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Lucas Jackson / Reuters, file
Paratroopers from Chosen Company of the 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry rest towards the end of a helicopter assault mission to improve their biological database, near the town of Ahmad Khel in Afghanistan's Paktiya Province on July 16.
KABUL, Afghanistan -- It was once President Barack Obama's "war of necessity." Now, it's America's forgotten war.
The Afghan conflict generates barely a whisper on the U.S. presidential campaign trail. It's not a hot topic at the office water cooler or in the halls of Congress — even though more than 80,000 American troops are still fighting here and dying at a rate of one a day.
Americans show more interest in the economy and taxes than the latest suicide bombings in a different, distant land. They're more tuned in to the political ad war playing out on television than the deadly fight still raging against the Taliban. Earlier this month, protesters at the Iowa State Fair chanted "Stop the war!" They were referring to one purportedly being waged against the middle class.
By the time voters go to the polls Nov. 6 to choose between Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney, the war will be in its 12th year. For most Americans, that's long enough.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
'Bumper sticker deep'
Public opinion remains largely negative toward the war, with 66 percent opposed to it and just 27 percent in favor in a May AP-GfK poll. More recently, a Quinnipiac University poll found that 60 percent of registered voters felt the U.S. should no longer be involved in Afghanistan. Just 31 percent said the U.S. is doing the right thing by fighting there now.
Not since the Korean War of the early 1950s — a much shorter but more intense fight — has an armed conflict involving America's sons and daughters captured so little public attention.
"We're bored with it," said Matthew Farwell, who served in the U.S. Army for five years including 16 months in eastern Afghanistan, where he sometimes received letters from grade school students addressed to the brave Marines in Iraq — the wrong war.
Hoshang Hashimi / AP
More than ten years after the beginning of the war, Afghanistan faces external pressure to reform as well as ongoing internal conflicts.
"We all laugh about how no one really cares," he said. "All the 'support the troops' stuff is bumper sticker deep."
Top US general's aircraft hit by rocket-fire in Afghanistan
Farwell, 29, who is now studying at the University of Virginia, said the war is rarely a topic of conversation on campus — and he isn't surprised that it's not discussed much on the campaign trail.
"No one understands how to extricate ourselves from the mess we have made there," he said. "So from a purely political point of view, I wouldn't be talking about it if I were Barack Obama or Mitt Romney either."
Ignoring the Afghan war, though, doesn't make it go away.
According to the defense department's latest tally (updated on August 21, 2012 at 10 a.m. ET), 1,972 Americans have died in Afghanistan since President George W. Bush launched attacks there in October 2001 to rout al-Qaida.
The terrorist group used Afghanistan to train recruits and plot the Sept. 11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans.
If casualties in other countries are included, the number of Americans killed since the start of the war is 2,091.
According to an analysis of U.S. forces killed in the war by The New York Times, three out of four who died were white, nine out of 10 were enlisted service members and the average age of those who died was 26. Half of the deaths were in Afghanistan's Kandahar or Helmand provinces — in the country's Taliban-dominated south, the Times reported.
The war drags on even though al-Qaida has been largely driven out of Afghanistan and its charismatic leader Osama bin Laden is dead — slain in a U.S. raid on his Pakistani hideout last year.
Strangely, Afghanistan never seemed to grab the same degree of public and media attention as the war in Iraq, which Obama opposed as a "war of choice."
Unlike Iraq, victory in Afghanistan seemed to come quickly. Kabul fell within weeks of the U.S. invasion in October 2001. The hardline Taliban regime was toppled with few U.S. casualties.
But the Bush administration's shift toward war with Iraq left the Western powers without enough resources on the ground, so by 2006 the Taliban had regrouped into a serious military threat.
Get an intimate view of the lives of infantry soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division, as they encounter danger and then have down time in Logar Province, Afghanistan.
Candidate Obama promised to refocus America's resources on Afghanistan. But by the time President Obama sent 33,000 more troops to Afghanistan in December 2009 in a policy known as the "surge", years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan had drained Western resources and sapped resolve to build a viable Afghan state.
Army casualties during the surge were heaviest at Fort Campbell in Kentucky (home to the 101st Airborne Division) and Fort Drum in New York (home to the 10th Mountain division), according to the Times' analysis of deaths. Units at both bases were frequently deployed to Afghanistan during the surge, the Times reported.
