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Scott Ritter on Afghanistan: Don’t Believe the HypePosted on Nov 5, 2009
Is the war in Afghanistan worth the sacrifice of even one American life? Former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter says, “No! And to date no one has articulated anything that remotely resembles a cause worthy of the death of even one American—let alone the hundreds who have already lost their lives.” Our podcast conversation with Scott Ritter was alarming, because it reminded me of his warnings before the Iraq war. He told me on the phone in March 2003 that there were no weapons of mass destruction and that we were going to war without cause. It was his tone and logic that I remember most about that day on the phone. I heard that tone again as we talked about the current conflict in Afghanistan. “There is no sense of urgency [to go to war in Afghanistan] other than the political element,” he said to us. “Sure there’s urgency if you’re an American politician who has invested political capital into the notion of the urgency of bringing stability to Afghanistan. ... We are allowing the battle in Afghanistan to be defined by a domestic American political imperative. There is no urgency in Afghanistan, there is urgency in Washington, D.C.” Ritter said. “It’s high time we stopped talking about defeating the Taliban and started talking about working with the Taliban.” —James Harris Subscribe to Truthdig PodcastsSubscribe directly: Advertisement Elsewhere: . CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig. Add Your Comment
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A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
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By PatrickHenry, November 12 at 9:13 pm #
I rest my case….
Another strike for proverbal jewish lawyers everywhere. You got me Mr. Dershowitz.
Report thisBy ardee, November 12 at 8:38 pm #
You are a great representative of demeaning jewish opinion which I have grown accustom to.
I rest my case….
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, November 12 at 9:11 am #
By ardee, November 12 at 12:38 pm #
...and I thank you once again for being your obnoxious, disinformative, half-baked lying weasel self. You are a great representative of demeaning jewish opinion which I have grown accustom to.
Report thisBy ardee, November 12 at 8:38 am #
PatrickHenry, November 11 at 5:16 pm #
...and I thank you for, once again, proving your bigotry and uselessness.
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, November 11 at 5:16 pm #
By ardee, November 10 at 9:50 am #
speaking of toyboxes for minds…If Jews really ran the world dont you think these two morons might be face down in a dumpster, or better still, drained of their blood for use in those esoteric rituals.
Veiled threat? I hardly believe that you ardee and your little Yid friends could get off the couch along enough to put me in a dumpster.
Good luck with your sabbatean circle jerk.
Report thisBy ardee, November 10 at 9:50 am #
speaking of toyboxes for minds…If Jews really ran the world dont you think these two morons might be face down in a dumpster, or better still, drained of their blood for use in those esoteric rituals.
Report thisBy Inherit The Wind, November 10 at 8:54 am #
drbhelthi, November 10 at 8:30 am #
Propagandists for the israeli, false-zionists, who are ruining the western world, are easy to spot.
*******************************************
What? Do they have horns and tails? This post is reminiscent of Sen. McCarthy’s assertion that there were 200+ “Communists” in positions of power in the Government and he had a “list” of them.
And this poster’s NOT an irresponsible, delusional lunatic?
BOO! There are “zionists” under your bed, in your refrigerator, in the closet….“Monsters, Inc.” may be a funny flick but it is NOT a good basis of analysis of the world.
(naturally, PH defends him…DUH!!!!)
Report thisBy drbhelthi, November 10 at 8:30 am #
Propagandists for the israeli, false-zionists, who are ruining the western world, are easy to spot.
They employ scape-goating and distortion instead of >attempting< to intelligently explain and clarify. Understandable, when explaining and clarifying is impossible.
Maintaining the tribal, historical stance, that has existed for five thousand years, identifies such types.
Similar to their colleagues, the MOSSAD, experts at breaking and entering, theft, assassination, and contriving events such as the Ft. Hood debacle.
The Ft. Hood debacle engenders artificial hate for Moslems, and support for the US presidential imposter to send an additional fifty thousand US Soldier victims to Afghanistan. Such nonsense, instead of simply withdrawing and permitting the locals to continue their stupid, historical customs of five thousand years, similar to the stupid, historical customs of the tribe of Jacob.
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, November 10 at 8:24 am #
By Inherit The Wind, November 10 at 12:56 am #
“When do you and drbhelthi start talking about the different “races” and how they are biologically in conflict?
