U.S Military Strategy in Afghanistan
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-11-17/us-military-strategy-afghanistan
In this photo taken Nov. 7, 2010, new Afghan police recruits practice shooting at a firing range on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. Message to the Taliban: Forget July 2011, the date that President Barack Obama wants to begin withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan. The more important date to watch is 2014 when the coalition hopes Afghan soldiers and policemen will be ready to take the lead in securing their nation.
AP Photo/Altaf Qadri
President Obama will be in Lisbon Friday for a NATO summit. On the agenda: finalizing plans for ending U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan by 2014. President Obama faces political pressure on all sides of the issue. In the U.S. there are strong advocates for a speedier military withdrawal and also those who warn against setting public timetables. In addition, in Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai claims current U.S. military strategy which include night raids on Taliban militants is undermining overall Afghan support. Join us for a discussion of the future of the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan.
Guests
Ambassador Ivo Daalder
U.S. Ambassador to NATO
Michael Semple
fellow, Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard University
former, deputy, EU Special Representative for Afghanistan
Yochi Dreazen
senior national security correspondent, National Journal magazine.
Michael O'Hanlon
senior fellow and director of research of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution
co- author with Hassina Sherjan of "Toughing It Out in Afghanistan.”
Comments
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I've been hearing a lot of callers speak about how we cannot afford this war. So I have a question.... What if we just left Afghanistan? Why not just leave Afghanistan and Iraq? Does anybody really think these countries are going to be a threat to the US if they are left to struggle ALONE with their own problems? Seriously, why can't we just stop spending money on these wars that nobody actually wants.
Take the "spotlight" off of these people, quit selling to them, dealing with them, trying to convert them and they will dissappear back into the woodwork. They are only "strong" when we give them creedance. Re-build our schools, our infastructure, our country.
william
In response to the caller who questions how do we validate our young men and women being injuried and killed in war. The very fact that we were attacked with sticks and stones and responded with like force. Basically when you compare what the terrorist did in comparison to our war technology... They were knowingly fighting a lost war before they even planned it. Yet, we with great humanity choose to meet them on their battle fields with simple sticks and stones. We may at any moment of our chosing totally wipe all of their major cities away with nuclear power. That is what validates our soliders great scarifice and the scarifice of the wives and children whom are left here at home. That we are taking every reasonable effort to bring peace to this comflict honorably is what validates our nations actions and our nations financial scarfice. The world however is at a financial point of breaking and so the day is drawing nearer if not even already here where we can not afford this jesture anymore. There are too many innocent people and children hurting in the world from natural disaster to justify more than six more months effort. After this, we may need to make the terrible decision of dropping a nuclear warhead on Mecca. It may be that only when we have conquered ther god will we ever conquer their spirits enough to bring peace... and even then we will need to be there as conquerers for at least 99 years just as we were in Japan. It will take that many generations for our cultures to understand each other.
Stephanie, you are exactly correct!
There seems to be NO ONE in the government or the press that can challenge our military industrial complex thinking, spending, and acting. The guerilla rule that we should have learned long ago is that we embolden them when we invade and occupy
Very soon, this fiasco will exceed the Vietnam war in terms of time....it's already exceeded it massively, of course, in terms of expenditure
Mr. Dallder has obviously gotten hold of a transcript of one of Gen. Abrams or Westmoreland's speeches from the late '60s. The only phrase missing is 'light at the end of the tunnel'.
I have a problem with this show today. There really isn't anyone who seriously questions the underlying justifications for the war. Just the other day a nephew of a friend died in Afghanistan, and for what? For 9 years we hear the same BS and we now wil be there for 4 plus more years? For a corrupt government which has no hope of ever ruling this country?
We should be scaling back now.
I am horrified listening to today's show! Katy Kay is usually so thorough but today she introduced Michael Semple as an expert on Afghanistan WITHOUT letting people know that Michael Semple was a paid covert operator for British intelligence. I urge you to read the Phoenix magazine, publised in Dublin which has published several atricles regarding Mr Semple. Shame on you Katy, even though you're wonderful!
Mr. Hanlon had it correct on Amb. Daadler putting on a brave face. As one emailer posted this misadventure in Afghanistan is very similar to the rationale of continuing in Vietnam forty years ago. I believe it was Mr. Hanlon who was also waffling about the consequences of pulling out. If we use the Vietnam paradigm, we know it will be ugly. The corrupt Karzai regime we prop up will fall to the Taliban, there will be a civil war. Our continued presence is only prolonging the agony and avoiding the inevitable.
Mr. Hanlon had it correct on Amb. Daadler putting on a brave face. As one emailer posted this misadventure in Afghanistan is very similar to the rationale of continuing in Vietnam forty years ago. I believe it was Mr. Hanlon who was also waffling about the consequences of pulling out. If we use the Vietnam paradigm, we know it will be ugly. The corrupt Karzai regime we prop up will fall to the Taliban, there will be a civil war. Our continued presence is only prolonging the agony and avoiding the inevitable.