Panetta intervenes after 10th US service member killed in 2 weeks in Afghanistan
Over time, Obama's administration has grown weary of trying to tackle Afghanistan's seemingly intractable problems of poverty and corruption. The American people have grown weary too.
While most Americans are sympathetic to the plight of the Afghan people, they have become deeply skeptical of President Hamid Karzai's willingness to tackle corruption and political patronage and the coalition's chances of "budging a medieval society" into the modern world, says Ann Marlowe, a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute, a policy research organization in Washington.
"With millions of veterans home and talking with their families and friends ... some knowledge of just how hard this is has percolated down," said Marlowe, who has traveled to Afghanistan many times.
The Pentagon issues new guidelines to U.S. troops in Afghanistan following a deadly week. NBC's Atia Abawi reports.
It has also been hard to show progress on the battlefield.
World War II had its Normandy, Vietnam its Tet Offensive and Iraq its Battle of Fallujah. Afghanistan is a grinding slough in villages and remote valleys where success is measured in increments.
The Afghan war transformed into a series of small, often vicious and intense fights scattered across a country almost as large as Texas.
What's leading Afghan troops to turn on coalition forces?
In July, 40 U.S. service members died in Afghanistan in the deadliest month for American troops so far this year. At least 31 have been killed this month — seven when a helicopter crashed during a firefight with insurgents in what was one of the deadliest air disasters of the war. Ten others were gunned down in attacks from members of the Afghan security forces — either disgruntled turncoats or Taliban infiltrators.
Many argue that bin Laden's death justifies a quick U.S. exit from Afghanistan. Others say it's important to stay longer to shore up the Afghan security forces and help build the government so that it can stand on its own. An unstable Afghanistan could again offer sanctuary to militants like al-Qaida who want to harm American and its allies, they say.
"Those of us who have been at this for a long time continue to think that it's important, and that we have a chance now of a path forward with a long-term perspective that will produce the results," said James Cunningham, the new U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan.
US forces in Afghanistan ordered to keep weapons loaded at all times
The U.S.-led coalition's combat mission will wind down in the next few years, leading up to the end of 2014 when most international troops will have left or moved into support roles.
Military analysts say the U.S. envisions a post-2014 force of perhaps 20,000 to hunt terrorists, train the Afghan forces and keep an eye on neighboring Iran and other regional powerhouse nations.
Americans aren't likely to know the number until later this year. But will anyone other than families of service personnel take note?
As NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports, US military officials are investigating whether or not the Taliban was in fact involved in deadly Black Hawk helicopter crash that claimed the lives of seven US soldiers and four Afghan troops.
"I have heard others say that the danger that their spouses or children are serving in is just simply not being cared about," said Fred Wellman, a 22-year Army veteran who did three tours in Iraq. "I think a lot of veterans feel it is just forgotten."
Political satirist Garry Trudeau captured the apathy about the war in a comic strip this year showing a U.S. servicewoman stationed in Afghanistan calling her brother back home.
After he complains that his children have the flu and how he's struggling to keep up with their hectic hockey schedule, he asks her where she's calling from. She tells him she's in Afghanistan.
"Oh, right, right ..." her brother replies. "Wait, we're still there?"
The Associated Press and NBC News staff contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Yes it is a forgotten war because the Nobel Peace prize recipient is president.
More like the Peace Prize POTUS has forgotten the war BUT there are PLENTY of people who pray daily for our soldiers , veterans and their families. THEY are NOT forgotten!
During the last 4 years since our community organizer Commander in Chief took power, we have more deaths in Afghanistan than the 8 years of Bush. Where is the Pink Code with their fake blood protesting about the deaths I don't see them at the front of the White House like they where when Bush was President , where are the protest from Washington Post and the media bias, where are the list of deaths, are you counting the deaths of our heroes. All bunch of hypocrites. Our Commander in Chief change the rules of engagement putting our soldiers in hams way . We do not have any objective , are we winning or loosing in this war......., who cares.......However we are more involve in civil wars and the so called Arab Spring to take down tyrants and put Religious radicals in power. . Stop the killing of American Soldiers, Change the rules of engagements, we need a real Commander in Chief that fight real wars not political wars.
Other than our brave soldiers and their families, most of us in the U.S. have not been impacted by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our daily lives went on without any sacrifice. I spoke with my grandfather many years ago about WWII, and he mentioned how there was a collective sacrifice by most people in this country during the war. There were all kinds of rationing, war bonds were sold (and bought) to support the war, and everyone pitched in to help the war effort.