Do you even know what the “Horst Wesel” song is that Ardee is referring to?”
Aside from drbhelthi’s rant being all over the place from UFO’s to flu shots to Telsa, I am sympathetic to his rants on Israel as he seems to have a personal dog in that fight.
As for ardees simple minded imput regarding the national Nazi song of whatever, better left in that toybox of a mind….
Report thisBy Inherit The Wind, November 10 at 12:56 am #
Nutjobs are a matter of perspective as opinions, I see your misplaced aggression towards drbhelthi as a sign of not being wrapped too tight as well.
******************************************
When do you and drbhelthi start talking about the different “races” and how they are biologically in conflict?
Do you even know what the “Horst Wesel” song is that Ardee is referring to?
Report thisBy Leefeller, November 9 at 9:17 pm #
Rhetoric crying prejudices so fine only in the professors mind!
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, November 9 at 8:40 pm #
By Inherit The Wind, November 9 at 12:03 am #
Do you have a script you read this from? Your typical ad hominem attacks are getting flat, time to get a new writer.
I have some precious bodily fluids and excrement for boiler room JDL posts like yours and ardees.
Nutjobs are a matter of perspective as opinions, I see your misplaced aggression towards drbhelthi as a sign of not being wrapped too tight as well.
Report thisBy ardee, November 9 at 7:47 pm #
When does he get to “poisoning our precious bodily fluids”?
**************************
I myself am awaiting the noting of the use of gentile blood in ritual. Or the lyrics to the Horst Wessel song…...
Report thisBy Inherit The Wind, November 9 at 8:51 am #
ardee, November 9 at 8:03 am #
Inherit The Wind, November 8 at 8:03 pm #
What you said…..We so seldom agree that I thought Id note one instance when we are in said agreement..This guy is a nutjob of the first water,
********************************************
Thanks, Ardee.
When does he get to “poisoning our precious bodily fluids”?
Report thisBy ardee, November 9 at 8:03 am #
Inherit The Wind, November 8 at 8:03 pm #
What you said…..We so seldom agree that I thought Id note one instance when we are in said agreement..This guy is a nutjob of the first water,
Report thisBy drbhelthi, November 9 at 5:21 am #
Unfortunately, as the inhabitants of such cubicles breath the hot air, it slowly infects their brains. The effect is similar to the effect intended by the Rumsfeld-types, who directed the 3-virus mix, plus toxins, found in the alleged “swine-flu vaccine,” probably done in the US bioweapons labs that invented H1N1, and seven additional “bio-weapon” viruses, in the 1950s.
The more naive humans injected, the more they will spread the three viruses, thus increasing the probability of a flu epidemic in the “USA remains” and the western world. Blood-money leach, Rumsfeld-types, drool in anticipation of between one million and ten million cripplings and deaths, windfalls for the pharma industry, the hospital industry, the MD industry, the undertaker industry to include florists. Congratulations to all physicians who have not permitted their practices to be sucked in by this and similar frauds.
Due to the recent laws, passed by the NAZI/zionists who rule “the remains” of the USofA and the western world, neither victims, nor families of victims have legal recourse against the perpetrators of this fraudulent, “flu vaccine” evil.
Such victims and families can only grieve their losses, and feel frustrated with the denigration of the USofA, since “Operation Paper-Clip.”
Report thisBy drbhelthi, November 9 at 4:41 am #
Personalized, hostile diatribe is very rarely accurate, even partially. However, it always reveals the intent and distorted thinking of its owner, whom it represents. Many underground cubicles are filled with hot air.
Report thisBy Inherit The Wind, November 8 at 8:03 pm #
drbhelthi:
What rock did you crawl from under? Your Jew-hating diatribes are worthy of the KKK or Aryan Brotherhood. What’s next for you—citing the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” as fact instead of forgery?
You TRULY believe that Jews have been evil for 5000 years…yet if someone says you’re anti-Semitic you’ll say “No, no, no! I’m not anti-Semitic”...you just hate all Jews.
Report thisBy ardee, November 8 at 9:33 am #
Nighthawk, November 5 at 10:00 pm #
We are in Afghanistan simply because Obama put us there. He had to say SOMETHING during his campaign bid.
