The War in Afghanistan is deteriorating every week. The Taliban are now becoming more sophisticated in their attacks and tactics. They have safe havens in Pakistan, which they use for cross border attacks into Afghanistan. The Afghan Government is corrupt and increasingly unpopular. Only the troops from US/UK/Australia/Canada doing any real fighting. The rest of NATO are doing absolutely nothing are useless in this war. Public support in the US/UK is falling, in other words it’s a perfect storm!
BAGRAM, Afghanistan — Military commanders with the NATO mission in Afghanistan told President Barack Obama’s chief envoy to the region this weekend that they did not have enough troops to do their job, pushed past their limit by Taliban rebels who operated across borders.
The commanders emphasized problems in southern Afghanistan, where Taliban insurgents continue to bombard towns and villages with rockets despite a new influx of U.S. troops, and in eastern Afghanistan, where the father-and-son-led Haqqani network of militants has become the main source of attacks against U.S. soldiers and their Afghan allies.
Read the rest.
The problem is the other NATO nations like Germany and France are not pulling their weight. The reason for this is their increasing Muslim population and the ingrained Progressive mindset of their establishments. America/UK/Australia/Canada can’t carry the load by themselves.
Admiral Mullen also expressed his concerns on NBC’s Meet the Press of the deterioration. He also expresses the fall in public support in the US.
WASHINGTON, Aug 23 (Reuters) – The situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating along with U.S. public support for the war, Washington’s top military officer said on Sunday as he left open the possibility of another increase in troops.
“I think it is serious and it is deteriorating, and I’ve said that over the past couple of years — that the Taliban insurgency has gotten better, more sophisticated,” said Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.
U.S. combat deaths have risen since U.S. President Barack Obama ordered a troop buildup to confront a resurgent Taliban, with a record 44 U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan in July.
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll showed a majority of Americans believe the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting, and just a quarter say more troops should be sent there.
“Certainly the numbers are of concern,” Mullen said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” But he later added, “this is the war we’re in.”
Read the rest.
The fact is the momentum is with the Arabist Taliban Movement in the Afghan War. Obama is not a good war leader and is the wrong person to have as Commander in Chief in this situation. Elections have consequences and we are seeing that.
Personally, I don’t know if this war is worth it anymore. The Afghan People are not stepping up to the plate. It is their nation and they should be at the forefront of taking on the Taliban. Why do we have to bleed for others?
What is the opinion around here?
Is this War worth it?
Let’s discuss this.
Tags: Afgan War
You can lead a horse to water…
Both fronts have ended with sharia law because the goal was not to defeat the enemy, thanx GW.
Screw ‘em, bring the boys home and we’ll re-enact the Battle of Athens, TN.
re: #1 by BenZacharia
That’s what I’m leaning too right now. They want Sharia, let them have it. We need to get our own house in order.
Rodan
I’d sing a different tone if a conservative warrior was ‘in da house’.
All teh won will have to show for it is dead Americans.
No. The war is here, at and and within our borders.
Most of Western Europe would do well to realize that too, if it’s not too late.
Our domestic policy must stop helping the enemy before we can hope to achieve any sort of victory abroad.
Rodan
Let the UAVs fly and the operator goes home to the wifffeee at the end of the day. Remote control war, no exposure, still dead talimebananas.
re: #5 by BenZacharia
Agreed, I think for every Terror attack, we fire bomb the perpetrator’s home Village. Fight Terror with Terror.
TTFN
Cistern duty calls
Rodan
No intentional targeting of civvies, use humint and target the baddies, carpet bomb the poppies though.
The afghan war was considered evil by the left, with calls that we’re going all cowboy on the innocent afghans.
Until the iraq war, then we were to stick to afghanistan with nato and the un.
Now obama is in charge and we don’t even get a death toll anymore. We don’t even hear about the war now.
“Obama’s War!”
teh wrath is back! Yip! how’d the project go?
a german saying is: “you cannot be a little pregnant” – meaning you either are or are not: there’s no in-between
the same is imho true concerning war: you either fight it with full will & power – or you don’t fight at all (and inevitably lose it)
this half-assed “mission” – not even allowed in germany to be called a “war” – is just that:
half-assed (and therefore there can’t be any victory)
bring the boys back home & just send some rockets or bombers from time to time when necessary…
re: #11 by BenZacharia
OT:
Wonderfully! Thank you for asking. What did I miss around the Blogmocracy?