The Afghanistan war has been forgotton by many, not because of Obama, but because the war never really impacted anyone at home. We've all continued our daily lives with little impact felt by anyone because of the war.
To maintain support for the war, this is how Bush and the other hawks wanted it.
Not a fair statement at all. After Bush got his Iraqi war, he walked away from Afghanistan. To him, it became nothing more than a supply depot for his self proclaimed holy war.
Of course our troop deaths will increase in Afghanistan when we refocus on the reason we went over there in the first place.
I do however take real offense to this articles title. I care deeply about our troops over there. I have many friends still there, as well as many that I buried here in the U.S.. To us wounded combat vets, they will never be forgotten or cared about any less.
The anti-war activists and the new media were active and reported about the war when Bush was in office. So it was in our face everyday and the hatred for Bush grew because of it.
Both have become silent now that Obama is in office. That's the difference.
The war is still going on and our soldiers are still getting killed. Obama is in office so it will not be reported. That's why it's considered the forgotten war.
What a waste of money, resources, and lives. Just keep printing that money Mr. Commander and Chief.
The first one on that list is the president.
Its forgotten, because the lib media won't report on anything that might shine a negative light on their boy...Especially in an election year...Its like dog sh!t on your shoe, you can wipe it off, but you can't ignore the lingering smell....Korea was forgotten because it was in shadow of ww2, vietnam was around as long as this war, and was broadcast on nightly news, we got to see our bloodied troops right along with pass the potato's please...public opinion finally got us out of there, and if we were seeing our boys shot up and carried off the field on pmsnbc, or cnn, or fox...then this war would end in a heartbeat...the old saying out of sight , out of mind is applicable to afghanistan...the only people that are aware of it are us parents who have sons and daughters over there.....blaming bush,nobama,clinton, or whoever won't fix the problem....We the people have to fix it.
Most American politicians are simply whores of the military industrial complex which demands endless wars... and that is the only reason this pointless war is in it's 11th year and no end in sight.
As usual, the Afirmative Action Hire in the White house gets a pass from the progressives and the lib press. No shock there.
Hello Common Man,,,,, well said.
Right after obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, he immediately doubled troop strength in our ignorant invasion of Afghanistan funded with borrowed money.
What a tragic waste of precious lives, destroyed families, record numbers of American troop suicides and murder by "allied" afghan soldiers.
____________________________________________________________
Barack Obama Promise to End War
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the
time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home.
We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank. "
- Barack Obama Campaign Promise - October 27, 2007
Forgotten? No we are constantly reminded of this day in and day out. wish we would just get the hell out once and for all. Worry about all the mosques going up here in the states. It's going to be an up-rising in the next 20 years once they are all in place. A holy war. This is the only way to build up thier terrorist over here. Little by little
Everyone can thank the Democratic media for not reporting the deaths. After all, they don't want their lame duck president tarnished.
Barack Obama Promise to End War
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the
time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home.
We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank. "
- Barack Obama Campaign Promise - October 27, 2007
Had the republicans actually known how to start and end a war, we'd have been in and out within weeks. Their mishandling of both wars and long term contracts with their corporate leaders to mire us down in those hell holes are what took us there then and kept us there through the years.
The only way a war ends in weeks is if the attacking country leaves as soon as the regime that was in power has been dislodged. If Obama agreed that this should be the only goal, he could have pulled the troops out within weeks of taking over as president (yes, he could have done this even if people objected). I don't hold Obama responsible for starting the war, but I do hold him responsible for the US still having troops on the ground.
Having said that, I have always been against the Iraq war, and I would have pulled out of Afghanistan many years ago because I think nation building there is a hopeless cause...it's sad, but the only solution I see is to just go in there and bomb/invade them occasionally when they get too far out of line.