Perhaps on this poster’s planet events proceeded as he affirms. On this little blue ball, however, Bush put us in Afghanistan, then abandoned a trapped bin Laden at Tora Bora to wreak revenge upon Hussein for an attempted assassination of Bush 41…..
It would be much more accurate, and honest in fact, to note that Obama seeks to increase our troops strength in that nation, and follow the lead of George Bush in Afghanistan.
I wonder if your statement is simply an attempt to mislead and distort?
Report thisBy drbhelthi, November 8 at 8:59 am #
That all the “contenders” for the US Presidency
“fled” to the shrine of the israeli-zionist-
contingent in DC and begged their support, amounts
to treason.
Naturally, the israeli-zionist-contingent do not
want the world to know that their prophets, 3,000
yrs prior to the event of about 2,000 yrs ago,
predicted the event. Just imagine what would happen
world-wide, if folk began to realize that the
israeli “Jahweh” broke the contract with them, and
established an open, “flat playing field” for all
humans. This, because ONES formerly “chosen folk”
established over a 3,000 yr period, that their
political leadership were ordinary liars, thieves,
debauchers, generally dishonest gnerds!!!
They are the only “tribe” that has attacked the US
and absconded with zero retribution.
http://www.ussliberty.org/report/report.htm
This was certainly not the only error made by the
greasy oil magnate, Lyndon Johnson and entourage.
Just watch the video of him slinking away from the
murder scene of JFK - - .
That alleged “Americans” stupidly assist the ürogeny
of Jacob to continue to conduct genocide on the progeny
of Essau is dumbidity profound !!!
Even worse is that American patriots permit their
Report thiscongressional representatives to be led around by the
nose by the zionists and CIA pimps that have infiltrated
the US Congress !!
By Ed Harges, November 8 at 6:50 am #
The US occupation of Afghanistan, together with its occupation of Iraq, enables
the US to keep Iran nearly surrounded by the US military. The US and Israel
routinely make threats of war against Iran, so obviously these twin occupations
serve the critical purpose of giving credibility to these threats.
And these threats of war are entirely Israeli-driven. Iran is no threat of any kind to
the US, nor is Iran an “existential threat” to Israel, as Israeli officials are fond of
claiming (except when they slip occasionally, quietly remarking that even they
don’t really believe it).
But Israel is determined to preserve, by violent means, its regional nuclear
monopoly and overwhelming conventional military advantages. Israel believes that
even if it fails to induce the US to start the war against Iran which Israel is
determined to have, President Obama and Congress, under the thumb of the
Israel lobby, will find it politically impossible not to join such a war on Israel’s side
once Israel has conducted the initial attack.
Thus, we know the US will stay in Afghanistan, because of its commitment to a
Report thispolicy of threatening war against Iran. And that commitment is in turn entirely
because of the US commitment to serve as Israel’s attack dog, utterly regardless
of US security and economic interests.
By johndoraemi, November 6 at 4:13 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Truthdig should publish the work of Nafeez Ahmed. See his latest article:
Our terrorists
Islamic fundamentalist militants are the enemies of Israel and Western governments, right? Think again. Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed reports.
http://www.newint.org/features/2009/10/01/blowback-extended-version/
If you really want to know what’s going on, you must understand that the US supports terrorists covertly so as to achieve strategic objectives. This happened in Afghanistan in the 1979-1989 period AND AFTER, up until today. It happened in Bosnia/Kosovo/Macedonia. It happened in Chechnya. It’s happening in China today with the Urghurs. It happened in a big way in Algeria.
The US / CIA coordinated terror attacks across Europe with Operation Gladio, which was finally exposed by the Prime Minister of Italy in the early 1990s.
This is terrorism. Mass murder. Massive atrocities, in the name of the US empire. This is what “business as usual” actually consists of.
In the words of Nafeez Ahmed:
“If the ‘war on terror’ is to end, it won’t be won by fighting the next futile oil war. It will be won at home by holding the secretive structures of government to account and prosecuting officials for aiding and abetting terrorism – whether knowingly or by criminal negligence. Ultimately only this will rein in the ‘security’ agencies that foster the ‘enemy’ we are supposed to be fighting.”
