by Jack
The following critical information is not being reported in the mainstream news because the media is too obsessed with dissecting Trump’s first 100 days.
According to the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense (MoD), the army casualties have multiplied every year since 2003. In 2012-1,170 KIA. Last year there were over 15,000 Afghani casualties and over 5,000 KIA. This year the body count looks even worse. The war is in failure mode. By all accounts, it’s just a matter of time until the Taliban return to control. This was predicted when we first entered Afghanistan and started nation building.
The latest Taliban attack took place at the Afghan National Army’s. 209 Shaheen Corps Headquarters. in Balkh province. 135 soldiers were killed and many more wounded. The deadly attack was carried out by Taliban dressed in ANA uniforms and in ANA trucks that passed easily through at least 4 or more defensive perimeters, presumably with the cooperation of insiders, i.e., ANA soldiers acting as gate guards. 4 of the killed Taliban attackers have been identified as current ANA soldiers. These were traitors who guided the Taliban to key installations.
In response to the rise in Taliban attacks, the Trump administration indicated they may be beefing up US forces in Afghanistan. However, this could be a terrible mistake and it would only be delaying the inevitable, if Taliban want their country back more than the defenders want freedom.
When the US forces first entered Afghanistan they noticed that rock strewn roads that were barely passable in 4 wheel drive vehicles were about the only thing connecting major towns and villages. So, American forces spent a over decade building paved roads to connect key provinces. In 2013 we finished the job and turned over highway maintenance to the Afghanistan government along with millions of dollars worth of road repairing equipment. Today, less than half of the roads are passable. That costly new highway equipment, well, its gone. It has either been sold off or vandalized to the point of ruin. This is but one scandalous case among many others where we’ve wasted billions of US. Dollars and lost American lives for a corrupt people.
The level of corruption in Afghanistan, be it in civilian affairs to the highest office in government, is stunning. So is the number of Taliban sympathizers at all levels of government and Afghan society. Muslim fanatics regularly aid and abet the terrorists every day in some form, providing them with logistical information, supplies, names and addresses of local administrators and police. Sometimes they lend direct support, such as gate guards letting the Taliban slip in to restricted areas to do their worst.
Afghanistan is like a black hole where money and lives just disappear.
In the past two years the attacks have become more violent and more frequent. There have been dozens of assassination on Afghani personnel and some American advisers. These are attacks required terrorists to slip past layers of ANA security and they seem to do so with regularity.
The attack at Shaheen happened just two days after Defense Minister Abdullah Habibi visited the base during a trip to Balkh.
However, Balkh Governor Atta Mohammad Noor said the same day he is concerned about the spread of insecurity in the Northern provinces and that it would increase if security forces do not take an offensive stance against militants. This would appear to be the understatement of the year.
We’ve done all we could to help the Afghani’s defend themselves and enjoy freedoms never before experienced. Now it’s up to them to sink or swim. If they fail, the blood bath that will follow will be enormous. In that case, they would have been so much better off had we never tried to help. To double down on this situation and bail them out once again would be a tragic mistake. It will only cost more lives and more money and for what? To delay the inevitable by a very short time?
There’s nothing in Afghanistan worth more American lives.
It will only cost more lives and more money and for what?
It’s the forever war. Get use to it.
Actually, out longest war has been with North Korea, and it continues to this day. Wars end by defeat and surrender, takeover of the opposing government, or peace treaty. None of that has happened with North Korea. There was a “cease fire,” which has been violated hundreds of times, including many Americans being killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. Remember the Pueblo? We are still at war with North Korea; guns are still fired every night across the DMZ, which is not at all demilitarized; mortars still fly into US camps; insurgents still penetrate into our territory in the south; and snipers still ambush American vehicles. The US government played down the hostilities during the 60’s, when I was there in a designated hostile fire zone. The press was so intent on the Vietnam conflict that it paid no attention to Korea. The action is no different now. It just seems more dangerous because the NK’s have nuclear weapons, thanks to Bill Clinton, who gave them nuke technology in return for a promise to only use it for peaceful purposes–same deal that Obama made with Iran.
Yes, the Korean war is clearly our longest running war… and check this out, “PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea’s top diplomat for U.S. affairs told The Associated Press on Thursday that Washington “crossed the red line” and effectively declared war by putting leader Kim Jong Un on its list of sanctioned individuals, and said a vicious showdown could erupt if the U.S. and South Korea hold annual war games as planned next month.” Hmmm… this was said last year and we did have war games. Guess the little fatso is taking his time, getting his anger on and practicing his mean face.
Afghanistan is like a black hole where money and lives just disappear.
Correct. The generals want more money and troops and they are getting them. Mattis said just a few days ago that this is going to be a tough year in Afghanistan so it is a certainty that more Americans will be coming back from there dead and wounded. And of course it will cost tens of billions of dollars more.
The war has gone on under a President as far to the left as Obama and continues to go on under Trump. So it’s clear neither the left or right will put an end to this war. The only thing that will is national bankruptcy and that day will eventually come.