Rory Stewart: "Can Intervention Work?"
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-08-15/rory-stewart-can-intervention-work
The cost of military intervention in a foreign country can be very high – as the families of the navy SEALS who died recently in Afghanistan, tragically, know only too well. There is the unavoidable loss of life, coupled with the financial and political costs of a sustained presence. Yet, governments around the world have increasingly put their faith in it – as we have seen in Iraq, Afghanistan and now Libya. They commit their armed forces, their finances and their political fortunes for often decades at a time, despite the high costs and uncertain outcome. Today we ask is military intervention working or is it time for a new approach.
Guests
Rory Stewart
a member of the British Parliament and author of "The Prince of the Marshes" and "The Places In Between"
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
If a person considers hundreds of thousands of Iraqi people dead, injured and millions displaced. As well as the deaths of 4500 American soldiers and tens of thousands injured an example of how intervention is successful. Then I would advise you go see a professional psychiatrist.
But hey Americans are not counting the Iraqi dead..they clearly do not count.
The US is spiritually and morally bankrupt. The rest of the world knows
Intervention? Buzzword for trying to force the values of one group of people on another group of people.
Seems that individuality is being outlawed by outside governments. If your government does not follow the ideals of the most powerful governments it is in jeopardy of "intervention" - unless, of course, your land holds something valued by the Others and you are willing to play their way.
Some areas do not even care about the governing groups, they only want to live the way they and their ancestors have lived for thousands of years.
But, here comes the intervention and you must conform, you must give up your own way of life to be what you are told to be.
maybe the u.s. should'nt intervene in anything. that way no one would have anything to complain about as far as that goes. every time they try to make a difference someone has an issue. maybe they should just let these countries just burn. and besides that the war in afghanistan was a result of 911 and i think people forget that. its not really an intervention. its a retaliation.
American officials and the majority of American citizens refuse to acknowledge or count the dead, injured and displaced in Iraq as a direct consequence of the invasion of Iraq. Hundreds of thousands are dead and injured some report over 4 million Iraqi people are displaced. How anyone could define this illegal and immoral intervention of Iraq as a successful intervention needs to have their heads and morals examined.
Please ask your guest why Americans, our MSM and our officials refuse to count and acknowledge the dead in Iraq?
Americans are responsible for atrocities in Iraq.
The United States has become a nation of War Criminals, intent on spreading imperialism throughout the World, regardless of the casualties we leave in our wake.
Rory as you walked across Afghanistan did you become more aware of just how dependent farmers in Afghanistan are reliant on poppy production?
Have read a great deal about how so many fruit and nut orchards were wiped out in Afghanistan during the war with Russia.
Are there any working programs for poppy farmers to grow other crops while being subsidized so they can make that transition from illegal to legal?
In Afghanistan is one aware of how the hunger for heroin around the world feeds the need for this illicit crop being grown? Do you know of a good book that reveals how the international drug trade fuels the need to grow this crop in
Afghanistan? And how destructive it has been
And Americans keep their pedals to the metal and do not want to give this a thought. Spiritually bankrupt
We are still selling that war as a defense of our way of life and our freedoms. Ignorant people believe it.
I have read that many Taliban members and people in Afghanistan are rip roaring pissed about the several thousand Taliban members who had surrendered to occupation forces just after the US invaded and then were allowed to suffocate in the back of trucks during transportation. Democracy Now's Amy Goodman was the only one in the US who touched this story back in late 2001. Not a mention of this in our MSM. Not on Diane Rehms show. She early on reported about beauty parlors in Kabul. Pathetic
Can your guest discuss the "Convoy of Death, the Afghan Massacre"
Americans should know about this
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3267.htm
Rory served under Paul Bremer in Iraq. Can he please discuss why Paul Bremer disbanded the Iraqi army? And how this effected the situation in Iraq.
Many believe when the US sent in too few troops, protected oil sites and not Iraqi historic sites, disbanded the Iraqi army etc etc. were not mistakes but ways for Iraq to crumble internally.