Interesting, we murder 1.4m innocents in Iraq and lament the 4,000 soldiers [rapists, torturers, sodomizers, sick MFer's (aka: Patriots?) that lost their lives murdering men, women and children on a wholesale basis. In AF/PAK, Somalia and Yemen], Where we have thus far murdered some 300,000 innocents and not a (((peep))) from the American public. Gosh folks, haven't you forgotten who got us out of the Vietnam war? The generals, nope. the politicians, nope, it was the American people that said 'Enough!' Now, you point fingers at Obama that inheritied this GOP Afghanistan fiasco, right? Not the general (half pint Leprechaun) Petraes's, or general McChrystal's (tiger meat eater - once a day, remember?) and all the rest of the 'macho men' generals that have no problem with the thousands of civilian casaulties (General McChrystal was once quoted as saying: "Of all the people we have killed none of them posed a real threat to our soldiers.' - Wow, these words should be ingraved on his frikken forehead - so every morning as he shaves he is reminded about US murder and mayhem in Afghanistan. Long story short Pilgrims - 'This frikken genocidal US military will stop killing when the American people say 'STOP' and no sooner. So, stop all of these smart cracks on these sites and get hold of your senator and Rep (by the gonads or c**t') and you tell these MFer'ss -' the buck stops here.' Pack up your weapons and GO HOME! And as for 'motor-mouth' Hillary Clinton: Burn the B/Witch at the stake and then award her the Nobel Peace Prize post humously as you send the ashes to Monica!!!!
Correct me if Im wrong, but, I thought it ended last Dec when obama "pulled" out the troops. 1000 troops have been killed since last year. 575 were killed under Bush's tenure. Let that simmer a while libs.
Obama wanted to end the war that Bush started, fact. Useless politics have kept that from happening. Funny how no one cares that Bush quit going after Laden who started this mess. Then he had the nerve to make a "POLITICAL" move and stand on the US Missouri and claim victory. Were are all the idiots who were cheering for that, um no this war was not created by obama and I and many other americans will never forget who sent our troops over there to begin with. Obama has successfully taken out the one who started this. Bush just tried to distract the fact he couldn't by claiming WMD's. From his overwhelming failure has promised Obama a second term. The WMD was Bush.
Bush started this mess. He is to blame. The President wanted to bring them home and got criticized by the Republicans as well as higher up military. It is time to bring them home. They are not forgotten. I think of them everyday. And, all these people criticizing the President, need to step back and really look at what has happened. Another issue is that we bring them home and then don't treat them right. There are more suicides in the military, right now, than every. That says alot about how these folks are treated and that is SHAME ON ALL OF US.
Title should say we are in Afgan still fighting to protect the opium fields, so the "friendly" drug companies can make there pills and sell at a 200% profit.
Go Diverdown1! Just what I was thinking. Our current President did not get us to Afghanistan. Let's keep a perspective here and lift our military men up in prayer. They need it! They are the forgotten ones and lets not forget them.
Any returning soldier should contact your local building and trades union and look into the "Helmuts to Hardhats" program. There's alot of money there to help put our troops in a trade/field that they can make a career of.
Ron,
The Iraqi military never fought back to begin with. They knew the attack by Rumsfeld and Cheney was illegal. Saddam thought wrong when he believed the United Nations would go against Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. The Unitd States could have declared a victory and left Iraq the day the Iraqi traitor led our soldiers to Saddam. Instead, Bush declared victory and turned the war into a nation building game for Halliburton and Blackwater amongst others that Rumsfeld and Cheney had personl interest in.
We were already fighting in Afghanistan two years before 911. It was the first thing Bush did in office was to send our troops into Afghanistan to fight the Taliban. After Bin Laden made good on his threat to attack the United States if america did not get our troops out of his country and out of their civil war, only then did George Bush and the republican party decide it was time to call it a war but instead of declaring it a war on the Taliban, they called it a war on terror which in turn made it a never ending war. Bad call on both.
No, it's forgotten because the VAST majority of Americans have no connection to the war. For the first time in American history the war is being fought by only a minute portion of the population. No draft, no rationing, no war bonds. Their isn't a nation stake in the war. Just the military and their families.
We should get out of that ungrateful s**t hole. At least one local family in my area will never forget that war. And neither will I. Their son and two others were killed by an Afghan cop last week. This is one of numerous "green on blue" attacks on our troops over the past several months. How long are we going to stand and take this? There is no hope for that region of the world. There will never be "peace and democracy". They like living like that! Some countries and the people who occupy them have no place in a civilized world. They will never be any good to anyone. They are nothing but a burden and a source of terror and heartache to the rest of the world. It's time to end this bulls**t. We should back our ground troops and aid workers out of these terrorist breeding grounds and turn the entire place into the surface of the Moon. Anyone else who doesn't like it, if they mess with us, they will also become a smoking hole in the earth. Maybe then, they might learn. Peace through annihilation.