OT/ For Goddess of the Classroom:
Regarding the Prayer List:
Please see my post (#8) in the Sunday Morning Inspirational thread.
Thank you!
wrath…
Nothing much; rains o’ fire, pestilence, revolution and recipes.
re: #13 by WrathofG-d
Hey,were you abducted by teh aliens? Welcome back!!!
re: #10 by WrathofG-d
“The Good War”
re: #16 by vagabond trader
Yea, but the aliens banned me.
Did we cover this here while I was gone?
OT:
Congressman John Fleming (Louisiana physician) has proposed an amendment that would require congressmen and senators to take the same healthcare plan they force on us (under proposed legislation they are curiously exempt). Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go on his Website and sign his petition (very simple -just first, last and email).
re: #10 by WrathofG-d
WRATH! ! !
re: #17 by vagabond trader
Surprising (not!) that we aren’t getting the constant flow of ‘grim milestone’ news reports about “Obama’s War”.
re: #20 by WrathofG-d
No. Nothing but the H1N1, or, why we NEED government health care.
re: #14 by CloudyDay
See comment #51 here.
re: #19 by m
Great to be back!
I sent you an e-mail.
re: #13 by WrathofG-d
Welcome back Wrath!!!!
Just heard Rush say 1200 Veterans were told they had a terminal neurological disease becuase of a CODE ERROR. Government health care in action.
re: #23 by WrathofG-d
Welcome, welcome, welcome! I had almost despaired of your presence upon this earth!
re: #14 by CloudyDay
She left ya a message earlier this a.m.!
http://www.littlegreenfootballs2.com/2009/08/23/cheaters-open-thread/#comments
(Comment #51)
The Pakistanis are playing a double game.
“Obama Lied, People Died”
And the MSM & war protestors don’t seem to mind.
re: #26 by Ma Sands
Nope, I’m still alive. It really is wonderful to get this warm reception now that I am back. I really appreciate it. Its great to “see” you as well!
re: #27 by Ma Sands
Remember to remind people to do a copy paste on any links to LGF1.0. Oops my mistake, it was a link to LGF2 not LGF 1.
re: #31 by Speranza
(If you are referring to the msg. to Cloudy Day….it’s to our own “2″! : )
[Yer too fast fer me!]
re: #30 by WrathofG-d
It should make you feel even better that we’ve been fielding questions about you the whole time you were gone! lol
Hey Wrath !
re: #33 by m
OT:
Well, we all know how I “love to make it all about me”, so…you KNOW IT!
I just wish I hadn’t come back before I could have gotten in on the bets.
On Topic:
The article above stated the following (emphesis added):
It goes on to state that popularity for the war is lessening.
This all really leads me to two (most likely unpopular conclusions)
1. The U.S. is made up predominantly of wusses!
and
2. Maybe the U.S. should stop the Vietnam policy of free speech regarding wars, and go back to the WW2 policy of pro-war, pro-America propaganda.
I regret that even 1 solider has to die, but 44 in an entire month is a success, not a failure. 44 is a remarkably low number for casualties. The fact that we have been able to keep the number under 44 up until now is a blessing, not proof that it is so horrible now.
If we as a nation no longer have the stomach or will to win wars, but reality won’t allow us to avoid them altogether, we are doomed unless something changes – and fast!
What we have here is a failure of leadership. We have no leaders worthy of the term from either Party in the United States, and it is worse, if anything, overseas. We are losing because our leaders are not equal to the task. Our troops, OTOH, are equal to any task. They just need competant leaders to let them do their jobs.
re: #36 by WrathofG-d
We have been doing very well around here. Review the posts from the last 3 weeks and you will see the change. We have more commentators, a few from LGF like Island Libertarian, Coldwarrior, Iron Fist and Infidel have come over.
Please look at my posts I have focused on the Progressive Movement and their anti-God agenda.
You’ve missed some great discussions here.
Also we no longer focus on the Stalker Blog: LGF. I will not waste any post to that Progressive Cesspool. I’ll comment in the threads, but not waste a post on that washed up Jazz Artist.
Obama and the Progressives are the threat. I am focused on that.
When our own president says wining is not necessarily our goal.
Then beating the taliban is going to be difficult. POTUS war policy will make it so.
re: #37 by Iron Fist
Also our “allies” are not stepping up to the plate. Its America, UK, Australia and Canada who are fighting.
The Euros are doing nothing!
