Failure in Afghanistan?

[Rogers]

We've got much better toys than the Russians.

And the Russians' (and British) had much better toys than the Afghans' did. (And the U.S. had much better toys than the Viet Cong did, etc..)

Ashdown warned: 'Unless we put this right, unless we have a unitary system of command, we are going to lose. The battle for this is the battle of public opinion. The polls are slipping. Once they go on the slide it is almost impossible to win it back. You can only do it with the support of the local population.

'There is a very short shelf life for an occupation force. Once that begins to shift against you it is very very difficult to turn it round.'
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world...126817,00.html

[guyone]

We are not an occupation force. We fight in the name of the Lion of Panjshir, Ahmad Shah Masud! And vengence will be ours.

[Rogers]

"I disagree".

[guyone]

The Transformers are on our side.

[tsmandy]

I like Robert Fisk. He is probably the most famous foreign correspondant with over thirty years of experience in international politics.

You must read The Great War for Civilisation - The Conquest of the Middle East.

His descriptions of the sensless war the Soviet Army fought against the Afghani Mujahideens is astonishing and so reavealing of the great clash of civilizations. Be aware that a Russian Communist has much more in common with a conservative US rightwinger than any Pachtun living in a Hindu Kush valley.

The invasion of Irak and the quagmire the US Gi's are swimming in must bring back some bad memories to the old russian soldiers.
[/i]

I just finished this book, it was phenomenal. I've always appreciated Fisk's reporting and this book was absolutely devestating. North_60 I'm really excited that you referenced it.

Oh yeah, the war in Afghanistan is a travesty. A pointless travesty.

[North_of_60]

I discovered Fisk one month following 9/11. I was in Heathrow UK trying to kill a 6 hrs delay flight. I bought this paper: The Independent, and read his column.

In this period of great anxiety for every Occidental, following those unconceivable attacks in NY, Fisk brought me an "inlighted" point of view... And of course, as you've probably read in the book, he knew Bin Laden.

Afghanistan has suffered a great deal since Alexander the Great, through Genghis Khan, the British, the Soviets, and now in the maelstrom of the great clash of civilizations between the Occident and the Middle-East.

Every war has economical issues, always. They are no good or evil. Just plain money, the territory wich grants it, and the one who owns it all.

The Afghanis are sitting on an strange geo-political island fighting every invaders like Corsicans defending themselves against pirates.

Hamid Karzai is the western buffoon for many of them. Since September 11 more civilians have died as a result of the war on terror, than terrorists have killed in the past 35 years. Try to argue with a Pachtun, now.

[Rogers]

Afghan, NATO forces recapture Musa Qala
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Afghan forces and their foreign allies re-captured Musa Qala today, finally bringing an end to the Taliban regime in their showpiece enclave.

Soldiers from the Afghan National Army claimed the broken remains of the town's district administrative building around 2 p.m. local time, said Major Charles Anthony, a NATO spokesman.

For the last 10 months, insurgents have trumpeted their control of the district about 100 kilometres northwest of Kandahar city, and Afghan officials have repeatedly vowed to take it back.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...anukafghan1210

Forces may be locked into Afghan conflict for decade, Gordon Brown's trip to front line reveals
December 11, 2007
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle3031484.ece

[g826665]

The presense of U.S. troops in Afghanistan is about an oil pipeline and protection of the poppy fields. Don't kid yourself.

[SmashysmashY]

if robert fisk is so smart then how come he doesn't know that afghanistan isn't in the middle east it's in central asia.

[hippifried]

We're going to set you folks free if we have to kill every last one of you to do it!

Maybe if we thin the herd & get rid of some of these experts on Afghanistan, invade & conquer Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kurdistan, & all those other 'stans, the generals would have enough room to work & "get the job done".

Oh by the way: What was the job again?