jo ann
Yes they reported about the war. But it was the Iraq war. Afghanistan has been called the forgotten war for about 8 years now. How soon you forget.
jo ann
PS
Here is a reference for you, dated in 2006. " The Forgotten War"
http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=4162
when keith olbermann was at MSNBC and Bush was in office, he made sure he growled the nightly body count in Iraq/Afghanistan. As soon as Obama was in office? not a peep. MSNBC must have put out a memo not to shed bad light on Obama, but bring up anything ( to this day ) blaming Bush. Obama recently said his campaign is doing nothing to divide America...must have forgot about his other campaign headquarters..MSNBC.
@conita - No he didn't get us there, but he did keep us there. Your point there is drivel at best. My thoughts are with our Soldiers and have not been forgotten, at least not in my home.
I'm really amazed at how many idiots there are that absolve politicians from all responsibility based upon a political party.
Bush is the idiot that got us into the wars ... Obama is he idiot that keeps us there.
Anyone who argues different is a moron and party biased. We should have never gone there to start with and should have been out a long time ago - no excuses.
Obama is NOT the one who got Bin Laden - it was our military troops. They deserve the credit.
Bush and Obama get equal credit for initiating the hunt and sustaining it. But that credit is minuscule compared to the brave soldiers.
@conita
Yeah, let's keep some perspective. It is our current President who has forgotten about this war and he wants you to forget about it also. When in the history of our nation has the President NOT given the people regular updates about an on-going war? When was the last time we got a speech about the situation in Afghanistan from our President? I can't even remember. He's been on the campaign trail 24/7 for at least the last 6 months and in that time he has avoided mention of anything remotely negative including this war and our young men and women who are fighting it. Frankly it is shameful and indefensible. And anyone trying to defend this Presidents neglect should be equally ashamed.
Just get us out of that POS country.
I havent forgetten that a war is going on and that our brave young men and women are putting themselves in harms way everyday so we can sit here and argue on who is a worse president, Barry or W. I blame the media if people have forgotten the wars.....where is the daily death count that MSN, CNN and all the other MSM outlets used to have running? Where is that Cindy Sheenahan (?) lady and her band of code pink followers? Funny how the second Obama took over that all disapeared. Dont forget who gives us our freedom everyday. Heres a hint, its not the suits in Washington.....most of whom have never served in our military.
One more thing.....Why has the COMMANDER IN CHIEF not mentioned the war at all?
I think that anybody with an ounce of honesty in their body, would admit that the media absolutely has killed any reporting on Afghanistan in order to protect Obama. If McCain had won the money spent on this war and the deaths would have been front page fodder every single week just like it was with Bush.
Yes, all those serving are forgotten. It is true nobody talks about it. What isn't mentioned in this bias reporting is that the frequent drone attacks orchestrated by this administration has caused enormous hatred for the US due to civilian casualties.
IMO, Bush was right to go in and level a blow and then leave. We took out the training camps and those that were responsible for 9/11 leaving the masterminds of that event to be hunted down. That is a separate issue. The Taliban is a separate issue. Nation building is a separate issue. The fact that the Taliban regrouped is none of our business until they pose a real threat to the US outside of Afghanistan. The Afghan people need to deal with the Taliban if they so desire. Rebuilding Afghanistan is none of our business either even if we left damage from the 1st invasion. That is the price that nation pays for sheltering terrorist groups.
Our problem with modern wars is that we keeping changing the focus and fighting with our hands tied behind our backs. The problem is our enemies do not fight the same. So the war scene is set with two different moral landscapes.
Back before the 1st invasion of Afghanistan, a journalist was traveling with the rebels. The way they fought was this. Each side took a hill and just kept shooting knowing that on the other hill may have been relatives. Periodically during the day, they all took a break. The white flag went up and the shooting ceased. It was like comedy except people really did die. Stupid. The journalist, Peter...well known British guy, was flabbergasted.
The media blackout of the war to protect this president from criticism is appalling and we will live to regret forgetting our men and women. Moral in the US keeps falling. More and more people are apathetic about the government and politician promises that we know will be broken.
I am looking for that honest man......
Not forgotten. De-sensitized by the U.S. propaganda machine. The U.S. policy of military Imperialism must go on. The military industrial complex must be fed. The crony war contractors must be kept active for their paybacks. Every one of the last 10 generations has had a war to go to, why stop now? Its good for the economy. Who cares that the national debt is now at a point that total collapse is not far away.