Oh by the way who is charge of Iraq's oil reserves right now? Who has been the big benefactor of privatizing the oil companies?
low orbit ion cannon CORRecK- er- correct
definitely NOt jerry l said
did he/she also mention necessity of having access to earflappers?
pretty sure(CONFIDENCE 'high')
Dickens originator of special project soylent green(SPSG)
Liked Mr Paul Sr. with stand on drugs/alcohol, taxes, and services. Message has been 'massaged' since... liked McCain prior to his numerous flipflops to appease 'his' '.party'... AND selection of bear whisperer... Also had to abandon Patriot bikers(and Hells Angels in 60's) and Tea Party when those companies 'lost' focus.
Might still 'right'. Swinging cross or crescent or hammer the dead no longer cause problems(other than whole spoiled/ wasted meat thingy- BUT hear there is solution now.
experts(uninfluenced by money paid for their expert unbiased opinion) now in charge(as IT always is) AND will do US... again. Er- save- US.
In short, too simple, too short and to pointed- er- ITs JOBS!!! But there IS still ALOT of Money$ in GOD(guns, oil, drugs) under current system.
ALL about the money...
how much and who do WE pay to have $7 per hour 'good' job without vacation or healthcare in Texas?
Previously refused Tejas(80's) as hate working in terrorist criminal antigod country(Mexican terrorists(texans) insurrected against the Catholic government).
When return to Constitution are we returning Southern portion of country to Mexico? Would eliminate embarassing low scoring scholastic and health achievements leader- WIN- WIN.
Soylent Green party first choice. Anarchist Procrastinator party second(but will never get there to vote) choice. Norml part second choice BUT will forget when election.
GO Colbert/ Stewart... Stewart/ Colbert ticket ? At last a party we still believe in- mostly- but at least can laugh while NOT working, eating, or sleeping.
Internet closed by next election BUT vote machines still accessible. Progrees!
We LOVE interesting times- so many opportunities... eat lawyer- no tainted- EAT banker- nicely marbled!
Too olde for gun/ drug runs AND most officers known are retired now. But mechanodigital decryption job for Moldavians possibility. But will wait our turn for domestic Soylent opening- still patriotic.
Why when we pass new laws and build more prisons to deal with criminals we just have MORE better 'educated' criminals?
George Senior served. Jr was coke sniffing draft dodging drunk in 'champagne' division saving Tejas from the Viet Cong communists- and managed to be AWOL from that assignment... Not that there is anything wrong with that(if from monied class). And monied media 'spun' US so opposing unAmerican veteran SEAL candidate Kerry EZ to 'kill'. Oops forgot war criminal... but appears job requirement now- good for GOD business.
Apparantly many born per minute
and that is what the party is counting on... not just caveat emptor anymore.
And when Dianne comes close to truth the witnesses die- BUT enough about Iraq. And Tor NOT secure BTW.
At least IT distracts from domestic unrest and unemployment. BOTH sides heavily armed... should be 'interesting'- unlike England.
Today Iraq is a shattered society attempting to pick up the pieces of buildings, and pieces of their society as well as counting their dead, injured and displaced by the invasion of their country and crippling sanctions. Does Rory or anyone else find it absurd and criminal that there is a perverse notion that an utterly destroyed country must pay reparations to the parties who planned and facilitated its destruction?
I am ashamed of my country when it comes to Iraq
Thank you, Diane, for having a guest on your show that is portraying the side of a country in which the US has "intervened".
I've never understood how officials could be so condescending that they would believe we believe invading another country is something the majority of those countrypeoples would want? And those who don't welcome us are called insurgents? However, if the shoe were on our foot, those who would fight against our country's invaders would be considered patriots and heroes.
I realize the biggest issue is commodities. It makes me terribly sad the conveniences of our lives are continuing on the sacrifices of lives of others far away - foreign and our own soldiers.
Consider Afclusterstan and Iraq as 'beta' projects for societal unrest domesticly.
We use same private contractors and suppliers. Against law to also use military or CIA but laws made to be broken- like Constitution- to insure our society's survival.
What are you- ungodly terrorist red(notice FPS you fight the 'red') commie Vietnamese chino(ancestral enemies so much for dominoes) russo baiting fourth column yellow journalist scum sucking union organising antiprofit degenrate drug using drunk?