Report thisBy knute, November 6 at 2:38 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Nitehawk, are you Lynn Cheney’s secret pen pal? Busy fabricating your own reality to suit what Glenn Beck tells you to think it looks like. How could you possibly believe that Iraq was a good idea ? Perhaps you could be the one who finally provides a reason why the hell we are there and why so many have died in that clusterfuck ?
Report thisBy drbhelthi, November 6 at 11:45 am #
The mistreatment of moslem women did not begin with the founding of the USofA, nor will it stop when the NAZI/zionist/illuminati conglomerate, with assistance of CIA treasonous pimps, pull the plug on the USofA, perhaps Jan 2010. Hurrah for the CIA folk who continue to be patriots. Hang in there, guys !!!
Nor is it “kosher” to propagate “democracy for moslem women” as a coverup, while genociding locals in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan as a mode of acquiring additional oil-producing properties. Handing out 400,000,000 US dollars bribing “protesters” against the current leader of Iran, without US Congress approval is treason, and the US leaders responsible for it deserve due punishment. American soldier deaths are not important, per Mr. D. Rumsfeld. However, profit from aspartame, tamiflu and kick-backs from the current, debilitating “flu shot” are important.
Neither Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan nor Pakistan have attacked the USofA, nor plan to. The only alleged “nation” that has attacked the USofA, is the israeli zionist leadership. The israeli folk had very little to do with the debacle !!!
http://www.gtr5.com/
These social maladaptives are genociding their own folk, in addition to Palestineans.
Applying Nicola Tesla discoveries to earth-surface propulsion systems, instead of cooking the ionosphere and trying to copy UFO propulsion systems, would negate the need for NAZI-zionist oil for internal combustion engines. The increasing application of HHO-generating systems to autos is steadily removing the need, which frightens the s—t out of the corporate oil thieves. They are trying to accelerate their evil genocide programs against the American populace, and which now also includes the folk of Germany, perhaps also the French.
The speech of German chancellor Angela Merkle before the US Congress would have been appropriate for the 1950s. It is a bit outdated for 2009 and the future. “To the victor go the spoils” still demonstrated by “good little monkey behavior.” However, Mr. Obama was not even born, much less one of the “victors,” and his being an “American” continues to be in question. Then again, the role of Mrs. A. Merkle as a STASSI subordinate, clouds her activity now, and will continue to do so, except among “Union leadership.” Gorleben and between 2,000 & 200,000 years of exposure to radiation? Is greater nonsense possible ???
Again, thanks Scott, for telling it like it is!
Report thisBy thebeerdoctor, November 6 at 11:36 am #
Thanks to Leefeller for posting the link to Representative Eric Massa’s comments on the Afghanistan war. If you have ears to hear, then listen…
Report thisBy riyamils, November 6 at 7:03 am #
Yes its true that America want to use Iran gas and oil,other way they left Iran.
Muscle Force Max
Report thisBy P. T., November 6 at 12:36 am #
The U.S. wants to route a natural gas pipeline through Afghanistan. Otherwise, it would have to go through Iran.
Report thisBy Frosted Flake, November 6 at 12:21 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Umm…. NIGHTHAWK
I take it you favor withdrawal from Afghanistan ?
Kinda hard to tell.
Report thisFF
By Leefeller, November 5 at 10:06 pm #
The circus of war is becoming long of tooth, possibly our troops are starting to feel the stress, with what has happened today in Texas at Fort Hood, while for most of the politician the games go one.
One more politician, besides McGovern is standing up aginst the war and wants the troops pulled out of Afghanistan, Rep. Eric Massa a 28 year military veteran, fyi link below:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/05/rep-eric-massa-video-war_n_347097.html
Report thisBy Nighthawk, November 5 at 10:00 pm #
We are in Afghanistan simply because Obama put us there. He had to say SOMETHING during his campaign bid.
We were in Iraq, with UN reported proof of WMDs and Al Queda training camps, and proof that the American Leftist press lied for a decade about Saddam. (Yes children, Eason Jordan lied and Joe Wilson gave testimony to the press that was the opposite of what he told Congress.)
