One year after the U.S. assassination of Osama bin Laden, I’m concerned that our government is still pursuing the same failed war strategy in Afghanistan based on bringing “peace” through fighting and war.
As the U.S. and Afghanistan negotiate the terms of their relationship for the next decade, I would urge Congress and the president to abandon the failed war strategy in Afghanistan and focus the U.S. instead toward supporting political negotiations that include all parties in the conflict, Afghanistan’s neighbors — including Iran and Pakistan — and Afghan civil society.
I hope that my members of Congress, Rep. Schweikert and Sens. McCain and Kyl will support an end to the war that takes this approach.
Michael Shores
Tempe
truth posted at 3:48 pm on Thu, May 10, 2012.
We will never change the people of Afghanistan and we should get out NOW, there are other reasons to go to war and one is defense weapons and the U.S. is NUMBER 1 IN THE WORLD IN SALES OF WEAPONS AND THAT IS WHAT IS KEEP US IN Afghanistan. WAR FOR PROFIT.
Dale Whiting posted at 9:41 pm on Thu, May 10, 2012.
You know 'truth' I liked Ike. And he said in his last state of the union address to congress, "Beware of the military-industrial complex." Apparently he was misunderstood, that or we were witnessing the birth of today's new breed of politician, in bed with that complex.
Dale Whiting posted at 3:39 am on Fri, May 11, 2012.
P.S. Mike,
I have to side with 'truth.' While your argument has merit, it still offends what I have come to learn about the societies in and around Afghanistan and here in the USofA as well. We tend to assume that society is organized there pretty much the same ways as it is organized here and do not appreciate the huge differences, not so much in values as in organization, and the lack there of.
I recall Tip O'Neal's saying, "All politics is local." I doubt Tip's saying has much validity today. It had considerable validity before Citizens United. But in Afghanistan where literacy and mass communications is lacking, everything is local, politics, earning a living, seeing the next ration of daily bread, it's all controlled by local "tribal government," a concept we have not known in the US since the days before General Custer. So when you say you are concerned that "our government is still pursuing the same failed war strategy in Afghanistan based on bringing “peace” through fighting and war," and 'truth' tops that by saying "We will never change the people of Afghanistan and we should get out NOW," know this. "truth' speaks not just truth, but wisdom! We cannot do better but that's our fault, not the fault of the Afghani people.
And eons before 'truch' we had Rudyard Kipling who wrote "East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet." Going on to read the entire epic poem we learn that both societies, East and West, did respect honesty and committment to personal values. Read it. Your day will be made all over.
Kipling's hero finds himself on a quest to get a stolen horse back. Seeing his pursuer become burried deep in a foreign land yet not understanding why the horse was stolen, but relentlessly pursuing the thief anyway, the thief comes to respect his pursuer's loyalty, a loyalty not unlike that which motivated the theft. They meet, become friends and the horse is returned.
It is high time we meet our presumed enemies, get to understand them and be understood ourselves and then get out. So unless you have a Kipling style negotiations in mind, I'm affraid getting out NOW is the best we can do. It's us who are wrong, not the Afghanis. When in Rome, we'd best learn to do as the Romans so. Otherwise, I think we are stuck with Kipling's initial assessments, Never the twain shall meet!
If a meeting of the minds is the objective, I'd put more money on Mitch McConnell's coming to respect Barack Obama than on the US coming to understand Afghanistan. Even the Great Khan failed.
Dale Whiting posted at 3:43 am on Fri, May 11, 2012.
P.P.S.
Ok, all you war mongers out there. It's your turn to show your ignorance of the bottom line issues. I can hardly wait to read them![beam]
sockratties posted at 1:11 pm on Fri, May 11, 2012.
Michael, your fears are justified. We have many conflicting interests in the Middle East and there are a lot of parties who would like us to remain engaged. Some, such as Afghan war lords and President Karsi stand to lose both support and dollars when we finally manage to extradite ourselves. Our competitors such as Russia and China have no problem watching us hemorrhage trillions of dollars on a lost cause. They are glad to loan us more to waste. They will be ready to move in for the mineral (lithium, rare earth) and rebuilding (transportation and infrastructure) profits once we have stabilized the area.
Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and UAE make a bundle as we pay for use of landing space and freight passage. Every country in the region has something to gain by us being there.
Politics are complex with long histories. The biggest problem with Pakistan is our friendship with India. Pakistan always suspects conspiracies if India is involved regardless of motive. There may be no way for the U.S. to solve that problem except with force.