Breath the smoke and look at the mirrors American sheepish voters.
There is not a single politician alive today that can straighten out the mess. Not the Rebublicrats or the Tea-pee-rs. Just keep watching the NASA stage show distraction and the Pro Sports crap and everything will be OK.
Sleeze from DC,
So basically you are saying that Barry is the answer? Be honest the reason you dont hear about the war is because Obama has told the media to stop talking about it so he doesnt look bad. Kind of like how he tells them what questions they can ask during his White House press conferences. Its a joke and the media and Obama are to blame for people not having information on the war. Obama should be giving updates on the war, if not weekly at least monthly. Bush put us there, correct.....after a few planes were flown into buildings and Bin Laden was suspected of hidding in Afgan. Bush should have pulled us out but didnt, no one is claiming him to be a great president. But Obama pledged to pull the troops out.........guess what, they are still there. Sorry but when the changing of the guard happened this became Obamas war. He can end it any time he wants.
Yes, in some ways Afghanistan is the forgotten war. But, it was and still is where the main focus should be when it comes to any war on terrorism. It's where the training camps were located for Al Qaeda, and it's where Al Qaeda, and Taliban operatives run messages and "connect" with one another. There and unfortunately, Pakistan.
As far as the "innocents" who've been killed there, it's an absolute tragedy, and a shame.
But, by the same token these people could have stood up for themselves and run the Taliban out of power. The collateral casualties we inflict don't match the mass torturing and murder committed by the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
I really hate saying this. But it's absolutely true. The jerks who came over here on 9/11 didn't give a damn about the lives of the innocent people they killed. The only way to fight them is to take the same attitude towards collateral damage as they do.
The people, the organizations, and the mentality that were responsible for 9/11 must be defeated. You cannot "talk" to these morons.
You can only eliminate them, and thereby eliminate the threat they pose. Not, just to us; but, to the rest of the world as well.
flnobody, the Afghan war was reported daily from the MSM. When ever a soldier was killed they would report the body count. How soon you forget.
Once Obama came into office the body count is never reported on a daily basis. Recently a group of soldiers were killed, can't remember the exact count because it was only mentioned one time on TV and it didn't even make the top headline on ABC news.
The US Soldiers fighting the Afghanistan War for the past, almost 12 years are coming home mentally ill--not all, but a big number.
These people could be the next who go into a rage, because of PSTD, and use weapons to kill the masses here--this is not a blame on them---they are "War ravaged". Distraught.
My neighbor is sick from being deployed 2 times to Afghanistan. He is there now--a completely different person.
The President must get really serious about pulling the troops out of Afghanistan now, and not worry about the Traitor Leader Karzai. What does the United States have there that is so important?
Finding Osama Bin Laden was the reason we went there, and to take out the Taliban. The Taliban rules now--how can Americans die for a useless cause? This is extremely sad.
But, but, but, I thought this was the "right war" according to Barrack Hussein.
Funny how they never mention that over 2/3 of the deaths have occurred under Barrack Husseins watch. You know if this was happening under Bush the nightly news and faux Liberal protests would be screaming from the mountain tops.
Where are the daily tallies of deaths running as a subscript on CNN 24 hours a day?
Where are all the front page articles in the New York Slimes and Washington Post about the outrage of this senseless war?
Where are all the limp-wristed Liberal protestors with their posters of anger and hate?
Where are the secret late night visits by Barrack Hussein for another photo-op with our brave troops?
This is what happens when we elect a narcissist who thrives on instant gratification. This war has turned into a politically correct cluster %@&$. We apologize more than we advance. Our rules of engagement have become so dysfunctional our troops are put into harms way. Our generals disrespect our vice-president, Joe "Bite Me" Biden, as their authority is questioned by him and our Imposter-in-Chief. Barrack Hussein doesn't even know how to pronounce corpsman!
Our Nobel Peace Prize recipient is an embarrassment as he has more blood on his hands from this war than Bush, with nor results to speak of. Today we have more chaos and uncertainty sweeping across the Middle East than ever. Regimes collapsing with civil wars amassing tens of thousands of deaths and genocide. The Muslim Brotherhood and other radical extremists are expanding at dramatic rates.
