U.S. mission in Afghanistan
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-09-28/us-mission-afghanistan
From left, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force, escort Afghan President Hamid Karzai on a tour of Arlington National Cemetery's Section 60 May 13, 2010.
DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist Chad J. McNeeley, U.S. Navy via isafmedia on Flickr
Federal prosecutors in New York have opened a criminal probe against a brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai: Efforts to curb corruption – and the risks for U-S military and diplomatic strategies in Afghanistan.
Guests
Paul Pillar
director, graduate studies at the Center for Peace and Security Studies at Georgetown University and a former CIA National Intelligence officer
Yochi Dreazen
senior national security correspondent, National Journal magazine.
Max Boot
senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of "War Made New" (Gotham Books)
Comments
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We had our chance of capturing bin Laden at Tora Bora. Missing this historic chance delivered a substantial blow to America's standing as a super power. Since then, no foreign policy in the region could make up for this loss. How could this happen?
There is no way I would allow one of my boys to go and fight in such an unnessary war.
It is so amusing to hear your esteemed warmongering guests speak so soberly yet absurdly about the validity of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. Their discussion is quite reminiscent of both the novel "Catch 22" and the movie "Dr. Strangelove".
No matter what we think of the Taliban, they are Afghanistan citizens, part of the Afghanistan culture, whom we wholeheartedly backed against the Soviets when they invaded and occupied that benighted land, and they really had little to do with any attacks against the United States.
The real reason we are in Afghanistan is to forward base our troops for the eventual attack on Iran. This would cause Iran to fight the classic two front war. Warren, Arlington
I just want to thank Anna for her obviously heartfelt comment on your program, & to state that she speaks for many, many of us in wondering what makes us think that we can be the world's police. She so articulately asked what I ask myself every time I hear news from Afghanistan or it becomes the topic of conversation. Thank you, Anna, from all of us who agree withe you.
And as for your guest's reply, if we used the rational that every time the Taliban does something reprehensible we have the right to step in & dole out retribution, why doesn't that give the rest of the world the right to come to our country & punish our people every time there is a horendous crime committed here? It seems like the same thing to me.
I cannot believe how psychologically scarred we have allowed our selves to become. It is almost as if we chose to give the terrorists a victory by being unable to get past the 911 attack. 40,000 people die in auto accidents every year. We deal with it. We need to move on. Terrorism is not much of a problem compared to all the other challenges we face as a nation.
Unlike Sudan, unlike Congo, we did invade Afghanistan, we will be responsible for the retribution of the Taliban against the people who supported us, the people who believed in us -- and it will therefore leave a stain on us. There's no way around that.
If we withdraw we morally are obligated to take everyone with us who wants to go.
Thank you, James. But I don't find it amusing at all, but incredibly frustrating & depressing to hear all of this.
Curious what we did to Russia in relation to Afghanistan - and then we follow up ourselves by invading the country, assuming the factors previously at play have nothing to do with us! Either someone is very naive or simply very stupid.
To David Schreiber: I 100% agree with you. But fear mongering is a tool used by polititions to gain power, particularly hawkish polititions who can't wait to get in there & play their "war games" using real, live soldiers! As long as there is a war to proliferate, they will keep on using it.
Why do we find ourselves once again being the policeman of the world?
With no other nation backing us , why do we have to use our money, manpower, and military resources for this endless cycle of war when just over the horizon, the real future enemy, China is getting militarily stronger every day. Learn Chinese
Only caught the tail end of the show this morning, and could not get thru on the phone to make this point.
I'm not sure who it was, but likely Max Boot asserted that defense spending amounted to less than 4% of the total budget. In addition to much of his war-mongering, this was beyond laughable. The total defense spending is actually 23%, more than either Social Security or Medicare/Medicaid; in fact, this is the largest single portion of our national budget.
This point needs to be corrected, as Mr. Boot has a habit of making such erroneous claims, and tends to get away with it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:U.S._Federal_Spending_-_FY_2007.png
If chicken-hawk Max Boot is so eager to defend Afghanistan, I'd be willing to donate funds to pay for him to pick up a rifle and join the fight on the front lines. I am not willing to force US taxpayers to pay for his warmongering.
It may have been the case that the US allowed him to escape in order to make an excuse to invade Iraq. They could say that Iraq might provide weapons of mass destruction to Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden, thus giving them a reason to try to eliminate the supposed weapons of mass destruction before they could end up in Osama Bin Laden's hands.
...did he just said stoning gays? As if gays are so much better treated back home in the U.S. they don't need stoning they go looking for bridges to jump off!