We were in Iraq, in terrain that favored our forces and tactics. We were in Iraq, where the enemy came to us from OUTSIDE OF IRAQ. (The term: “insurgent” bandied about by our media is patently FALSE)
We gave up a successful military campaign in favor of an utter debacle in Afghanistan.
Since Afghanistan is unwinnable, what is the Obama solution?
-Change the mission parameters. Tell The People that the Taliban really weren’t the bad guys. Tell The People that an obviously fraudulent election is legitimate.
Don’t knock it. Leftie Media cheerleaders are doing such a great job on this that we didn’t even have to call in Jimmy Carter to certify that the illegitimate election was legitimate.
And the mindless zombies of the Left keep drinking the Kool Aid.
Report thisBy Ed Harges, November 5 at 9:41 pm #
re:By montanawildhack, November 5 at 8:44 am:
montanawildhack writes: “Why oh why are we in Afghanistan and Iraq???”
Well, much of the US foreign policy establishment seems obsessed with hyping the
phony “threat” from Iran. Afghanistan, like Iraq, shares a long border with Iran,
conveniently on the opposite side, so that these twin occupations keep Iran more
or less surrounded by the US military. Therefore, continued occupation of both
Afghanistan and Iraq obviously helps the US to intimidate Iran with threats of war.
This is so obvious, the real question is not why we’re in Afghanistan and Iraq, but
why we are paying such a high price for the pleasure of threatening war against
Iran at any moment.
As for the answer to that question, you humorously alluded to the strongest
Report thispossibility in your post.
By thebeerdoctor, November 5 at 9:19 pm #
re: dihey
By Moses technique, are you referring to famous New York bureaucrat, Robert Moses? At one time he was considered to be the most powerful person in the state of New York? Also the subject of a Robert A. Caro biography?
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, November 5 at 9:17 pm #
I’m sure many segments of American business will find common ground with the Taliban as they did the Vietnamese, Russians and Chinese and the rest of the worlds evil bastards America has lost lives to.
Report thisBy yours truly, November 5 at 8:47 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Simultaneous with this military buildup in Iraq, there’s President Obama making like he’s in charge, thinking, deliberating, trying to decide on how many troops. Could there be a more clearcut demonstration of the tail wagging the dog? Isn’t it obvious now that, be it in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, wherever, the Pentagon rather than the President is in charge? It’s getting to the point where the best that President Obama could do for our country is to open up to the American people and admit he’s nothing but a puppet, that he’s being threatened by the military/intelligence establishment, that he can’t take it no more & then resign. That way, he’ll be alerting the public to the treachery of the military, And given his aversion to participating in the struggle for change, by resigning he’ll be helping his country more than he possibly could over the next 3 years as a puppet in the White House. That’s because nothing could be better for America and the world than a completely discredited military, with its generals & admirals in disgrace, the troops shamed & wanting out, such that, hardly anyone’s enlisting or resigning when their 4 years are up. Of course a resounding military defeat in Afghanistan by the Taliban would accomplish the same (google Falkland Islands War) thing, but that would mean more bloodshed. Better than President Obama tell it the way it is, then resign, levaving in to the rest of us to turn things around, whereupon, empowered by our victories over the powers that be, it’ll be up to us, the what sort of world.
Report thisBy msgmi, November 5 at 8:37 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
There had an opportunity to inflict a serious blow on al-Qaeda and Taliban, but instead the policy-makers chose a carpet bombing campaign instead of a widespread ground COIN operation with support from Pakistan and Iran to hunt down the enemy. Unfortunately, the ‘shock & awe’ mentality took over for a quick victory that turned out to be an illusion concocted by a select group of incompetent delusionaries. Remember the #25 M reward offerd for the head of OBL. Wouldn’t a reward of a thousand sheep, goats and cartons of Marlboro been more relevant?
Report thisBy Jason, November 5 at 8:28 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
What Mr. Ritter said here makes sense if one just steps back to actually think about his opinion.
Anyone know of a USA citizen that would like to spend their vacation time in Afghanistan, assuming after Afghanistan will be guaranteed safe for tourists someday? I didn’t think so. Is there any USA citizen that really CARES about the plight of the ordinary Afghan or that Afghanistan is, quite literally, THE third world of the third world? The latter question, perhaps; but, in regards to the former question, the answer is beyond doubt.