Wrath…
IIRC during WWII we didn’t open the borders to every Heinz, Fritz and Adolph that came along.
re: #37 by Iron Fist
What can a leader do (even if he/she wanted to) if the People, in a Representative Democracy don’t have the will?
42 wrath…
Uh, lead.
re: #42 by WrathofG-d
Hey read my 38! Glad to have you back!
GW manged to lead republicans to pass the largest socialist expansion of gov from FDR to 0.
re: #42 by WrathofG-d
The problem is this Progressive Ideology that is killing us from within. With their Transnationalist we are all the same propaganda, people don’t realize there are some Civilizations that hate us.
re: #43 by BenZacharia
What I was trying to convey is that I believe the Obama represents the populous.
Bush “lead” against the grain, but it didn’t make the war any more popular, and only put off our eventual surrender.
I still believe (call me naive if you wish) that in a representative democracy, it is the people who “lead”.
The progressive/socialists knew this, and that is why we are seeing what we do today.
re: #45 by BenZacharia
Compassionate Conservatism was Progressivism with a Conservative Face.
re: #47 by WrathofG-d
Yup its the Progressive Ideology corroding us from within.
It’s our lack of belief in our Creator that is leading to this weakness.
I feel we need to emphasize our Greco/Roman – Judeo/Christian roots in Schools, so we know what we are about.
If we turn tail and expeditiously exit Afghanistan, then it will become an al Qaeda sanctuary. And that’s what led to 9/11.
So, the question becomes do you want to fight them there or here?
re: #49 by Rodan
The “Progessives” (ie: Americanized socialists) have convinced us (in the guise of “equality”, “feminism”, etc.) that nothing exists, and everything is just perception.
We are living the old quote: “Those who don’t believe in G-d, don’t believe in nothing, they believe in everything.”
Although, I personally think G-d is the answer, He isn’t necessarily the only one in this case. G-d serves as a rock, a standard, an unwaivering Truth. This gives us something to live for, die for, fight for. It is the anti-”Imagine”. Patriotism also serves this function, and thus is why Patriotism is now taught as “nationalism”, “racism”, “Xenophobia” etc.
It is exactly this “imagine” ideology that is killing us, and what causes us to ultimately have nothing. We have become a lost people. Babylon. The wilderness.
We need to get up and do something.
BuddyG
Let’s deny them visas and then we don’t have to fight them at all.
re: #50 by BuddyG
The problem is that we have an enemy within. So we are not fighting this at full strength. The best thing maybe is to withdraw and Firebomb Afghanistan. Anytime they form a camp, bomb it. The Afghans should step up, they aren’t.
I agree with you in principle, it’s just I’m starting to have doubts about the costs.
re: #51 by WrathofG-d
Amen, I could not summarize it better myself. We need to rely on God again in order to be a strong people again.
We don’t even know who we are anymore.
re: #51 by WrathofG-d
This fight is particularly difficult because the enemy believes he is doing God’s will, 180 degrees opposite from our own ideology.
I don’t know what the answer is, but the path we’re currently following is doomed to failure.
rodan
jps
2Ch 7:14 if My people, upon whom My name is called, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Simple ay?
re: #55 by lobo91
We don’t need to convince our enemy of anything. We need to defeat them. It is our response, and our action that we can control.
You are correct however that our enemy believes they are doing G-d’s work. But their (incorrect?) interpretation doesn’t affect us. What it does however is give them something to fight, die, and live for. They have a rock, and because of this, they are able to find strength. They don’t have the weaknesses we do, and this is why they succeed where we fail. It is difficult for me to say nice things about the Islamists, but they unfortunately have many of the characteristics that could equal success.
If we obtain the same characteristics and use them for Good, then we will be victorious.
Doing a helluva job Barry!
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=8398902&page=1
re: #53 by Rodan
Basically, what you’re describing is a return to the Clinton era policy of occasionally firing a few cruise missiles.
Didn’t work then. Won’t work now.
Like it or not, Afghanistan is the quinitessential case where “nation-building” is required, because there really is no such nation at the moment (and never has been).
re: #53 by Rodan
Yes, there is an enemy within who seeks to destroy us.
But that doesn’t mean we should ignore our external enemies.
If we exit Afghanistan, the Taliban (& al Qaeda) will increase in strength. Pakistan’s government may fail, terrorists could get their hands on nukes (not ‘dirty bombs’ but real working nukes), and America could suffer a nuclear 9/11.
