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Escalating the War in Afghanistan Would Be a Huge Mistake

getafghanistanright.com — A group of bloggers, writers and activists today launched "Get Afghanistan Right Week," the start of an ongoing campaign to oppose military escalation in Afghanistan. Participants argue that Afghanistan has become an un-winnable, deepening quagmire, and that escalation will drain resources needed for recovery efforts at home.

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  • nelsonjs, on 01/14/2009, -1/+11A few questions that must be answered by those who support escalation, as written by Gregg at Firedoglake.

    * What are the goals of US involvement?
    * What is the main objective of the military strategy?
    * What would “victory” look like, and what allows US troops to leave?
    * How will we pay for an escalation in Afghanistan?
    * What diplomatic and non-military aid initiatives will the US pursue in the immediate future?
    * What role does Pakistan (and other surrounding nations) play in this conflict and its solution?
    * What kind of permanent presence in Afghanistan does the Obama Administration envision, and how does that benefit America and the region?
    * What is the plan for de-escalating the US military presence?
  • BohicaTwentyTwo, on 01/15/2009, -0/+22004 called, they want their Iraq war description back.
  • sanman, on 01/15/2009, -0/+2give me a break

    The US didn't go to Afghanistan because of some trumped up WMD claims. It went there because of the Sept11 attacks, and that's where AlQaeda launched the attacks from.

    If the US doesn't defeat AlQaeda and its Taliban allies in Afghanistan, then they'll be able to go right back to where they were on Sept11.

    The best defense is a good offense.
  • heystoopid, on 01/14/2009, -1/+2Oh the evil irony the sneaky Rooskeys and enterprising Chinese looking for an edge could possible supply the fiercely independent almost unkillable wily Afghan rebel families via the back door just like the CIA did back in the eighties at the behest of Chairman Ronnie and bleed the yankee army red for the cost of a few peanuts , thus the circle turns .

    But unlike Vietnam to bomb the assorted neighboring countries would unleash the many dogs of war with sharper fangs and meaner bite already snarling at the leash to repay past favors done unto them .

    I suppose one could be very mean to employ both George and yesterdays hero Henry Kissinger to discuss the terms of the new Afghanistan Peace Accord in Geneva or Tel Aviv.

    But hey this is George "Chicken Man" Shrub's self created new Vietnam , for he ran away from the real one long ago shirking his patriotic duty leaving others to deal with his mess , and is doing it yet again , talk about charlatans disguised as false flag patriots .
  • poprocksandsoda, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1Funny how before the election Americans should care what the world thinks, but now we should take care of #1. Sorry, but if we abandon the new Afghan government we'll see the same thing grow out it that we have in the past. A new Iraq and Afghanistan is a tremendous asset to the world and I prefer that we keep the course.
  • inactive, on 01/15/2009, -1/+2I've always been suspicious of Obama's (Biden's?) whole yellow-brick-road-to-Afghanistan thing. So what is going to be done there? Osama bin Laden is already dead. Pakistan's sovereignty is on the borderline, but is it really the US' duty to be world police? Why don't we ask China to send troops in to secure the Afghan border; they're closer. As far as totalitarianism it can be debated which government is better or worse anyway.

    We need to focus on our own issues, and not starry-eye-dream stuff like getting OBL. (Just how much damage has that caused to the US reputation, anyway?) Of course, people like Biden will put on the red slippers and dance to the place no matter what anyone thinks.

    We need to focus on improving our ***** at home, while reducing overall spending so when can actually reduce taxes without causing ginormous deficits. Of course when people are mesmerized by the Tax-and-Spend republicrats, what can you expect? Obama or Mccain, it didn't matter kiddies, this nation is going bankrupt, and eventually someone evil will get a hold of those Pakistani nukes thanks in part to it.
  • truepatriot4u, on 01/16/2009, -0/+1The simple facts are, oil, oil, oil! Google the Trans Asia Gas Pipeline Unocal. After that Google the BTC pipeline and Caspian oil fields. When your done reading all the different articles on U.S. interests in the Caspian Sea oil reserves, then and only then will you understand why we are in Iraq and Afghanistan, and will be for many years to come. The oil reserves in that region are 300 times the size of ours in the U.S. It really makes you wonder if there really is a terrorist threat, or was this all just smoke and mirrors?
  • Ninh, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1My "Get Afghanistan Right Week" focuses on sending armchair activists and bloggers to dig wells and teach blogging techniques in rural Afghanistan.
  • Lhandroval, on 01/15/2009, -1/+2I was hoping for original content here, but this is mostly just recycled stuff from debates against the Iraq war. Oh well.

    I suggest to those of you debating this yourselves is to get a historical background of Afghanistan. It's history has been especially tragic: the country has either been embroiled in civil and/or tribal warfare or ruled with an iron fist from a foreign power (before the US, it was the USSR who wanted Afghanistan, and then long ago it was the Iron Amir). Lasting solutions in Afghanistan will have to find some way to break this cycle.
  • vault, on 01/14/2009, -4/+4Sorry pacifists, even hopey-changey himself supports the War in Afghanistan, and that should tell you something.
  • homercles337, on 01/14/2009, -2/+1I think it was that ***** Rummy that said, "There are no good targets in Afghanistan. And there are lots of good targets in Iraq." Just something to keep in mind.
  • bustaballs, on 01/15/2009, -2/+1The congress gave permission for the president to use military force to retaliate against the perpetrators of 9/11. They did NOT give permission to start all out war, tear down the entire nation, and try to build it again from the ground up. The majority of what happened in Afghanistan was a mistake.
  • hydroplane, on 01/14/2009, -5/+2Opinion Leaders Launch Week of Blogging, Jan. 12-18, Opposing Military Escalation

    Opinion leaders? what kind of commie ***** is that.
  • badqat, on 01/14/2009, -6/+3Oh, I think Obama has already made clear what his ideas on this topic are...

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