Or you are running for office- our bad.
Explosives, snipers, covert surveilance- not just for our military against foreign enemies anymore. Or IT is- we have met the enemy- and IT is US?
"BUT enough about Iraq. "
Well our Congress folk, american citizens, our MSM certainly agree. Don't count their dead..just "move on, next chapter, turn the page, don't be about retribution, witch hunts" just step over those hundreds of thousands dead, injured, millions displaced. Nothing important here. The US is drowning in the blood of Iraqi people. We are drowning in our own "pack of lies" and Americans would rather not notice or acknowledge these crimes
The guest is hypocritical. Policies are carried out by people. If he though what was being done in Iraq was wrong why would he serve a an instrument of that policy? But those who carried out that policy now are trying to re-brand themselves as advisors to the rest of us who called this war wrong from the beginning. I'm sorry but the majority of Americans and UK citizens opposed the Iraq war. It seems he and those who supported the invasionshould have listened to us.
Furthermore he seems to be arguing Iraq was only wrong because it failed. Without clairvoyance then how would we know who to invade? Was Panama, Guatemala, Chile wrong?
We used to infiltrate and embed within societies for common purpose. Lot of work, danger of going 'native'(my God they act like people too) BUT many violent acts prevented, bad guys caught, AS most wanted to help the 'good' guys.
Then IT was we hate your government policies but love the people...
Now we have become the darkside in order to defeat the darkside? Hasn't not many already wlaked that path. Even Israel, with their history, treat the forgotten 'chosen' ones as they were/are... PROGRESS bringing out the people in people.
Apparantly 'sin' part of DNA.
Yes, to win , for evil , necessary IT is, only for the good, to 'rest'. Fight, we must without rest, or DIE we will. Or so a friend said.
It is worth mentioning that it is the second attempt at "modernizing" Afghan society. The previous attempt cost hundreds of millions of dollars. It was done in 50s and 60s. There was even town built. This town was nicknamed 'Little America" (Lashkar Gah). It was a dismal failure and US contractors were the main beneficiaries
Lancet report
Rory how was the Bush administration so successful at sweeping the Lancet report about Iraqi deaths under the rug in 2006?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancet_surveys_of_Iraq_War_casualties
Interesting concept.
Are you saying we should attack all(before they attack US)?
Or that supporting dictators via 'foreign aid'(mostly obsolete arms) AND increasing secrecy to protect US from truths(for our own good?) or real politik inefficient?
Part were we invade and remove witnesses- er- leaders wasteful? Ends justify means... and just because we at END no reason to change quarterbacks midstream.
Take long view... what we lose today in decency will be made up in long run.
That's right Kathleen. This fellow believes that the intervention in Iraq is justifiable, in spite of the incredible bloodshed. The Lancet estimates the war has resulted in 650,000 excess deaths. Yet the expenditure of money in Afghanistan is something he continually reiterates, seemingly money is his primary concern, lives, not as much. Why is this privileged twit on the radio? I'm so glad Diane provides another forum for facile conventional thinking.
Looking like "Us" The snake swallowing itself.
Last good meal- pure wine and fish and bread- the guest of honor did mention something about turning the other cheek- BUT he was a little 'touched'(drunk?).
Many of his children came to same conclusion- some after being warriors. Those who profit love 'war'. Those who actually fight or watch- not so much.
Prefer love over violence... been beat up a lot that way.
Actually he stated he thought it was a bad idea. But Diane only let him go so far. Not many indepth questions. Screeners, producers, Diane keeping it on the surface.
We 'got' the two dozen involved. Killed many more. But still have more terrorists than when we started. Go figure.
Still hoping real reasons 'classified' AND not just about removing 'embarassments' or making money$.
And yet people do what they must to survive with what is at hand(do the best with what you have). Whether purchase, borrowed, or stolen. Rich or poor. Foreign or domestic.
Is IT time for our beating yet?- we feel neglected.
kathleen wrote:
Looking like "Us" The snake swallowing itself.
----------------------------------------------------------
aoxomoxoa? we love IT
Pass the opium and IT will make more cents.