To put it simply, the writing is on the wall in Afghanistan. Karzai is constantly threatening the US and extorting our State Department for $3+ billion/year to remain our friends, then condemns anything the US does and doesn't denounce any violence against US troops (BTW- we are nearing 2,000 dead US soldiers in Afghanistan), and the Talliban has a clear roadmap to our departure. It doesn't get much clearer than that. Those sticking around realize that some big change is coming. You may have seen articles about how women are expecting the start of the next "dark age" where they have no rights, no education, no prospects, and become slaves again. Here's how I think it plays out:

1. The US leaves- having provided the Afghanis with a new opium highway and infrustructure. The Afghanis cheer and wave over their having kicked the US out and declare victory over us.

2. Karzai ciphen's off millions more of the aid given to Afghanistan, puts it in his bank accounts around the world, and plans his escape within the next few years. Bet you he has a few private jets waiting at a minutes notice. He'll jump when the Talliban start to move in- he won't be a martar for the cause.

3. The Talliban have rested and built up their numbers, strategies, and weapons during our slow down. They are ready to party and they will sweep in when we sweep out. The US will leave a LOT of great equipment and bases, which they will gladly use to amass their armies and the bases will be used as terrorist camps against the West.

4. The people of Afghanistan will suffer.

5. The US will look foolish again, get yelled at by the UN, and the US soldiers will face more pressure to go back into a bad recession- while getting their military benefits cut.

Anybody with half a brain in Afghanistan should leave immediately. Once we pull out, which we should do ASAP, if they don't like the Taliban they are screwed. All these people who think Afghanistan has even a ray of hope as a civilized nation are deluded. All our presence has done there is given the smart ones a chance to get away, and that's it.

Man, Dick, are you behind the times! That is word for word how it went after the Berlin Wall came down: "Now we won't need a huge military."

Oh, yes, let's spend the money on more welfare. If we work it right we can up it to 75% of Americans on some form of government aid.

UDunno, If all the people with half a brain left Afghanistan, then no more native Afghani people would remain. It would only be our troops left.

A few dozen defections from a force of 149,642 doesn't speak to mass disenfranchisement. Karzai is a crook, but most of the country seems to prefer him over the Taliban, including us.

JoeNY,

"the Talliban has a clear roadmap to our departure."

Yes, and the Afghan police probably figure that as soon as the U.S. withdraws its troops, the Taliban are going to take over the country anyway. So why not get a head start by defecting to the Taliban now? And you're probably right about Karzai, too. He will depart for the U.S. like the president of South Vietnam did.

People can debate this ad nauseum but the end result will remain unchanged. The U.S. will eventually pull out of Afghanistan and when that happens, the Taliban will move in and take control.

All Obama is doing by providing the Afghans with all this military equipment is arming the Taliban. How can he be so clueless?

I think we should just leave a bunch of modified guns that blow up or fire backwards when raised above the shoulder for the Taliban (they just love shooting into the air) maybe even with some special bullets that blow up like IUD's so we can take out a few more of these savages before we leave. Wouldn't take much to make a bullet like I'm talking about with maybe a little bit of C-4 in it!

Better yet, just leave bunch of these modified bullets all over the place when we leave! What a going away present that would be.

Wish we leaving that crapola of a country today, We have only one thing in common with them, we both hate each other to the max.

Bring our troops home now, leave this country to deal with its people we have enough problems here because of these wars and nothing has changed except they have tons of our money, killed our people and will never ever become part of a civilized society.

10-9-8-7-.......0 Infidels gone LALALALALALALALALALALA we are once again Talibaturds

When they do the unspeakable, and it will be unspeakable-children-women and such, our eyes will be wide open filled with tears and rage.

The big trouble with being 'civilized' is you give the benefit of the doubt to the end product of our own demise.

Open borders-no profiling. A really good recipe for success (unfortunately not ours)

muddiemike,

"I think we should just leave a bunch of modified guns that blow up or fire backwards when raised above the shoulder for the Taliban"

Are you talking about the old M-16? Oh, no, wait... Blowing up wasn't their problem; jamming was.

JoeNY: Worse are Pakis roles.

In Afghanistan, Pakis have backstabbed the US and NATO forces big time. Half of NATO forces deaths are due to ungrateful and backstabbing Pakis.