The USA is spending tons of dough there. For what? For social revenge? For social paranoia? For who knows whatever justification - perhaps to make money for certain multi-millionaires??? Forgive me, but I just do not understand why both the USA and NATO troops are in Afghanistan, as many Afghan men, women, and children are being killed due to foreigners being over there - not to mention the foreigners turning Afghanistan into a nuclear waste dump. Beyond doubt, the majority of the Afghan people do not want both USA and NATO forces to be in Afghanistan. Good luck with winning their “hearts and minds.”
Report thisBy Samson, November 5 at 8:19 pm #
Do we have civilian control of the military?
Supposedly yes. Its supposed to be one of the foundation stones of our liberty. Its the reason the President bears the title of Commander-in-chief. Not to give the President the powers of a dictator like Bush asserted, but instead to ensure that the military is under civilian control. And since this was originally planned to be a republic, thus under the control of the citizens.
Last month, we saw Gen. McCrystal go to NATO on a diplomatic mission. According to press accounts, he was arguing for his own plan for Afghanistan. One which the President has not yet accepted and approved, or so we are told. Yet, there was Gen. McCrystal, going to NATO and convincing NATO that they should be following his plan.
This entire sequence has had a feel of the military dictating policy. McCrystal has been trying to force through his policy. And it is still as yet unknown whether the President wants or dares to try to stop him.
Can the American people really say no to this military? Would our military accept orders that it does not want to accept?
These are serious questions, because it could be a very serious danger sign as to the health of American freedom and democracy.
Report thisBy dihey, November 5 at 7:33 pm #
The Beerdoctor is absolutely correct. The addition of 40,000 or eventually even more soldiers into Afghanistan a la McChrystal requires the building of many new shelters for them. It also requires building huge storage facilities in relatively safe places and the expansions of airstrips. Apparently that is already under way and apparently that is one reason why supplementary funding for the war in Afghanistan may hit the Congress soon. This is the “Moses technique” (Moses, the New York Park Commissioner in the 1930’s not the guy from the Old Testament). He would start a project knowing well that he did not have enough funding to complete the project. He would then go to the NY legislature and argue that one could not let the already started improvements rot away. More often than not he won.
Report thisBy thebeerdoctor, November 5 at 5:07 pm #
Although I applaud Scott Ritter’s courage to stand up to the misguided policy, frankly I think all of this already moot. A good example of why I think this way, can be found in these sentences by Nick Turse, on how in Afghanistan, the Pentagon digs in:
“Forget for a moment the “debates” in Washington over Afghan War policy, and, if you just focus on the construction activity and the flow of money into Afghanistan, what you see is a war that, from the point of view of the Pentagon, isn’t going to end any time soon. In fact, the U.S. military’s building boom in that country suggests that, in the ninth year of the Afghan War, the Pentagon has plans for a far longer-term, if not near-permanent, garrisoning of the country, no matter what course Washington may decide upon.”
NICK TURSE
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175135
Which makes me wonder if isn’t all this talk, simply a total diversion, which makes people believe the present administration is seeking peace, when the actual facts are quite to the contrary?
Report thisBut the basically useless discussions will continue, seeking nuance and hope of some kind of balance, so that people will never have to acknowledge that the country that they live in, exists in a permanent state of war. And these wars will never end. That is the part of the Rumsfeld doctrine that even President Obama adheres to.
By Jack, November 5 at 4:30 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Is the war in Afghanistan worth the sacrifice of even one American life?
Good question indeed, but why not replace that by…
Is the war worth it?
What has become of the human dignity?
Could you imagine yourself being one of the thousands of soldiers (regardless of the flag) and getting killed in that useless war?
Should we not think about all the childrens that died because of this war?
Let’s expand our questionning.
Report thisBy Leefeller, November 5 at 2:27 pm #
redmoz,
Who is talking about friends? The TV program?
Fermenting ground for Al Quada, how about why there may be reasons for Al Quada or even some question if Al Quada even exists or if infact was responsible for 911, may be much deeper then fermenting grounds! May Afghanistan revert to the 13th century, why should we spend one dime on Afganistan or loose one more American life for an empty cause?