Despite all of Barrack Husseins chest-thumping and victory laps about killing Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda is still stronger than ever. In a recent article Al Qaeda, well funded and well armed, is assisting the rebels in Syria. I'm sure their goal is to promote peace and love in that region.
Our immediate goal should be to make an announcement next Monday that we have been strategically carpet bombing all the poppy fields in Afghanistan and Hillary Clinton is making a diplomatic visit to India to discuss an alliance against Afghanistan and Pakistan. I bet that would get Karzai and Zardaris attention.
Romney/Ryan 2012 for real Americans
The President was talking about the war in Iraq, NOT Afghanistan. He promised on the campaign to put the focus onto fighting the people that attacked us on 9-11 (Al Qaeda) and the government that gave them safe Haven to plan for the operation (the Taliban) and that is exactly what he has done.
You are wrong. We have not "pulled" the troops out of Afghanistan. It was Iraq, and we have not had a death in Iraq since. Let that simmer awhile wingnut.
Jo Ann, the news reported the daily body count of Iraq, NOT Afghanistan. You can't even remember what happened 3 years ago?
It's time to abandon General Petraeus' quixotic view that we can bring democracy to a tribal country. Let them fight among themselves for control of the country.
To all you pinheads whining that the "Lib" media isn't reporting the deaths? HUH? I read it on here every day. There are thousands of comments on afterwards, mostly sayinbg why the piss are we still there. It is my impression those comments from both sides of the isle. So continue to whine about how tough it is to deal with the MSM. Youre just a bunch of crybabys. Read friggin Fox! And read my name to figure out what side I'm on.
Sorry, the media isn't reporting this with any degree of regularity and they did indeed stop posting the dead rollcall under Obama. Neither Iraq or Afghanistan, primarily because they were and are protecting their chosen one. Now, they say NATO troops killed and only afterwards do you realize that NATO is newspeak for American.
Sorry, Obama said Afghanistan all during the campaigns then he turned around, gave billions to Afghanistan and stated that we were going to stay 'the course' and made the Taliban our friends. He is a joke and sadly, the jokesters in office are the one's who keep getting our soldiers killed for political gain.
mygirl
Yes he did said "Afghanistan". And your point is? That he knows how to pronounce it?
During his campaign Obama did mean Iraq and Afghanistan.
The death count was mentioned by the MSM for both Iraq and Afghanistan.
The death count was mentioned by the MSM during Bush's tenure.
The death count is not being mentioned by the MSM during Obama's tenure.
This is not difficult to comprehend.
flnobody,
My girl is responding to the clown who keeps backing up Obama's cheap talk on the campaign trailer about ending the wars the second he became president. He did not do that. And the MSM dropped their daily body count tracker the second that commie was elected president. As you can see from all of the posts above everyone supports our troops and many above can put blame on Bush where they see fit even if they did vote for him. Cant say the same for the Obama supporters.....you people will follow that guy over a cliff if he told you he can make you fly.
Jo Ann,
You are dealing with liberal Obama supporters. Everything is difficult for them to understand......unless of course you are talking about hope and change, moving forward and spreading around other peoples money.
I still say we finish what we started there. That's the best way to honor the sacrifices already made.
I'd like an update on a regular basis, tell me what are we fighting for and what is the progress..
As far as I'm concerned we're a nation of Idiots who think we go out interfere and change others and letting our own country turn back to dirt.
A Prayer for all still in harm's way........ This VET has NOT Forgotten!
____________________-
"Sky Father. shine on our children so far from home, let them see that they're never alone.. Earth Mother, bless them as they tread your soil, guide them through their work , their toil.. shine oh Father with your heavenly dome, and show their feet the safe way to home"
Much Love and Blessings for a safe return,
Da Pup
(Link to graphic I made to go with prayer:
http://www.lunarpup.com/images/skyspirit.jpg )
John Doe... That is like pouring sand (lives) down a rat hole.
irish
please provide a link to him saying that.
