Panetta Has Close Call in Afghanistan

by Jack

Earlier today a roadside bomb in Afghanistan near the NATO airbase where Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (shown left at White House briefing) was arriving detonated killing 9 civilians.

Moments later, as Panetta’s plane touched down a stolen van raced across the tarmac in his direction. Fortunately for Panetta it exploded prematurely. The cause of the detonation has not yet been released to the media, but it is suspected UN security on the tarmac may have fired on the intruder… or should I say, we hoped they did.

One UK soldier was slightly injured in the blast and of course the driver was killed instantly.

It is now strongly suspected that someone in a very high position of trust within the Afghanistan government must have leaked the information on Panetta’s arrival to the Taliban. His visit was a closely guarded secret. Outside of our American forces it may have only been known to President Mohamed Karzai and his top aides. This part is troubling. Also troubling is the fact the suicide bomber was able to slip past several layers of Afghan security. This calls into question their competence or loyalty.

Reflecting on the level of trust the Obama administration has for the combatants in Afghanistan is this sign: Prior to the arrival of Panetta several hundred US Marines were invited to meet with him at Camp Leatherneck, but they were instructed to disarm and to leave their weapons outside the meeting tent. High ranking Afghan soldiers also had to leave their weapons behind before meeting with Panetta, which is believed to be the primary reason the Marine’s were disarmed. Every day America forces meet with armed Afghani’s soldiers and that’s okay, but it’s not okay for members of the Obama Administration…they would even disarm our Marines! There have been 66 incidents where US soldiers have been randomly attacked by so-called friendly Afghan forces.

England has made several stern pronouncements, coincidentally the latest coming in today, … they will no longer be involved in any way in Afghanistan come 2014. They see absolutely no compelling reasons to remain. Afghanistan is of no strategic or economic value and further occupation of the country is only creating more hostility. England has stayed on this long only to accommodate the United States, however even that friendship has its limits.

Growing criticism from the left and the right within the United States over the Afghan occupation is threatening President Obama’s re-election bid. Whatever the legitimate reasons were that existed when the Afghan invasion and occupation began are long since over. The original goals of delivering the country into the hands of the Northern Alliance, establishing a new government and driving out the Taliban were met in the first 6 months. Only the death of one terrorist, Osama bin Laden, remained on the mission table and that too has been accomplished. Anything beyond that has been a gross example of mission creep and it’s cost the US taxpayers a trillion dollars and nothing to show for it. For America families it’s meant the loss of thousands of loved ones. The price of being friends with anyone in Afghanistan is too high. Time to say mission accomplished and come home.