By Michael J. Smith on Tuesday November 11, 2008 10:44 AM
From the Washington Post:
President-elect Barack Obama ... intends to renew the U.S. commitment to the hunt for Osama bin Laden [and] intends to move ahead with a planned deployment of thousands of additional U.S. troops [in Afghanistan, which is] likely to be welcomed by a number of senior U.S. military officials who advocate a more aggressive... course for the deteriorating conflict.Sounds like the Bush Iraq "surge" redivivus: find the right warlords and bribe 'em. But keep the boots on the ground....[C]onversations with several Obama advisers and a number of senior military strategists ... reveal a shared sense that the Afghan effort under the Bush administration has been hampered by ... an unrealistic commitment to the goal of building a modern democracy....
Some European and NATO officials have suggested that an assembly of tribal elders should select the country's next leader.
Comments (5)
How can you send troops into Afghanistan blindly, while never setting the end goal for that country? Obama hasn't said if it's going to be the forever "war on terror" or if he wants to establish a new government there. That, to me, is a huge mistake. Meet the new Iraq.
Posted by Delfina Pei | November 11, 2008 11:14 AM
Posted on November 11, 2008 11:14
They're not going to always cite the end purpose of their aggression, which is opening up more access lanes to the Caspian Sea. Whatever goals they say are lying, thieving goals, and it bothers me none that they choke on their contradictions. Afghanistan has been fighting these western pests for close to 150 years now, they'll fight more, whatever "regional" solutions President Elect Obama brings forward. May Afghanistan remain a thorn in the paw of the empire always, always.
Posted by Michael Hureaux | November 11, 2008 3:55 PM
Posted on November 11, 2008 15:55
Here we go, friends. Biden's Seattle warning coming online. Pakistan, anybody?
Posted by Michael Dawson | November 11, 2008 6:00 PM
Posted on November 11, 2008 18:00
"May Afghanistan remain a thorn in the paw of the empire always, always"
yes
we norte americanski pwog-weebles
may not fight the earth's
big avuncular
floating profit mart
and blitz machine
but others did and do
and still more others will......
till Sam's death star implodes
Posted by op | November 12, 2008 10:59 AM
Posted on November 12, 2008 10:59
This billion-dollars-plus season of American Idol is finally over and a minority of fans favored a post-partisan celebrity to lead our post-modern country into a post-reality future.
Thank goodness for SMBIVA!
You're helping to keep me barely sane as I struggle to navigate this "new world order" of B'Iraq O-bomb-a and His maniacs.
Virtually everywhere else -- on and off line -- I encounter American Idol Obamamania still in progress.
It's nauseating to say the least.
And if you "dare" to challenge the conventional gliberal (regressive or phlegmicrat: I use these terms writing as a person who has thankfully escaped those boxes) "wisdom" about B'Iraq and His maniacs you're branded unrealistic, foolish, immature, part of the problem, and/or a racist.
It's impossible to penetrate the consensus trance of the true believers.
Posted by MonkeyMuffins | November 12, 2008 9:08 PM
Posted on November 12, 2008 21:08