I pray that never happens, but it’s possible and even plausible.
re: #54 by Rodan
How can we when we continue to attack ourselves?
OT- If Eric Holder thinks that he’s going to change public opinion in favor of this administration by indulging the special interests in releasing documents that prove nothing except that we did everything we could to save American lives after 9/11, he’s more out of touch than previously thought.
If all they have is that the CIA threatened the lives of KSM’s children, they need laughed out of a job.
It’s time that someone in Congress stood up and took action against this administrations blatant attack on America. This pattern of simply creating a new office or level of beaurocracy when a check or balance gets in your way is bordering on treason.
re: #61 by Bumr50
I have a post on that coming up.
BuddyG
Nothing stopping them from hittin’ us with nukes now, all it takes is a TEL and a freighter.
re: #61 by Bumr50
I don’t think releasing those documents is the end game here.
They’re actually talking about prosecuting those involved. This is the beginning of the “truth commissions” the left has been clamoring for since Obama was elected.
re: #56 by BenZacharia
A-a-a-a-a-MEN ! ! !
re: #64 by lobo91
This is to “distract” the leftist base, throw them something to yap over since the public option they so dearly want is not going their way.
re: #64 by lobo91
They’ve already appointed a prosecutor. How do we conduct a war based largely on intelligence while we undermine our top intelligence agency here?
I don’t think we can do both. How do we tolerate this?
re: #66 by vagabond trader
While it will serve that function (which probably had some influence on the timing of the announcement), I don’t think that’s the underlying goal.
Leon Panetta was put in charge of the CIA to destroy it, not to lead it.
re: #68 by lobo91
Oh, I do not disagree there. This screaming match is between the commissars, nothing to do with real Americans.
re: #67 by Bumr50
We clearly can’t effectively prosecute a war while simultaneously prosecuting those who are at the heart of fighting it.
The left has no real interest in fighting this war, so to them, there’s no problem.
re: #59 by lobo91
No much more lethal. For ever Terror attack we fire Bomb a major Muslim City. Fight Terror with Terror.
I could be wrong and am open minded on this. Its just I see no progress in Afghanistan
re: #67 by Bumr50
I’m no expert on A’stan, but my belief all along has been that whatever President Wee weed does there is to undermine and ultimately get enough of our troops killed and or maimed in order to say, “Well ,we have an unsustainable situation here and with the economic crisis at home I regret that our mission will have to be scaled down, blah blah
Yeah, I’m that cynical.
re: #71 by Rodan
Nice plan, but we both know it will never happen (particularly under a spineless “leader” like the one we have now).
The rate of progress in Afghanistan is so slow that it’s basically not visible from this far away. We can succeed there, but it will take decades, at a minimum. I seriously doubt that our American Idol-obsessed culture has the patience for that kind of commitment, however.
Rodan
Fight terror with terror? Nope, sin is sin, no matter whose does it or the reason why. We can hit them and hurt them without being terrorists.
Vaga…
The leftys don’t want combat troops on US soil, they’ll stay where they are while admin pisses away their blood.
BTW where are all the dismal recruiting and retention reports we all grew to love? Did they change their goals so that their hitting them now? Compare to 2 years ago goals and acheivements.
If we are fighting to destroy a threat, then full speed ahead and damn the torpedos. If we are fighting for any other reason, it is not worth one American life.
This is totally 180 from my position a year ago, but I now see that if the Iraqi people will not stop blowing themselves(and others) up, and leave behind their stone-age actions(and religion, not that we ever expected that), then it was not worth sending even one footsoldier over there.
My real concern is that if people like myself (who want to kick anyone associated with the islamifacists back to the stone age) can see that the goal is to win, or it’s not worth fighting – then what the hell is Obama doing fighting this war?
You’d think that he would pull out of every conflict around the globe and issue a big ole fat statist apology that we ever set foot on their “holy land”, but no….we send more troops to fight in a country that is tearing itself apart….and for what? According to Obama, not to win it, that’s for sure. Rush reported that Obama said he was uncomfortable with the word ” victory.” He is probably also uncomfortable with the words “liberty”, “Constitution”, “Honest”, and “Liar.”
re: #70 by lobo91
The left has a very real interest in fighting America.
And the reason why is that, to them, America is the all-purpose culprit.
That’s why the left is always going on about our
“racism”, “colonialism”, “raping the planet’s resources”, “raising the global temperature”, “cowboy diplomacy”, etc, ad nauseum.