When the NATO forces were entering Kandahar in 2001, Pakis airlifted key al-Qaida, Taliban, ISI and others militants by back door from Kandahar.

This includes Mullah Omar, Osama and many including Paki Haqqani militant network leaders.

Hope people can remember about Pakis sheltering Osama.

These Paki Islamic religious Nazis don't bother about their people and they are into reckless killing games in the name of jihad.

Drone attacks are not enough and to reduce NATO forces losses, Paki militant areas should be carpet bombed just like 1991 Iraqi war.

If this is not possible, cut the losses and run right away!

Hundreds of Billions all for nothing! But yet we'll vote the same retards back in power and go storm the sand dunes of Iran! U.S.S.R. spent a crap load of money in Afghanistan and it broke their back in the long run. Writingn is on the wall for us as well. Funny!

One of the biggest problems with police officers is that they tend to go into the job because of a desire to hold power and authority over others. It's a power- and ego-trip for them. So, when the Taliban comes a knockin', promising them the freedom to abuse their positions of authority unfettered if they join them, it's little wonder officers take them up on their offer.

Wet Willy.... Hes not clueless. He knows,its all part of the plan. Arm them,train them,give them money. After the Taliban takes over and they will, They will have lots and lots of our equipment and since the defectors if that's what the media chooses to call them.I don't think they defected at all. They got why they wanted. Trained on how to use our weapons, Given them our weapons,and equipment.Then they show their true colors. We have done nothing but trained our enemy,and given to our enemy.

obama has spent more in the middle east and romney wants to spend even more on our military being all over the world . how does the supposed greatest country on earth have an electorate as clueless and ignorant as it does ? we are trillion$ in the hole in debt , and we (well rather you people not me) keep electing those that don't even hide they will make it worse . but hey , keep believing earmarks are what got us in this fiscal mess . $25K to pay nasa to send a jar of fruit flies into space is hurting us more than the trillion$ spent on the middle east !!!!

Willy & Snook, the process of arming the taliban started in the 80's when Reagan decided that it would be a great idea to do that in order to f#%k the soviets. Mostly because of its tribal political and social structure, Afghanistan has been impossible to govern by anyone. The Russians tried the military option (because there is no real other way to begin the process) and failed. We tried the same strategy and failed too. The US seems strangely incapable of learning from other countries mistakes (as well as its own). It's not a republican or a democrat issue.

Yeah, all this talk about how much Obama has spent, if John McCain and Sarah Palin had been elected Pres/VP we'd still have about 20,000 troops in Iraq still trying to bring order and giving Halliburton and their subsidiaries billions of dollars to do nothing. You Republicans just can't see how that happened can you, all you want to do is blame Obama. Pres. Bush didn't even include the illegal Iraq invasion in the budgets, that's one of the reasons why the US is in trouble now.

The USA needs to give up on the idea that we can civilize these people and rebuild their countries in our image. If we decide it is absolutely necessary to go to war with them, then we need to deliver a totally crushing defeat and then leave with only a warning left behind....... Don't make us come back and do it again!

Hello Fishinfool555,

I totally agree,

I would recommend we go after that equipment, just to let them know they can run, but they cannot hide!

This country is all but a lost cause. It's hard to hope for it because those whom are evil (but call themselves righteous) are so much stronger than those who are decent. What are we hoping for by being here? The USA isn't the one world government.

Obama, please earn you Nobel Peace Prize, and withdraw NOW! Ever wonder why after over 10 years of training these subhumans, there still isn't an Army capable of standing up to the Taliban? Well, for starters, we did not require the Afghanis to 'enlist' in order to be trained. That's right. Train them to be a soldier in the army, but once thay are trained, they take a job in the private sector doing security. You thought we were training and waging a war? No, we sent our troops to run a job re-training program for Afghanis. Talk about criminally stupid, that's our fearless leaders for you. Don't even get me started on Pakistan. So, once again, you cannot bomb a culture into the 21st century. Do the smart thing, and get out now!!!!!!! Would it help if I said please, pretty please? The majority of Americans have agreed for a long time we need to leave. So, why aren't our leaders listening to 'we the people'? Silly me, I forgot, we don't have a lobby.

It's just like all the worthless gang members that join our armed forces, get trained, and then return to their perspective gangs taking back what they learned.

Once a cockroach, always a cockroach.