Don't look to McCain to opt for peace unless there's something in it for him. He would also like us to be involved in Syria, wanted us to get involved on the ground in Libya and generally remains a political hawk.
truth posted at 3:46 pm on Fri, May 11, 2012.
I just read a article in National Geographic that in Iraq, Afghanistan and India they are marring their girls off as young as 5 years old and some are giving birth to children at the age of 10 years old. Their husbands can be from 20 to 70 years old. MANY OF THESE YOUNG GIRLS BLEED TO DEATH FROM DAMAGE FROM FORCED SEX.
Dale Whiting posted at 7:59 pm on Fri, May 11, 2012.
truth,
And your point remains "We will never change the people of Afghanistan and we should get out NOW" right. Or does this indemic cultural moray give you pause and reason to commit our lives and our treasure to making things different over there?
It was thinking like this that was expressed by then NY Senator Hillary Clinton in support ot envading Afghanistan in the first place.
Have you gone back to read Kipling again?
k33j88 posted at 8:26 am on Sat, May 12, 2012.
The world has always been a hotbed of confusion and discourse. It is the nature of man to stand-up to what is morally right and just. Evil will never go away nor can it be reasoned with. World-wide peace is admirable, but un-attainable. The word of GOD must, and will prevail. The nation of ISRAEL is GOD'S chosen people, turn on them and GOD will turn on you.
mrconservative posted at 2:24 pm on Sat, May 12, 2012.
Negotiate with Iran??? Are you yoicks, Mike???
Dale Whiting posted at 4:43 am on Sun, May 13, 2012.
kj,
Allow me to both reinforce and correct what you said.
"It is the nature of man to stand-up to what [each man in each different cutlure believes] is morally right and just. Evil [as seen in the eyes of the diversity of man kind] will never go away nor can it be reasoned with [because each man sees morality and values from his own unique perspective and fails, like you fail, to examine the values in others' perspectives. You know man, fails to look himself in the mirror, judging others and not judging himself] . World-wide peace is admirable, but un-attainable [so long as each culture fails to come to understand and even value the cultures of others. Try reading up on the Christian Millenium. It's a 1000 years of peace, to be achieved when man learns to understand mankind and study war no more (Isaiah 2.]. The word of GOD [be He called Jehova, Allah, or what ever] must, and will prevail. [From your perspective] The nation of ISRAEL is [was] GOD'S chosen people, turn on them and GOD will [once did] turn on you. [Just look what happened to the Jews after 35 AD when they turned on God's only Son. Do they get a second chance? Or does God choose all of His children like His only Son teaches them to do?]"
kj, once again I hope you find what you are looking for. For clearly you haven't found it yet! For starters, remember, He is called "The Prince of Peace," not "the Prince of War."
Take your girl friend out to dinner today. It's Mothers Day! She's got a better handle on Peace and mankind than do you!
Dale Whiting posted at 4:52 am on Sun, May 13, 2012.
mrconservative,
Why not negociate with Iran? The Supreme Leader, Ali Khammenei, has taken action to put president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad out to pasture. Why else would he do that if he were not interested in avoiding war? Or are you a typical war mongering Neo-conservative like were Bush 43 and Cheney?
Rational Human posted at 1:30 pm on Sun, May 13, 2012.
I wonder what the prince of peace, the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize would say? When did he say he would end those wars and close down Guantanamo Prison? After reelection?
Rational Human posted at 1:31 pm on Sun, May 13, 2012.
I never heard him say he would escalate the violence to include Libya either.
Rational Human posted at 1:32 pm on Sun, May 13, 2012.
It's all very confusing as if someone else were running the show who we never elected.
truth posted at 4:25 pm on Sun, May 13, 2012.
It's called Congress and politics.
Rational Human posted at 6:39 pm on Sun, May 13, 2012.
The president runs the military. The president said he would close the prison on Guantanamo and bring home the troops from the middle east. Guantanamo is still there and the war in the middle east was escalated to Libya. How is congress involved in that liar's campaign pledges? Does politics mean lying? Did the republicans force the Obamanation to continue this never ending senseless war on terror? I think the Obamanation is a puppet and so have all the presidents since the Kennedy assassination. Know thy place and stay in it Mr President.
VofReason posted at 1:24 pm on Mon, May 14, 2012.
Oh sure. All we need to do is get "Afghanistan’s neighbors — including Iran and Pakistan — and Afghan civil society" together to have one big group hug. Maybe a beer on the lawn of the White House. I bet if we sprikled them with some magic dust, they would all be nice and become the great allies we always hoped they would. Or, we could look at reality and history and realize we should get out our soldiers out of the region and if they act up decimate them from the air. Don't risk our soldiers lives to try to make them something they are not.