[mike777]

The other day Mrs. Clinton said we should send more troops to Afghanistan.

I ask these questions in all seriousness as I seem to only come up with poor or no answers myself.

1) Why is the Usa still fighting in Afghanistan and who are we fighting?
2) Is the war winnable?
3) If not should we come home now?
4) If it is what else should we be doing?
5) Why is Nato still there and how long do they plan on staying?
6) Does Mrs. Clinton plan on winning this thing or just keeping us there for another 10 years?

[pbleighton]

1) Why is the Usa still fighting in Afghanistan and who are we fighting?

??

2) Is the war winnable?

Probably not.

3) If not should we come home now?

Yes.

4) If it is what else should we be doing?

n/a

5) Why is Nato still there and how long do they plan on staying?

??

6) Does Mrs. Clinton plan on winning this thing or just keeping us there for another 10 years?

she plans on winning the election as a fake hawk, then leaving

If you don't like the answers, make up your own

Peter

[helene_t]

mike777, on Jan 21 2007, 12:00 AM, said:

The other day Mrs. Clinton said we should send more troops to Afghanistan.

I ask these questions in all seriousness as I seem to only come up with poor or no answers myself.

1) Why is the Usa still fighting in Afghanistan and who are we fighting?
The USA and other Western countries are fighting the Taliban for a number of obvious reasons.

2) Is the war winnable?
Yes, in the sense that the presence of Western troops continues to reduce the risk that the Taliban regains power. If you mean if we will be able to destroy the Taliban entirely, I doubt it.

3) If not should we come home now?
Yes of course, but I think the war is somewhat winnable.

4) If it is what else should we be doing?
Personally I would rather play bridge than fighting a war (even if "winnable" whatever that means) but to each his/her favorite leasure activities. Seriously: promoting bridge in Afganistan may be a good thing since bridge was illegal under the Taliban so if bridge becomes popular it may turn people against the Taliban.

5) Why is Nato still there and how long do they plan on staying?
They haven't planned anything but as soon as a the Afghan government for a moment seems to be able to do without us, we will pull out, I think.

6) Does Mrs. Clinton plan on winning this thing or just keeping us there for another 10 years?
Peter's answer to this one sounds plausible, but I have no idea, I didn't even know she had a policy on Afganistan.

[cherdano]

helene_t, on Jan 21 2007, 12:26 AM, said:

6) Does Mrs. Clinton plan on winning this thing or just keeping us there for another 10 years?
Peter's answer to this one sounds plausible, but I have no idea, I didn't even know she had a policy on Afganistan.

She may not have known this either, as of a week ago.

[Winstonm]

1) Why is the Usa still fighting in Afghanistan and who are we fighting?

We are fighting the evil Taliban who had reduced the opium poppy crops to zero - with our help in ridding the country of the Taliban, the new crops are now 400% higher, and thank goodness because the CIA needs the illegal drug cash to finance its covert operations inside Iran, and the DEA can go back to their air traffic control jobs in Mena, Arkansas.

2) Is the war winnable?
Sure. Just like Russia won. Just like we crushed the invaders in Korea and Vietnam.

3) Just remember again the reason for the invasion - we went in because the Taliban supposedly would not turn over Osama bin Laden - remember? The Taliban said he was a guest of their country and had the temerity to ask the U.S. of "proof" of his complicity with 9-11 before they would turn him over. Our proof was about 5 million pounds of TNT dropped on the Taliban's heads - so they could see the light that we were right.

Of course, for a long time now Bush has said that Osama bin Laden is no longer important to us - so then what is the beef now with the Taliban? And what the hell are we still doing in Afghanistan?

Don't we have any isolationist candidates out there?

[P_Marlowe]

mike777, on Jan 20 2007, 05:00 PM, said:

The other day Mrs. Clinton said we should send more troops to Afghanistan.

I ask these questions in all seriousness as I seem to only come up with poor or no answers myself.

1) Why is the Usa still fighting in Afghanistan and who are we fighting?
2) Is the war winnable?
3) If not should we come home now?
4) If it is what else should we be doing?
5) Why is Nato still there and how long do they plan on staying?
6) Does Mrs. Clinton plan on winning this thing or just keeping us there for another 10 years?

