I had a magazine assignment back in 2004 to go to Afghanistan and see how the hunt for Osama bin Laden was going. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Bin Laden was the man behind the terrorist organization known as al Qaeda that was responsible for the attack on this country that was carried out in September of 2001 when 19 radical Muslim terrorists succeeded in flying airplanes into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. killing nearly 3000 American citizens. He was the very definition of a bad guy. We had to find him and bring him to justice. We had to defend our country from another attack by Osama bin Laden or someone like him.
Twenty years of war for profit by the defense contractors. They made out like bandits. They were the ones who urged the Pentagon to keep going on the war so they could continue to make money from death. Who cared if we ever got Bin Laden, as long as they got rich?
I can only imagine what the mothers and fathers, sisters, brothers and sweethearts of those lost in this folly are saying to themselves and each other tonight. Their version of "for what ?" must be etched in the deepest, red regret.
I know people involved with the invasion of Afghan. None believed it would last long. Yet the decision was made to make it a parliamentary democracy. The result would be the US joining England, Alexander the Great and the Russian Army leaving the Graveyard of Empires without victory. How could dudes wearing sandals and old rifles beat our drones and well equipped troops? By outlasting us. Many lives and 2 Trillion Dollars for what?
This was a fascinating read. What strikes me, from reporting yesterday and from a comment today from a friend whose son was there, is that rank and file soldiers (and their families) are more than happy with Biden's decision. It appears that those who want this wasteful and unwinnable war to continue are mostly the brass in those bases and the Pentagon.
Exactly. And no where in history is there support for a different outcome. We were warned, but, led by sanctimonious hypocrites of defense dollar-funding who never READ.... into that morass we went. Just last night, Lindsey Graham was on the news, fear mongering for the Taliban. AND YET—the true TERRORIST danger to this country are the armed militants (“those ‘fine’ people”) of the Republican Party—our “Republican Guard,” so to speak. And think of the BILLIONS wasted. Ironically, when Republican governors —like billionaire Gov. Pete Ricketts, whose father is in with the Koch Gang—were asked by Pres. Biden to take in some of the refugee children from the border, the response was, “No! We have to spend our resources on our own, American children.” This nation has developed a herd immunity for BullShit to the point it doesn’t even raise a pulse.
Lucian: Check out Steven Markoff's "The Case Against George W. Bush." It's pretty Goddamned spot-on and maddening. Markoff worked on it for years. Remember Vincent Bugliosi? He called me one day and went on for an hour with his own case against Bush. But, Markoff nails it. Kirkus gave it good reviews. Check it out.
I was banging around Afghanistan and the whole AO in 2003 and 2004. When were you in Bagram? Did you fly in through K2 or Manas? Long trip the good old USA.
Twenty years of war for profit by the defense contractors. They made out like bandits. They were the ones who urged the Pentagon to keep going on the war so they could continue to make money from death. Who cared if we ever got Bin Laden, as long as they got rich?
I can only imagine what the mothers and fathers, sisters, brothers and sweethearts of those lost in this folly are saying to themselves and each other tonight. Their version of "for what ?" must be etched in the deepest, red regret.
I know people involved with the invasion of Afghan. None believed it would last long. Yet the decision was made to make it a parliamentary democracy. The result would be the US joining England, Alexander the Great and the Russian Army leaving the Graveyard of Empires without victory. How could dudes wearing sandals and old rifles beat our drones and well equipped troops? By outlasting us. Many lives and 2 Trillion Dollars for what?
....and for what??
This was a fascinating read. What strikes me, from reporting yesterday and from a comment today from a friend whose son was there, is that rank and file soldiers (and their families) are more than happy with Biden's decision. It appears that those who want this wasteful and unwinnable war to continue are mostly the brass in those bases and the Pentagon.
Exactly. And no where in history is there support for a different outcome. We were warned, but, led by sanctimonious hypocrites of defense dollar-funding who never READ.... into that morass we went. Just last night, Lindsey Graham was on the news, fear mongering for the Taliban. AND YET—the true TERRORIST danger to this country are the armed militants (“those ‘fine’ people”) of the Republican Party—our “Republican Guard,” so to speak. And think of the BILLIONS wasted. Ironically, when Republican governors —like billionaire Gov. Pete Ricketts, whose father is in with the Koch Gang—were asked by Pres. Biden to take in some of the refugee children from the border, the response was, “No! We have to spend our resources on our own, American children.” This nation has developed a herd immunity for BullShit to the point it doesn’t even raise a pulse.
Que sera’ sera’.
Lucian: Check out Steven Markoff's "The Case Against George W. Bush." It's pretty Goddamned spot-on and maddening. Markoff worked on it for years. Remember Vincent Bugliosi? He called me one day and went on for an hour with his own case against Bush. But, Markoff nails it. Kirkus gave it good reviews. Check it out.
Fascinating...as usual
I was banging around Afghanistan and the whole AO in 2003 and 2004. When were you in Bagram? Did you fly in through K2 or Manas? Long trip the good old USA.
Who will write the first story of female abuse by the Taliban after the pullout? Who in the West will care?