What is the current mission

[justplugit]

in Afghanistan?

If it's to win we need to use all of our available high tech
weapons and bombers to level mountain hide aways etc.
wherever their hiding.

If it's to be there for political reasons we need to get
our troops, including the 30,000 just sent out of there
yesterday.

I could see the original reasons for going in to knock out
the Al Qaeda training camps, but not staying for any other reason
as the chances are slim to none to set up a lasting legitimate
government.

[Raven]

Beats the hell out of me

hitting alkaeda sp? on there home turf... perhaps

[striperman36]

the current mission is to change their locally focussed feudal society into a centralized democracy within the duration of a single administration, like 8 years.
In a land that has been at war for over 100 years, with people divided across ethnic boundaries, no natural resources left to plunder even the forests have been destroyed.

I think we have a chance of.......

[spence]

From what I've gathered, I think the current mission is to hold tough long enough to continue to eliminate enough Taliban/al Qaeda forces so that when we do exit there's not enough resistance to the Afghan central military to upset the apple cart and let the local (non Taliban) militias take control.

Also from what I've read, is that the Taliban in some areas have a brutal campaign of killing anyone who aids the US troops or Afghan Government.

Recent reporting has shown that there's a very large Afghan force under the direction of the CIA targeting the enemy in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. I'd expect this to continue long after the uniformed troops make their exit.

-spence

[Raven]

Originally Posted by spence

From what I've gathered, I think the current mission is to hold tough long enough to continue to eliminate enough Taliban/al Qaeda forces so that when we do exit there's not enough resistance to the Afghan central military to upset the apple cart and let the local (non Taliban) militias take control.

Also from what I've read, is that the Taliban in some areas have a brutal campaign of killing anyone who aids the US troops or Afghan Government.

Recent reporting has shown that there's a very large Afghan force under the direction of the CIA targeting the enemy in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. I'd expect this to continue long after the uniformed troops make their exit.

-spence

so we can also prevent IRAN from taking over from where we left off
as some have suggested in the news

as they see it....(Iran) the future is their's!

[spence]

Originally Posted by Raven

so we can also prevent IRAN from taking over from where we left off
as some have suggested in the news

Who has suggested that?

While I'm no expert, the glaring fact is that Iran predominantly is populated by Shiites while Afghanistan is predominantly Sunni. The Afghan people have shown for the past century a tremendous resistance to outside control. Also, the Iranian government has historically not liked the opium trade there and doesn't even have the resources to engage in conflict.

So why in the hell would Iran want to take over? It's a near impossibility...

-spence

[Raven]

Originally Posted by spence

Who has suggested that?

-spence

an Iranian take over was suggested by Donald Trump in an interview i was watching with Wolf Blitzer.

Afghanistan's mineral deposits value was estimated to be in the trillions of dollars.....

But according to Iran's leader "Mr Mouse" , we probably just made that up too.

[Raven]

I had to a agree with Donald trumps assertion that we get the hell out of Afghanistan...

spending billions over there is like a broken water main....of cash

and is destroying the American economy by wasting money.....
=========================================
have the whole military stand down for awhile and redistribute those billions
to cleaning up Katrina's mess and the oil spill mess would be money better spent.

Or redistribute it to all the individual state's budgets
because it's the Peoples tax dollars for AMERICA not for nation building.... or empire expansion... or any other short sighted
enterprise.

The government is spending billions if not or sometimes trillions on black ops....in secrecy...shhhh or the failed drug war... while at the same time
preventing the growing of HEMP which could even help fuel AMERICA...

Innovation is sitting still like a boat tied up to the dock.

California is Bankrupt .... Rhode Island is Sinking.... the borders are not secure... the dog is "off the leash" running around the neighborhood.

|||| ok , time for a little more dream-time.}}}}}}}}}}

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by spence

Recent reporting has shown that there's a very large Afghan force under the direction of the CIA targeting the enemy in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. I'd expect this to continue long after the uniformed troops make their exit.

-spence

Yeah, very large = 3000. Wow.
These people think in generations, not years. They'll go back to goat herding and poppy growing until the troops leave and then rise again. there is no economic light at the end of the tunnel and in 10, 20, 30, 40 years they will still be dirt poor and in the words of the POTUS will be "clinging to their guns and religion".

[spence]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

Yeah, very large = 3000. Wow.
These people think in generations, not years. They'll go back to goat herding and poppy growing until the troops leave and then rise again. there is no economic light at the end of the tunnel and in 10, 20, 30, 40 years they will still be dirt poor and in the words of the POTUS will be "clinging to their guns and religion".

If they have the backing of US drones and air strikes I'd think that could be a very potent force. Reports seem to indicate that over the past year we've been killing a lot more of the enemy's leadership. It also looks like they're working cross border into Pakistan as Obama's policy is to treat both countries as part of the same problem.

Afghans had guns and religion before the Taliban, who were a recent political phenomenon, and currently lack support from the Afghan people. Last I saw they estimate only 8 percent actually support the Taliban and 60 percent have confidence in the countries future.

The strategy looks to be to help usher them to the tipping point (before we get out) and not stay any longer.

-spence

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by spence

If they have the backing of US drones and air strikes I'd think that could be a very potent force. Reports seem to indicate that over the past year we've been killing a lot more of the enemy's leadership. It also looks like they're working cross border into Pakistan as Obama's policy is to treat both countries as part of the same problem.

Afghans had guns and religion before the Taliban, who were a recent political phenomenon, and currently lack support from the Afghan people. Last I saw they estimate only 8 percent actually support the Taliban and 60 percent have confidence in the countries future.

The strategy looks to be to help usher them to the tipping point (before we get out) and not stay any longer.

-spence

There is no economic solution. None. Nothing saving them from poverty. So what do you do if you 15-35 and dont have a job? You pick up the one thing laying around, an ak-47. You listen to the only loud voices speaking to you - the extreme mullahs. Most change in the world has been ushered in by the angst of the youth. If you have noting to lose, you have nothing to lose. See Germany circa 1920-1930.

[Nebe]

I think raven is confusing afghanastahn with Iraq.

That being said we are there to kill every whacko who would eventually make it over here to kill as many people as possible
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Piscator]

It’s hard to win a war and kill the wacko’s when the rules of engagement handed down to our Soldiers over there are so strict. Any collateral damage is not tolerated. Imaging if those were the rules during WWII? Pussification of America.