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U.S. mulls speeding up troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

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bassfunk,

"That depends on what you see as failure."

Is that just a filler answer because you have nothing valid to respond with or are you that blind to Afghanistan's history? If it is the latter, you definitely shouldn't be speaking on the matter. For hundreds, if not thousands of years,countless foreign invaders and have attempted to rule that land. And history always shows that the people always rebel against and succeed in overthrowing foreign institutions. If you install a foreign-backed leader in a country, and they are ousted, it is a failure, period.

"Saddam was a threat."

To who, the United States? Not. To the Sunnis and the Kurds who he oppressed? Absolutely. What did that have to do with the United States? Nothing. Oh, the mustard gas thing? Yeah, he used it on the Kurds because of a failed assassination attempt. Still had nothing to do with the U.S. If that's the case, we should have already liberated Tibet, Taiwan, dismantled oppressive governments in Myanmar, Syria, Yemen, N. Korea, China, and numerous African countries due to oppressive regimes. But of course, they aren't on par with America's interests, or at least not enough to do what was done in Iraq.

There is no excuse for the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. We went into both and only made things monumentally worse. Iraq is in a full fledged civil war now that there is no definitive, powerful entity running it (and no, I do not condone anything Saddam did). Afghanistan is even worse with the Taliban's resurgence to reclaim power. So what do we have to show for it? Too many lost lives, pointless spending, and an invaluable amount of time wasted.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@jean

Wow! Now I'm a liberal! That liberal/conservative paradigm is so passe.

Oh, yes you are. Passé? So is, the government is out to get you.

USA has been entitled as an empire for a very long time.

Saying and actually being are two entirely seperate things.

If it looks, walks, sounds, and acts like a duck...it's a duck.

People often confuse a goose with a duck, go figure.

The misadventure into Afghanistan was preceded by the British Empire's failed adventure as well as the Soviet's. Should this time's failure be any surprise?

That depends on what you see as failure.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

The US is labeled an empire by people who like saying it for mental masturbation, no one else.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

" Do I have to keep reminding you liberals. The US is NOT an empire."

Wow! Now I'm a liberal! That liberal/conservative paradigm is so passe'. USA has been entitled as an empire for a very long time. If it looks, walks, sounds, and acts like a duck...it's a duck.

The misadventure into Afghanistan was preceded by the British Empire's failed adventure as well as the Soviet's. Should this time's failure be any surprise?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"War is a racket." The U.S. had no valid reason for being there in the first place, except for the oil and lucrative arms deals.

Sometimes war is necessary to keep the peace. Jeff, when you banter like that clearly shows me that you probably didn't understand the dynamics at the time as to why we went to war in Vietnam in the first place. Saddam was a threat, needed to and had every right to remove him. Afghanistan ( which later became Obama's war ) will be remembered decided to keep the fight going.

Do I have to keep reminding you liberals. The US is NOT an empire. What's next, we're owned by the Free Masons? Please...

And don't start the "they just wanted the oil only. ANY sane individual that was there knows that is an absolute exaggerated lie. EVERY COUNTRY needs oil, without it, you'd be up the creek without paddle. I don't care if you are the UK, Canada, France etc, they all need it, period.

According to this, Crude Oil and Total Petroleum Imports Top 15 Countries, as of November 2010, the top source of crude oil for the US is…Canada. Followed by Mexico. Indeed, of the top 15 countries that import oil to the US, 51.33% of them are in North America. If we add the rest of the Americas, 60.04% comes from there. If you combined the imports of the “West” (i.e. Canada and European nations), you have 34.28%. All in all, the United States got over 75% of its crude oil from non Arab states in November of 2010.

Often when you hear talk about oil, you would get the impression that the US got all of its oil from the Middle East. If anything, most of it comes from elsewhere. And the biggest importer exporter of oil to the US is Canada.

@El

Sorry, but the US did NOT go into Iraq to plunder oil. Stop reading the "Daily Kos and Think Progress"

If IRAQ had no OIL would the USA etc..care about that country??

I had a few friends that died in Iraq and YES, they did care. Oil was Never the objective when the troops were deployed to Iraq. But let me ask YOU something. Do you care about our wounded and disabled soldiers? Are you doing your part to help them instead of sniping at Bush and Cheney constantly. How are you contributing?

.

Afghanistan does not have oil, but it sits in a very strategic part of our world, Pakistan, Iran and India, Russia, China etc..do not want to see rival powers take over these countries, so our REPUBLICAN amigos can make more and more $$$ by suckering us into more wars.

OMG! ROFL have you seen how the situation is in Afghanistan? Or how about Syria and Egypt, how's our relationship been with these countries recently? who's the current President?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

elbunda, to help you find that dems hands are just as dirty, refer to the links. You'll find that your favorites voted FOR as well.

http://fpif.org/the_democrats_support_for_bushs_war/

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00237

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

We should just leave the country.

