A Working Government For Afghanistan?

My readers know that I have serious reservations about the US situation in Afghanistan.
By now most Americans have heard and formed an opinion on the up-coming surge of American troops for Afghanistan.  My take on it is that we will send our troops to the country to help sure up the government, both national and [...]

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Will It Ever End?

In the past I have had a running exchange with Quin of Quintessential Havoc (go to blogroll…a good site) about the possibilities for Afghanistan.  I have said that I see so many similarities between Vietnam and Afghanistan, but recently I have heard some pundits compare the troop enlargement for Afghanistan to the surge that Bush [...]

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How Shall We Pay For The Troop Expansion?

Okay sports fans…you heard the president last night…..more troops for Afghanistan…..by the time all is said and done it will most likely be in the neighborhood of 50,000….that is the troops and all the support to get them there and keep them there…..
Before we talk money…I would like to ask a few questions…..if there is [...]

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Is It Propaganda?

To preface my post I need to include a bit of personal history….I was a grunt in Vietnam…wounded a couple of times….and found NOTHING positive about my experience in combat…with the exception that it gave me a burning desire to see that Americans would not die needlessly for some vague concept issued by the government…my [...]

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Af-Pak Report

Lots of bitching in the news…will we or won’t we send more troops to Afghanistan?  Yesterday Obama said that “staying in Afghanistan is the only option.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that walking away isn’t a viable option to deal with a war that is about to enter its ninth year.
“I don’t think we have [...]

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Pakistan Flexes Its Muscle

What little muscle they have to flex.
We all know that al-Qaeda is holding up in Northwest Pakistan and the Pakistanis are slow to handle that situation.  The US has said it will pursue the bad guys anywhere, anytime and to do their best to break the terrorists back.
Anti war.com is reporting:
The United States reportedly delivered [...]

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We Need More Troops

First, the teacher in me weants to ask this question, who said the following?
“Failure to gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum in the near-term (next 12 months) — while ……. security capacity matures — risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible,”
A) Washington  B) Westmoreland  C) McChrystal  D) Jackson
Since I am [...]

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Afghanistan: What Have We Accomplished?

An Inkwell Institute paper
Subject:  Foreign Policy
Just recently Sen. McCain has called for more troops for deployment to Afghanistan–of all the people in the Congress, I do not understand McCain position.  Did he not learn anything from his deployment to Vietnam?  Does he not recall that an increase in troop strength came with an increase of [...]

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Here We Go Again…….

I recall in the 80’s the uptick of the right wing militias; the standoffs with survivalists, and the violence in the Northwest.  I was thankful that the “fad” died out somewhat, but as usual, I was mistaken, they did not die out, thewy just went on silent running.
Some months ago, the DHS issued a report [...]

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The Story That Is Blackwater

They are baaaack!  You know that “security” firm that hires mercenaries, oh sorry…my bad….ex-soldiers to work as security across the world…..mostly in the armed conflict areas like Iraq and Afghanistan.
Two ex-employees of the company have turned into whistle blowers for the government.  In a report by Scott Horton some of the allegations against Blackwater, oh [...]

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