We should show the Afgans how tough we are and have the next military Gay Pride Parade in the heart of kabul. tombones, there are different type of "gangbangers" in the armed forces.

and this surprises who ?

Fuchers

I read something the other day about Libya. Before we went in and bombed the $hit out of them and got Kadaffi executed the story was that illiteracy was only 15%, gas was $.14/gal, electricity was free to the people and when you borrowed money from the Libyian banks there was no interest. Now that the Rothschilds have gotten in the there, it won;t be like that anymore. If this is wrong, someone let me know. There was only 5 or 6 countries in the world without a Rothschilds controled bank, Libya, North Korea, Iran, Sudan and Afganistan. Who are they telling US is evil? I see where the evil is.

Dependent upon the cash flow, I suppose Taliban will "defect back". It's a tribal deal, and has been for ages and ages. A defecting police officer in Afganistan has no more significance than a dog jumping over the fence into the neighbors yard.

Afghanistan = US taxpayer money flushed down the toilet.

Tombones #1.22.

Funny. I seem to have missed the stories about gang members joining our armed forces and taking what they learned back to strengthen the gangs. I've heard lots of stories of guys escaping gangs by enlisting, and lots of people bettering themselves from the experience. Perhaps you have some "secret" information you'd like to share with the class? I'll assume your comment, "once a cockroach, always a cockroach" was a personal statement for yourself, rather than a disparaging remark towards our military who you deem unworthy of respect.

And they took with them AMERICAN weapons and AMERICAN humvees. We MUST hunt them down, kill them and take back our equipment,

Sullyness,

It is well proven that there are serious gang problems not only in recruits but also oversees. Try using that thing called "Google" and look it up. Also, they join the military, get the best training in the world, and then return to civilian life where they resume their gang activities. This is a fact. Look it up.

I was drawing a comparison between the money wasted on training the Afghan policemen only to have them return to the Taliban with the ultimate training courtesy of the good ole' US of A.

Now I'm sorry you're too dense to 1. do research or 2. understand English.

I never referred to our Military as cockroaches. I am calling the worthless gang bangers and the phony Afghans cockroaches.

Next time I'll spell phonetically.

My #2 son a marine, is bummed because he didn't get deployed....I asked him why would you want to go and lay your life on the line for these rock apes?...said it was more of a serve and protect my fellow brothers in arms thing....I can relate, spent some time in the jungles of laos and nam...it is a brother thing...but i'm sure glad he's not going to the stan'....maybe southeast asia....again?...If bat ears obama keeps any troops there past his unelection, i sure hope this other guy has his head on square....but in meantime, i hope ROE's change and we shoot the bastrds where they stand if we catch them stealing equipment or defecting...man, this is frustrating reading this crap!

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/justicelawlegislation/a/gangs.htm

Most of you are talking with paper BUTT HOLES

I just can home from there 3 months ago after being in country for 18 months.

Talk to me after you have walked a mile in my boots and seen the crap I saw and have the PTSD that I have

We’re just throwing our money away. They don’t want us there just our $$$...

Karzai is a crook but he’s not the only one. His brother was the biggest drug

lord around until his bodyguards killed him so that they could takeover. The Afghan contractors start jobs and don’t finish them but we (the US government) still pay them in full and then put the job back out for another contractor to do and then pay him too.

We need to get the hell out of there NOW and let them fight their own battles....

Joe - the biggest crooks and scumbags are in our own government. They are the ones responsible for continuing this shameless waste of money and lives. Respects for your service, my friend.

"...after being in country for 18 months."

Another contractor with the, "screw you I got mine" attitude. Go impress the seventh graders with how tough life is.

Good!!! This means our drones have more ragheads to shoot at!!

Relentlessly hunt them down and eliminate them.

The average Afghan soldier or policeman can't read or write. but they are smart enough to know what is needed to do to survive. Karzai government is just a different version of the Taliban. We bitch about their corruption but we only got them to join our side by corrupting them in the first place.

No Cheetah you @!$%# head. ARMY!!!!

When are you going or are you the type to let others do it for you and you just sit back and run your BIG full of crap mouth!!!

Devil's Son

That is so true. Finally, a comment that sums it all up!!

Over five thousand years ago, Moses said to the children of Israel, "Pick up your shovels, mount your #$%$ and camels, and I will lead you to the Promised Land."