Let them deal with managing such an undeveloped country on their own. Then, they can only blame themselves.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

elbunda, just a question for you. How many and which democrats were for either or both of those undeclared wars? I've got bad news for you but, it was bi-partisan. Get it?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

If IRAQ had no OIL would the USA etc..care about that country?? Afghanistan does not have oil, but it sits in a very strategic part of our world, Pakistan, Iran and India, Russia, China etc..do not want to see rival powers take over these countries, so our REPUBLICAN amigos can make more and more $$$ by suckering us into more wars.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Eisenhower got the U.S. into Vietnam

It's good to see Eisenhower mentioned with Vietnam, it's often omitted.I hear that Afganistan also has tons of minerals and rare earths as well.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Exactly, Jeff. The warmongering statists of both persuasions here on JT won't see it that way, though.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

"War is a racket." The U.S. had no valid reason for being there in the first place, except for the oil and lucrative arms deals.

As for Democrats or Republicans, it makes little difference. By comparison: Eisenhower got the U.S. into Vietnam, JFK went along with it at first but later wanted the U.S. out, then LBJ and Nixon kept the U.S. in and expanded the conflict; Bush and Cheney got the U.S. into Afghanistan (and Iraq) under false pretenses, and now Obama is punting from 4th and long. History will not look favorably upon the United States' empire.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@zurcronium, El and other liberals that have a difficult time understanding this.

Another miserable bush failure that Obama is trying to get out of as soon as possible. Karzai is bush's man, corrupt of course to the core.

Given the situation at the time, Karzai seemed the best choice that could hold Kabul together. No one anticipated that he was going to be lying sack of....thug. Now fast forward to the present. Obama was the one that suggested that Afghanistan was the right and just place for our troops to be because that's where the real enemy lies. We need to focus and redeploy our troops from Iraq to Afghanistan. Sorry, Bush had NOTHING to do with that decision. Therefore, The responsibility and ultimate decision of continuing the fight in Afghanistan, staying and using drones and increasing the drone attacks, ALL DONE AND LED BY A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT!

US will leave, Karzai will flee to his billions in a Swiss bank,

Most likely, yes.

Taliban will take over.

Most likely, yes.

Just like before Bush invaded the country without any exit plan at all.

Off topic

Billions wasted, thousands dead, no difference made.

Every war billions are spent and or wasted, depending on your point of view. This is what republicans do when they are in power. Total and complete failure.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/02/5-good-things-going-on-in_n_343139.html

But there's more. Funny, how overwelmingly the media mostly ignores news like this one. And coming from Huff post is even more astonishing.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Blaming the Dems or Reps is idiotic. They BOTH wanted to go into both Iraq and Afghanistan. If you want to blame anyone, blame the people themselves for NOT pouring out into the streets vehemently protesting both military adventures en masse. Blame the people who VOLUNTEERED to don the uniforms, tote the weapons, and kill people in their home countries. Blame the people who chant Support Our Troops as well, they are all part of the Empire's minions.

No country should have their armies in other countries. XXX, get out of XYZ.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Ha. Obama's gonna need the troops home to restore order. Riots will be sparking soon after the Zimmerman verdict comes out and he's found not guilty. A repeat of Rodney King (Charlton Heston voice) "it happened before, it WILL happen again."

As far as troops leaving Afganistan, don't bet on it, you'll lose.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

noriysan73: The USA also needs to close at least half the military vacation bases in Japan and let the Japanese taxpayers keep the money they spend for the USA umbrella. Ospreys in Okinawa, what a joke.

Nah.

zurcronium: Bush failed not once but twice. Afganistan will go back to the Taliban and Iraq is on the edge again of a civil war. And that Iraq oil you republicans said would pay for the invasion, it is going to China. Miserable and total failures by bush and the republicans.

Off topic.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Serrano,

Obviously Obama was using the surge in Afganistan to get out of Iraq. You want to discuss Iraq? That was even more stupid and wasteful than the invasion of Afganistan. Bush failed not once but twice. Afganistan will go back to the Taliban and Iraq is on the edge again of a civil war. And that Iraq oil you republicans said would pay for the invasion, it is going to China. Miserable and total failures by bush and the republicans.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

"Just drone the crap out if them" is exactly what should be done. The USA also needs to close at least half the military vacation bases in Japan and let the Japanese taxpayers keep the money they spend for the USA umbrella. Ospreys in Okinawa, what a joke.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Just drone the crap out if them.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Thousands of people died and we call it just a failure, no one will be asked for the people who lost their lives, is not the irony?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

zurcroniumJul. 09, 2013 - 04:50PM JST

"Another miserable bush failure that Obama is trying to get out of as soon as possible."

Really? Then what's up with that surge in 2010 that Obama ordered? And why did he say Afghanistan was "the right war"?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Zurcro is RIGHT ON THE MONEY! This whole stupid fiasco was started by that idiot George Bush Jr and now Mr.Obama is trying to clean up from this mess! So, let us see who wants to keep voting REPUBLICANS into power in Washington DC.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The troops might leave, but the drones will remain.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Spot on, Zurcronium!!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Another miserable bush failure that Obama is trying to get out of as soon as possible. Karzai is bush's man, corrupt of course to the core.

US will leave, Karzai will flee to his billions in a Swiss bank, Taliban will take over. Just like before Bush invaded the country without any exit plan at all. Billions wasted, thousands dead, no difference made. This is what republicans do when they are in power. Total and complete failure.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

What a waste. The worlds best technology and all its gold, worth nothing. If only we were able to care about the average Afghan as a human being like us; but its just not possible.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

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