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Thread: Why are we still in Afghanistan

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    Why are we still in Afghanistan

    Earlier this week, White House press secretary Jay Carney took a beating on the issue of Afghanistan, following a spate of bad news from the war zone—including more American deaths at the hands of supposed Afghan allies. He was peppered with questions from reporters about the viability, purpose and waning public support for the American mission there.

    ***

    Finally, ABC’s Jake Tapper asked Carney when was “the last time US troops in Afghanistan killed anybody associated with Al Qaeda.” Carney didn’t have an answer, and referred Tapper to the Defense Department and NATO’s International Security Assistance Force.

    I queried those agencies Tuesday and got an answer today. According to a Defense Department spokesman, the most recent operation that killed an Al Qaeda fighter was in April 2011—ten months ago. However, there was an “Al Qaeda foreign fighter” captured near Kabul in May 2011, and an “Al Qaeda facilitator” captured in the Paktiya province on January 30 of this year.

    By comparison, there have been 466 coalition fatalities since April 2011.

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    Holy cow, you mean to tell me the White House Press Corps is finally doing its job?

    I'm surprised the government didn't just attribute a few more prisoners or casualties to AQ considering how vague a definition they use for the organization. Most of us agree it is time to move out and the Koran riots should reinforce that. It should not convince anyone that we need to stick around to try to pacify and civilize their society. It's not going to happen.

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    Hard to call this a battle against AQ.
    Whoever criticizes capitalism, while approving immigration, whose working class is its first victim, had better shut up. Whoever criticizes immigration, while remaining silent about capitalism, should do the same.


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    Opium? Afghanistan still world's top opium supplier, despite 10 years of US-led war.

    How else explain the insanity of those statistics.

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    Interesting suggestion. That does help explain our continued presence to some extent. It certainly could be one of the rationalizations being used behind the scenes.
    Whoever criticizes capitalism, while approving immigration, whose working class is its first victim, had better shut up. Whoever criticizes immigration, while remaining silent about capitalism, should do the same.


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    What is it you guys think our government is doing with regards to opium?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Conley View Post
    What is it you guys think our government is doing with regards to opium?
    Fighting the drug war was my idea and I presume Chris' as well.
    Whoever criticizes capitalism, while approving immigration, whose working class is its first victim, had better shut up. Whoever criticizes immigration, while remaining silent about capitalism, should do the same.


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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister D View Post
    Fighting the drug war was my idea and I presume Chris' as well.
    But doesn't what Chris posted show how pointless that is? To me that's just more evidence we should get out. Obviously like civilizing Afghanistan that has been an utterly ineffective waste of time.

    On the other hand, some might say that the failure of the War on Drugs isn't a failure at all - its made a lot of men rich.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Conley View Post
    But doesn't what Chris posted show how pointless that is? To me that's just more evidence we should get out. Obviously like civilizing Afghanistan that has been an utterly ineffective waste of time.

    On the other hand, some might say that the failure of the War on Drugs isn't a failure at all - its made a lot of men rich.
    I don't know Chris to be a fan of the drug war. I think he's just saying that this might partly explain their motivation. Or their rationalization for staying.
    Whoever criticizes capitalism, while approving immigration, whose working class is its first victim, had better shut up. Whoever criticizes immigration, while remaining silent about capitalism, should do the same.


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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister D View Post
    I don't know Chris to be a fan of the drug war. I think he's just saying that this might partly explain their motivation. Or their rationalization for staying.
    Good enough. I don't know Chris well but I doubt he's a fan.

    If this is a priority then our mission there can only be seen as a failure, but I don't think it's much of a priority at all. When the Taliban reassumes rule exports will drop again.

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