Nearly 75 years ago, (when Welfare was introduced) Roosevelt said, "Lay down your shovels, sit on your #$%$, and light up a Camel, this is the Promised Land."

Today, Congress has stolen your shovel, taxed your #$%$, raised the price of Camels and mortgaged the Promised Land!

I was so depressed last night thinking about Health Care Plans, the economy, the wars, lost jobs, savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc. I called a Suicide Hotline. I had to press 1 for English. I was connected to a call center in Pakistan. I told them I was suicidal. They got excited and asked if I could drive a truck.

Folks, we're screwed.... OMG===Obama MUST GO!!!

Perhaps the Taliban offers a better retirement package?

Civil servants get upset when you try to cut their entitlement benefits.

Roosevelt said, "Lay down your shovels, sit on your #$%$, and light up a Camel, this is the Promised Land."

i'm no fan of the new deal, but fdr didn't put anyone on the dole, quite contrary . don't believe it just ask anyone (still alive) who joined the ccc . great society, now that's another matter ...

OK, tombones, touche, touche. Here's something you'll rarely see on a comments page: I'll retract my initial response to you. Since we were both a bit insulting, I'll skip the apology, but give you a tip of the hat for use of the Google... something I like to complain at other people not using enough. I do get a bit sensitive about anyone disparaging our service people who are volunteering to get their @$$es shot at on our behalf. Hmm... knew gangs in other countries often infiltrated the military, but haven't heard of gangs in the US taking advantage of "The GI Bill." From personal friends experiences though, I still think the military helps far more people get their @#$% together in life than are using it to improve their criminal capabilities.

The only people who can change the direction of a country are its citizens period.

When the Afghanis have had enough of their own misery they will do something about it. It is doubtful that these folks want to do anything about their misery at this time. There is too much money to be made by, for and from the foreigners with their save the people, teach the people, build the infrastructure blah blah blah... Not to forget the massive amounts of money being made by the 'leaders' and their cohorts of that country.

If all the billions of dollars that have been spent on Afghanistan had been put in planes and simply sprinkled out like confetti all over the countryside the masses there would have been better off. At least it would have given them a fighting chance of getting their hands on the money spent so far on their behalf.

Perhaps it would be the first time that the masses in that country would have gotten their hands on any of the billions of dollars sent/given to their govt to supposedly benefit the masses and to stop the farmers farming crops that they have done for centuries.

Why do you think many of their leaders -spiritual or otherwise- are against education especially of women? Nothing like when you can read the Good Book for yourself and come to your own conclusion instead of having to accept the opinions, conclusions and interpretations of those who are literate (can read) and may have their own personal or political agenda.

Anyway, if it is not Afghanistan it will probably be somewhere else, if the present hawkish T'republicondinos and t'repcon presidential candidate have their way. It is all about the money.... capitalism.... selling weaponry etc etc etc... can't be anything else. Aside from minerals and poppy farming, Afghanistan isn't exactly oil rich are they. Nor are they a tourist mecca or paradise. Not at this time anyway...perhaps way in the future, maybe.

Perhaps these police officers are jumping ship before the Chinese get there to do their mining.... Didn't China recently sign an agreement to harvest the minerals in Afghanistan? Perhaps the police officers probably thought 1. they would really have to do their jobs then, i.e. keep the peace, serve and protect, 2. or they could continue to kill each other if they wish. Either way up to them. So they decided on #3 to chose sides from now i.e. beef up the taliban numbers to give the taliban a fighting chance at bartering/negotiations with the Chinese and in which they no doubt will probably lose anyway if China should decide to recind the mining contract, if they should feel the risk to their people, equipment and money to do the mining is too great.

On the other hand these police officers probably are trying to change the game, i.e. prolong the contact with the monied sympathetic softhearted West by trying to make it look like their country is still too unstable for the Americans and its allies to leave.

After all where are these taliban folks etc going to get their easy money from, when the softhearted, caring Americans and their allies leave? Them walking around with a gun and agitating, threatening or shooting and killing their own people is not all that difficult is it, after all this time of doing so. Accepting the payola to stop the bloodshed etc is easy too, as is the protection racket. On the other hand working in the mines is really really hard work. LOL

Just saying......

Wonder what would have happened if the US had gone in taken out OBL and left?