To the left, it’s an article of faith that America is the problem.
And that it’s America that requires scrutiny and repair.
Owl
Calling General LeMay
re: #75 by BenZacharia
Most branches of the military are turning people away at the moment, at least partly because of the economy.
The Army just announced that it’s reinstating the Qualitative Management Program (QMP) in order to weed out sub-par NCOs.
In the reserve components, they’ve implemented procedures to prevent anyone from reaching active duty retirement eligibility (which is why I’m sitting on my couch at the moment, instead of planning my unit’s upcoming mission).
re: #79 by lobo91
I would surely like to see some links on that, if they are available?
Just checked the numbers from ‘07 65K, 2009 new goal 55k may make 62k.
source armytimes.com
re: #80 by Ma Sands
Here’s a story about the return of QMP
re: #82 by lobo91
Thank you.
Startin’ with senior NCOs, nice.
The same system will be used to review retirement-eligible first sergeants and master sergeants.
re: #40 by Rodan
42. WrathofG-d
Even there it is the leadership that is failing. There was a Canadian sniper that made the longest range kill ever in Afghanistan. We wanted to give hi a medal for his feat (Bronze Star, IIRC), but the canadians would have none of it. A massive feat of arms, and they wouldn’t even let us honor the warrior that made it. What we are seeing is a failure of the warrior spirit here in America, and the West.
TTFN
re: #80 by Ma Sands
As for the policy limiting active duty service for Guard and Reserve members, I don’t have anything to link to in the public domain, or access to the internal documents from home.
Basically, there’s a federal law that says that a Guard or Reserve member who completes 18 years of active service has to be allowed to stay on active duty long enough to complete a full 20 years, so they become eligible for retirement pay immediately (ordinary Guard and Reserve retirement pay doesn’t start until age 60).
Department of the Army (DA) issued a policy back in March that basically says that no one will be allowed to reach the 18 year point, unless they happen to be in a unit that’s being mobilized to serve overseas. No more volunteering for mobilization, in other words.
US Army Reserve Command (USARC) then issued its own policy that denies mobilization orders to anyone who has more than 17 years of active service.
I have 17 years and 1 month.
re: #87 by lobo91
I see…..my son’s father-in-law is affected by that, I think, and I was not aware…..thank you.
They’re serious about those limits, too. I volunteered for an upcoming 12 month mission we have in Baghdad, and was rejected.
Pretty sad when they won’t let people volunteer to go to Iraq…
Hey,
Great debate and discussion around here about this. I am going to have more debate/discussion threads about current policies.
I have seen some valid points here that has me thinking!
Thank you everyone here!
Imagine the headlines if this were Bush. “President and clan party while American troops die in Afghanistan” comes to mind.
But the Press isn’t biased. They just report that way.
Cool. WrathofG-d is back.
Hey I have a new thread up on that Traitor Holder.
re: #2 by Rodan
I agree. If they had chosen a path to freedom for all their citizens, that’s one thing. But to have our people give their lives for a totalitarian state. I don’t think so! That’s not what we are about!
Bring our boys (and girls) home!
re: #93 by Rodan
No you don’t! Not only can’t I get a first, but you are cutting my words of wisdom off from our gentle readers for two hours.
I am so oppressed.
I’ve thought all along that we should simply turn the entire area into a sheet of radioactive green glass.
And then Windex it.
Vin…Joe
Then export all the squeege guys, 2 birds, i stone.
re: #95 by Iron Fist
ha ha ha!
one of the US’s sworn nenies is the taliban in afghanistan. i prefer to kill them there, not have them pick the battlefield.
…. ‘ Only the troops from US/UK/Australia/Canada doing any real fighting.’ …..
Any what pray tell were the New Zealand SAS doing there for three tours and have as of last week been recommitted for another 3 tours? Chopping liver?
NZ sends a full SAS Squadron which is half the total number of special forces in the NZDF and gets … forgotten … ! Not to mention the Squadron of Engineers putting a whole provincial infrastructure back together whilst fighting off local Taliban. They have been acknowledged by the US Commander as being the some of the most effective forces in the country in stabilizing provincial life in Bandian Province and winning the ‘hearts and minds ‘ campaign. For a tiny nation of 4 million at the bottom of the world NZ punches above its weight mate!
re: #100 by Aussie Infidel
Thank the Lord for ‘em! And thanks to them from me!