Report thisBy fredmoz, November 5 at 2:00 pm #
As much as I like to agree with Scott Ritter but Talibans are NOT to be friends with. In fact W tried this before 9/11 and didn’t work and won’t work again. Talibans are the cocoon that produce AL-qaeda. They belong to 13 century and if they take over it will be another disaster waiting to happen. There is no WMD in Afghanistan but Talibans are IT!
Report thisBy Leefeller, November 5 at 1:26 pm #
Hind sight is being what it is, seems people love looking behind them, pointing fingers and placing blame on their favorite targets, instead of viewing the present and preparing for the future, political games.
The simple question slippery and evasive and not been clearly stated, Why are we are in Afghanistan and who says so? Reasons have been given, creditability of aleged reasons need to be questioned, for me the the only question is why are we still there? Not one more lost American, for repulsive slimy (yes redundant) opportunistic political posturing.
Report thisBy David, November 5 at 1:21 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Why will Obama escalate in Afganistan?
Report thisTwo words: Pakistan nukes.
By melpol, November 5 at 12:09 pm #
The war against terrorism cannot be upgraded to a war against Islam. Christians
Report thiscan no longer be expected to join a holy war. The only way the infidels can be
destroyed is by changing the reason for killing them. The war on drugs can be
expanded to Afpak where everybody is an addict. Urine tests must be given by
American soldiers and addicts have to be shot. This new approach will keep the
war going for decades and enrich the bullet manufacturers.
By Hulk2008, November 5 at 12:01 pm #
We should depart both Iraq and Afghanistan so fast that we would hear that famous “sucking sound” that Perot spoke of regarding NAFTA.
What if the Taliban and Al Qaeda staged a bombing and there were NO foreigners there to take the hits ?
Maybe the Taliban would just go back to publicly flogging each other. They were smacking their women around and humping the local goats long before NATO arrived. Who needs ‘em ?
Report thisBy surfnow, November 5 at 11:22 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
It’s so frustrating to see Scott Ritter and others who know what they are talking about, never given a voice in the corporate media. And so these contrary voices, regardless of their knowledge and expertise, are forced to preach to the choir; while CNN and the rest of the so-called TV- News shows offer a collection of political sychophants and blabbering nitwits.
Report thisBy tp, November 5 at 10:08 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
In a word? It all depends on the meaning of “is”.
Report thistp
By Howie Bledsoe, November 5 at 10:07 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Hmmm, seems to me that in order to work with the Taliban, we need to identify the taliban.
Report thisI think that particular US politicians and members of the CIA would be squirming over that one.
By omop, November 5 at 10:00 am #
A short listing of the countries since the end of WWII, that the US has been at war
with or bombed. The countries are China 1945/53. Korea 1950/1953. Guatemala
1954/1967/69. Indonesia 1958. Cuba 1959/60. Belgian Congo 1964. Peru 1965.
Laos 1964/73. Cambodia 1969/70. Vietnam 1961/73. Grenada 1983. Libya
1986. El Salvador and Nicaragua 1980s. Columbia and Panama 1989. Iraq
1991/2002/2010. Bosnia 1995. Sudan 1998. Yugoslavia 1999. Afghanistan
2001/2010. Pakistan…/2010
Scott Ritter’s, “Don’t believe the Hype”, could be a prelude to the same
Report thisobservation when it comes time for the Sudan shock and awe in 2012…2013….
By ardee, November 5 at 9:42 am #
Why oh why are we in Afghanistan and Iraq???
But, I’ll tell you one thing, I may be simple minded and dim but I know one reason why we’re Not there—-Israel
Yup, simple minded says it all…...
Report thisBy montanawildhack, November 5 at 8:44 am #
Why oh why are we in Afghanistan and Iraq??? I wish I could figure it out but I’m so simple minded never even having graduated from college… Scott Ritter who is way more smarter than me can’t even figure it out… But, I’ll tell you one thing, I may be simple minded and dim but I know one reason why we’re Not there—-Israel…. They invented god and jesus ya know…. And where would we be without god and jesus??? It’s too scary even to think about…
Report thisBy ardee, November 5 at 7:55 am #
Work with the Taliban? Mr. Ritter believes that sanity has a place in our foreign policy. How silly of him.
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