Wonder if Afghanistan and Pakistan would be the way they are if there was not so much illiteracy there?

Wonder if that is why there are those in the USA who are trying to do away with the Dept of Education and free education for all children immaterial of their socioeconomic status, and trying to make post highschool education more expensive which serves to exclude many who cannot afford the financial cost of same? How does illiteracy benefit the USA except to perhaps provide fodder for the private for-profit prisons?

Just asking....

Peace.... or rather, be safe..... that cheerful or that supercalm or that twitchy person beside you may be conceal carrying...

Truth seeker 1.16

What you say is generally true. However, Reagan and the Soviet Union were prosecuting a "war by proxy". This means they fought each other through 3rd parties, and as such, Reagan was very selective about which types of armament he supplied the mujahedeen with.

For example, those surface-to-air shoulder fired missiles he supplied were very effective in shooting down soviet aircraft. These missiles also had a finite shelf life. Reagan was no dummy, and he had no designs of Afghanistan at all.

Yet another reason we wasted Americana lives and American money. Kill poppies?

"In February 2010, a group of two dozen police officers left their posts in Wardak province to join the Taliban, taking with them weapons and trucks"

So NATO forces are training and arming forces for future Taliban's take over of Afghanistan.

Yes they are,and have been for quite a while now. Its all part of the big plan...

MATHUIN.... that is correct.This will be Obama and Clinton's Vietnam!! Tribal people continuing the same battles they have had for centuries.

Just like North Korea they have learned to 'rattle the saber' and the USA and UN will pour money on you , stay out of the news just long enough to get another pay out!!

Bring aLL of our troops home!!!

Its China's turn in Afghanistan now, USSR, did 10 years, We did our ten, Now its China;s turn , and they will do it for the resources they will "negogiate" for. The largest base uk owns is in Afghanistan , and so far we man it, this base will be retained after the china transfer. This was all done as containment of Iran. like a chess game, and persia invented chess. planning and misdirection is the rule of the day. :)

Rcovit...Thats about the scheme of things....If we only knew what was going on behind those closed doors we would probably be burning down the building....hopefully the fly in the ointment (isreal) will keep both sides guessing....China will just march 3-4 million soldiers in there and that will be the end of the rock apes, i don't think they have rules of engagement to follow like we do....

They've been caught, Breadth easy America

RCovit: It was USSR's turn and then the US, UK and European nations (NATO forces turn).

If China wants to enter into Afghanistan, they should do it. I would cheer the Chinese.

You can't get better ways to bring China to knees!

Does the fate of NATO forces not look similar to Syria's Assad?

At least after learning from Iraqi wars and latest Afghan war experience, it is better keep away from Syria, Iran or any other ME mad Muslim nation.

After getting used to free loading, even Afghans will weep like Pakis: why is Amerika not helping?

Some will scream a few years down the road: we need to help them with humantitarian aid and we have to worry about poor children and women!!!!!

Jonathan, NPR managed to get a reporter into Syria. She interviewed some of the rebels and their families. Believe it or not, one Syrian woman had the nerve to say that because we Americans are not there to wage their civil war, she said threateningly "we will not forget" So, they like the Pakis and Afghanis, are looking for a handout from good Ole Uncle Sam. Somemone want to tell the world we are broke? Broken by two wars that Dubya put on a credit card? That the gravy train dried up? That we have our own to take care of???

Gee, Eileen, use your brain. Obama has had 3 years to get out and hasn't yet. Now he is saying 2014. We shall see. What sheeplings the libs are because they continue to blame Bush for everything when their "dictator" has done little to change things. And don't say that Obama got us out of Iraq. Iraqis forced Obama to keep to the deadline set by BUSH! Or maybe you forgot about the negotiations by our State Dept to stay there, conveniently???

Linda dahling you miss the point: we lost the Afghan gig, which had been going exceedingly well in the first two years, when we went for Iraq all for W's obsession and Cheney's friends at Halliburton etc. Read any accounts of those who were there.

Linda, Why were we even in Iraq?

Linda, I never said Obama got us out of Iraq. The Iraqis asked us to go. Why were we even there? And now that BinLaden is dust, it's well past time to leave Afghanistan. Enough brain power for you?

Matty-2578394

You hit the nail on the head! bravo.Let's build a wall up around Afghanistan and the 'Tribal Regions' of Pakistan and not let anybody out.

