house & wait a few years for the value to inevitable go up.)

 

[tomahawk6]

The government may offer the Taliban a 3 month long ceasefire but only if they agree. After the June ceasefire the Taliban have launched a wave of attacks. 

https://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/ghani-offers-conditional-second-cease-fire-with-an-increasingly-emboldened-taliban-1.543380

 

[Fishbone Jones]

The government may offer the Taliban a 3 month long ceasefire but only if they agree. After the June ceasefire the Taliban have launched a wave of attacks. 

https://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/ghani-offers-conditional-second-cease-fire-with-an-increasingly-emboldened-taliban-1.543380

And by the time they negotiate the ceasefire, fighting season is over. Bet the ceasefire only holds until the spring when fighting season starts back up.

 

[daftandbarmy]

It’s time to get out of Afghanistan. Here’s how.

Donald Trump campaigned as someone who wanted to get America out of the Middle East. But he also cast himself as a tough guy, and his initial instincts in office were to show force — added troops, more aggressive rules of engagement, bigger bombs — in America’s war zones. “These killers need to know they have nowhere to hide,” he said when announcing a troop surge in Afghanistan.

Now we get reports that the Trump administration is searching for a negotiated settlement with the Taliban. However meandering the road, the administration is on the right path. But it is a very difficult one to navigate.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/its-time-to-get-out-of-afghanistan-heres-how/2018/08/02/afe21708-9691-11e8-810c-5fa705927d54_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ce9a6a94866f