1) Taliban
2,4) Yes, but that means give the people an option
for the future.
=> Money was promised to create schools, streets
and so on, the money did not flow.
3) No
5) Prestige
6) No idea

[Al_U_Card]

Who are we fighting???

Religious leaders.....in sect-like enclaves....inciting participants to give their "all" for the cause....in god-forsaken areas where no one in their right mind wants to go but where good honest decent folk still live......

uhhhh..... are we talking Taliban or Oral Roberts/Pat Robertson/Jerry Falwell????

[Winstonm]

Al_U_Card, on Jan 21 2007, 09:55 AM, said:

Who are we fighting???

Religious leaders.....in sect-like enclaves....inciting participants to give their "all" for the cause....in god-forsaken areas where no one in their right mind wants to go but where good honest decent folk still live......

uhhhh..... are we talking Taliban or Oral Roberts/Pat Robertson/Jerry Falwell????

If we didn't supply them with troops as targets, who would they suicide bomb?

Oh, I forgot - there's that gas pipeline that is at the heart of our national security.
Do you still get the 44 virgins for blowing up yourself and a pipeline?

[luke warm]

Winstonm, on Jan 21 2007, 12:35 PM, said:

Do you still get the 44 virgins for blowing up yourself and a pipeline?

careful, it was a line like that that got me put on 'ignore' for someone

[helene_t]

Just read in "The God Delusion" that the 72 virgins should be 72 raisins - the usual script slugishness.

[the saint]

helene_t, on Jan 21 2007, 06:45 PM, said:

Just read in "The God Delusion" that the 72 virgins should be 72 raisins - the usual script slugishness.

Super book. Everyone should read it.

[helene_t]

But Alan, you used to have the signature "[....] I do believe in God but the only thing I fear is Sheepman".

Aren't you confusing the book with "The Sheepman delusion" ?

[the saint]

helene_t, on Jan 22 2007, 10:34 AM, said:

But Alan, you used to have the signature "[....] I do believe in God but the only thing I fear is Sheepman".

Aren't you confusing the book with "The Sheepman delusion" ?

That was a parody on a famous line from one of the best films ever made - The Usual Suspects.

Those who know me know there are no gods in my life... save perhaps Belladonna and Garozzo!!

[hrothgar]

mike777, on Jan 21 2007, 01:00 AM, said:

The other day Mrs. Clinton said we should send more troops to Afghanistan.

I ask these questions in all seriousness as I seem to only come up with poor or no answers myself.

1) Why is the Usa still fighting in Afghanistan and who are we fighting?
2) Is the war winnable?
3) If not should we come home now?
4) If it is what else should we be doing?
5) Why is Nato still there and how long do they plan on staying?
6) Does Mrs. Clinton plan on winning this thing or just keeping us there for another 10 years?

The situation in Afghanistan is a complex one, and I have quite different opinions about this conflict than I do about the US attack on Iraq.

1. I believe that the US was justified in launching an attack to crush the Taliban. However, I believe that the US should have worked with the UN to get the Security Council to approve this military action.

2. Unlike Iraq, I believe that that a continued US military presence in Afghanistan would be beneficial, both to the Afghani people and the US national interest. I see two main differences between the two countries. First, the situation in Iraq has spiraled completely out of control. I think that it still might be possible to salvage something in Afghanistan. Second, Afghanistan is a lot smaller than Iraq. I think that it would be a lot easier to stablize Afghanistan than Iraq.

[Helene was nice enough to point out that the population of Afghanistan is actually larger than that of Iraq. The Iraqi population is roughly 37 million. The population of afghanistan is roughly 31 million.]

3. As I've noted many times in the past, I don't think that the US (or NATO) can impose stablity using nothing but military force. I firmly believe that economic aid packages must form the core of any kind of stablization policy. At the close of World War II the US recognized that massive economic aid packages were necessary to rebuild the defeated Axis powers as a precursor to creating stable democratic states. The Marshall Plan probably rates as the United States' great diplomatic success of all time. We need to apply the same principle to Afghanistan.

4. I would support and increase in the US troop presence in Afghanistan, but only if this was accompanied by a comprehensive set of aid packages. In my mind, economic aid is how I separate policians who are thinking with their brains as opposed to just flexing the muscles to try and pretend that their "tough"