I don't htink any Americans plan to relocate there, and we certainly don't need any more of them relocating here.

"Conservatives," Linda, et al. Please make up your mind (singular). Is Obama a bad guy for staying too long in Afghanistan, or a bad guy for not staying long enough? Having it both ways may make sense inside the hive, but falls a little flat in the outside world.

Maybe while you're discussing, dust off an old encyclopedia and look at what a "dictator" was back in a time before everything became so politically polarized. In the words of Inigo Montoya: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

eileen: You are right.

Unfortunately, many US politicians are controlled by Saudis, oil companies and their lobbyists and Jewish lobbyists.

For Iraqi wars and Afghan war, Bushes and co are responsible. Here Obama has nothing to do. He kept his word on Iraq.

In Afghanistan, even for Obama it is very tough to run right away without losing face all over the world.

On Syria and Iran, it is again back to the Iraqi wars songs.

Jewish lobbys start dancing first; take a break and vanish; give the Saudis and co opportunity for seventh century desert dances and jumps in their seventh dress robes and then Hllarys, McCains, Liebermann's, Romney's take over!

Even after 11 years and losing thousands of soldiers and spending trillions of dollars, these are state of affairs.

It was most foolish to have most ungrateful and backstabbing Saudis and Pakis as allies.

Another dumb act was to get into to Iraqi war in 2003 without stabilizing Afghanistan.

At least, Bush and co and military planners and leaders should have known that Iraq and Afghanistan are the toughest battle zones in the world.

Very few have conquered and held them for long.

US and others should at least learn from past blunders.

Very well put.

Sad, but I think you are correct.

You are correct. But committing for any amount if time is still futile.

Dear Afghans,

We just don't care much anymore. Please kill each other for a while and leave us out of it. No one else is to blame but yourselves, your primitive way of thinking and methods of retarding societal growth. Good Luck in the future and look out for the drones if you start leaving the borders again.

-The World

Matty- EPIC!

THEIR nose

Apparently you forgot about 9/11 and why we went there in the first place. A lot of bad guys were killed you know...and terrorist planning disrupted. There has not been another successful attack since we went there. You call that a waste, I call that an investment.

Ok, Jack, we fried Osama, what, a year ago? Can we go now, for criminys sake??????

ROFL, Eileen! So the terrorist threat is all over because we got Osama???

The freak muslim element will never give up their jihad. And the 'peaceful' muslims will not lift a finger to stop them either.

Linda, I never said the threat was over. What you fail to understand is that fighting 'terrorists' with 20th century style massive boots on the ground does not work. Did you study history? Do you remember the British using their old fashioned methods of war and getting beat by the American rebels and their style of guerilla warfare? Have you ever had to get rid of cockroaches in an apartment building? Treat one room, and they scurry on to the next unit to set up shop, just like the terrorists. I'm not a military expert, but I have to say the analogy is apt, and we need to alter our methods to beat them, plain and simple.

Eileen...In other words just Nuke the ragheads back to before the stoneage...right?

Coyotehunter: "back to the stone age" - for them; it is not that far of a stretch.

There are lots of places in that country do not even have the light bulb for heaven's sake.

America has never been particularly good at Nation building with the one exception of Japans rapid rise to an industrial powerhouse in the post war years. You cant build a better nation on top of a broken foundation and this is where America always fails. We simply refuse to acknowledge that war must be total and an enemies defeat must be absolute before anything new can be built up.

The Russians were getting the situation in Afghanistan in hand in a way that "primitive Tribal People" understand; the US response? Arm the Taliban types, (including Osama Bin Laden-which made him a "star"), kick out the Russians, and finally take over the very job the Russians were doing, in our "kinder, gentler" American way, with a focus on "winning the hearts and minds".

How much would the Russians want to go back in and finish the job?

Funny you should use the phrase "Nation Building." It's the one phrase I remember from the 2004 Presidential debates that then President Bush said he would never engage in. Now, so many years later, we're stuck between a rock and a hard place because like it or not, not everyone is pro-Taliban, pro-violence, and anti-American. It's those people who deserve to be saved and safe.

I agree - it's time to get out. The alternative is the continued loss of American lives and more money wasted. Our soldiers and their families have paid a high price with their lives and multiple deployments, and it's time to bring them home and give them ALL the mental health assistance that I believe they will ALL need.

I'm not opposed to continued Drone strikes on Taliban strongholds and if necessary, the use of SEALS or Special Forces to attack known Talkban and/or enemy camps. At this point, I think that's the only kind of protection we can offer the Afghan people.

Nation Building - what a farce! We're still trying to build our own nation, and yet we think we can teach other nations who have been killing each other for thousands of years to grasp Democracy!

My father served in Japan after the war and was amazed at the Japanese work ethic. When he got to Tokyo, it was pretty much flattened. When he left 14 months later, they already had some skyscrapers up. He was amazed by their ability to get things done! Our success there was definitely aided by the Japanese desire to get their country back up and running.

Nation Building!....a phrase invented by liberal politicians and promulgated by the liberal press...we can't even feed all our own people, or have an economy that will offer jobs, and they want us to nation build the mideast....what kinda koolaid do they serve in washington....its like groundhog day, only now its on a ten+ year loop, no one looks at history....the last time we (U.S.) did nation building was after the civil war, and that led to the industrial revolution.....

To Candlewycke: Japan, the strong willed, honest, hard-working intelligent and honorable non-muslim Japanese people were the driving force there, you are right a very good foundation that HAS to be there to build.

GO PACKERS!!

I tried, too late. He is a tanker, but at least he is protected, mostly.

They can't put planes into our buildings if we don't LET THEM into our country. No Muslims equals NO muslim guided planes into our buildings. Our own Government created this problem by letting these people into the country. What did they expect would happen??

If I remember correctly it was mostly Saudi Nationals who flew planes into buildings. The US response? More favoritism for Saudi Arabia, invasion of a country that had NOTHING to do with flying planes into buildings, (and one of the countries with predominantly Sunni Muslims in power-the branch of Islam that was once touted as being the "easiest for the West to work with") and then finally, as an afterthought, invasion of the Kingdom known as the "Death of Empires"-even though NO Nationals of Afghanistan flew any planes into any building.

Why don't we just leave these people to their opium dreams and primitive lifestyle, until the Afghan people themselves reach out for some of the fruits of Western Civilization? They can't make us be like them, and we can't make them be like us.

We weren't attacked by "a country", we were attacked by ISLAM. Much like the Nazis in WWII, they were in a variety of counties, and we had to go root them out of most of Europe and North Africa.

So...I believe you might amend your theory to focus on our real enemy. It is not "terror" or any particular country. It is Islam. Making deals with yet other muslims has proven to be unsuccessful.

Exactly, Steve the dog man. The terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 just happened to be based in Afghanistan. That doesn't mean all Afghanistans are capable of such attacks, or are planning such attacks, or even have interest in such attack. On the other hand, it doesn't mean Afghanistan doesn't hate us. They just are what they are, a bunch of superstitious robe-swaddled opium farmers living in the 13th century. The terrorists could have been in Pakistan (which is where many were sequestered), Saudi Arabia, or any of a dozen "tribal region" sh!tholes in the mideast.

MAKE IT SO !

Does this mean we're winning hearts and minds ???? "and bank accounts?"

BOB............ EXACTLY...... Obama the chosen one, is showing the world just what a genius he is!! And Clinton is just as stupid to think that "We the People" will not forget how foolish she was as messiah's mouth piece/ money spreader!! The blood is on THEIR hands!!

What is this crap?

crap........

I'll say one thing for sure and that is that we have created a lot of Millionaires in Karzais government. So many hundreds of millions have gone missing . Somebody must have that money stashed somewhere.

Mark, you left out clitorectomies and honor killing. Come on, man, be thorough. Yes, the big bomb is substantially cheaper than foreign aid.

yeah!the crap is overflowin all over that cesspool, its time we just chuck that cherrybomb or M80 into that toilet and runnnnn before the $hit starts to fly all over

Steve! You da' man! NO more money to these craphole countries! All of them! I'm so sick of stories like this! We give them billions and they kill us, bellyache TO us and ABOUT us, threaten us...in short, make fools out of us! I suggest we train those drones to pave over that country. Period! Let's get out NOW, and stop the money-gravy-train out of this country. We need our own hardworking dollars these days. And the Rothchilds? And ALL the Bildebergers? Well, I can't print here what those people can do with themselves.