It's so easy for a right wing nut to just lie about every thing and provide NO proof of anything.
what the hell is a "biological database"? is that what they're calling "body counts" these days? why else would they use armed helicopters on assault missions to boost the so-called biological database? the american involvement in afghanistan and iraq and coming soon, syria, are "occupations", not wars. they are not wars if one country simply invades and occupies another, like the nazis did early on in europe in their bid to rule the world. the actions in both iraq and afghanistan were nothing more than ventures of opportunity. the only thing that has occured in afghanistan since the u.s. invasion is the increase from zero% to about 70% of the worlds illegal opium production and export which is now under the control of the c.i.a. iraq, well, nobody has benefitted from that fiasco, except for the likes of whitewater and former vice president cheney. when it's all said and done and the history of it is written by the victors, oh, that's right, these occupations are part of the "war against terror" which will go on forever, or until there is nothing left for the globalists to gain so, what we have here are two acts of violent imposition committed in the name of a intelligently devised contrivance known as the war on terror. and there you have it! these occupations are turning out more american casualties than expected and no one wants to hear that the u.s. is actually getting it's ass kicked over "occupation". especially when you look at the "reasons" we were given for those invasions, weapons of mass destruction (lies), genocide (taken care of early on, but now, who knows, who cares) and last but not least these countries were said to be a safe haven for terrorists. yeah, if by terrorists you mean goat herders. any way, neither occupation is working out at all like planned. the powers that be see them as better forgotten and once they give up on it don't look for glory after the fact.
What utter nonsensical K-rap in this headline.I note the authors were to ashamed to include their names.
This war has never been forgotten, nor the sacrifices made by our many men & women over there. The only thing forgotten was to with draw all of our forces once finished. Its been finished since Bin Laden bin dead.
NBC you have shown nothing but your collective ass's today!
The MSM won't report that which reflects negatively on Obama, so of course they've forgotten about it.
But we don't have to!
these are george bushs' presidential actions, not obamas'. if obama has any responsibility here at all it is to ensure that when america pulls out that there will be stability in government and social order. i don't think either will be acheived but he will try. so, put blame where blame is due, with bush not obama.
Get us out of there! No more war! Spend our tax dollars here rather than there. Quit killing those people that we cannot change unless they are a direct threat to us How can we think that we can cause order to be developed in an area where there never has been any? It is costing close to $1,000,000/year for every soldier on the ground over there!
Did anyone watch the movie 'Miracle'? Based on the 1980 US mens Olympic hockey team.
There was a banner at one of the games saying. - USSR - Get out of Afghanistan.
It should now read. - US - Get out of Afghanistan
People we cannot change?!!! Ever think its the murderous racist crazies in AmeriKKKa that need to be 'changed?' water boarding, anyone?
TheAZCowBoy, Tombstone, AZ., murderous racist crazies in America? You must be kidding right? Has any American cut off somebody's head or set their murdererd corpse on fire and hung it from a bridge? Seems as though you have selective memory. You and all the other liberals are whining about water boarding, where's your outrage at the murder of women and homosexuals perpetrated by radical muslims? You sicken me.
Thanks W for the gift that keeps on giving, thanks Barack for another 4 years on top of W's 8. Your "change" isn't good enough Mr. President. Get us out of this never ending nightmare.
When we leave, in 6 months it will be like we were never there to begin with. Afghanistan is a pure third world hell hole, always has been, always will be.
Sounds like you think you're the only sane, non-racist person in the country. Ratchet that back a bit, sunshine..... a lot of people believe we shouldn't be over there.
Barry's neck-deep in this one... remember, Afghanistan is the "smart" war
This is rediculus! This fricken war where NO ONE care who looses a Son or Brother or a Father. I'm so disgusted with the news that NEVER gets coverage and all the lives being taken.. I feel the US needs to defend itself. and make congress get off their butts and stop this secret party junk..they get away with anything..I'm glad someone has the nerve to spy on THEM for a change..!!! America needs to get some Balls! the people need to Make the so change the whole Political system and make those people in Washington anserw to their actions and pay for their secret partys on our dime!
Most American politicians in BOTH parties are simply whores of the military industrial complex which demands endless wars... and that is the only reason this pointless war is in it's 11th year and no end in sight. And the campaigns are not bringing that up because they want to continue this SCAM.
Does any one remember Vietnam?? 50 years later now.. Have the US made a difference?? I think not.
This will be the same deal 5 years from now. I agree we need to defend our borders but this is a waste of human life.. This should be a primary issue for the election.. My son is training to go in Nov. if anything happens to him I will be very angry & hurt.. Does Congress or the President have any chidren that are fighting this useless war??
Everyone must see this movie!!..."2016" If you want the truth about Obama, his past, and his plan for the future of America call your local movie theater and ask when it is showing or visit 2016.com (but some of the dates are wrong on there). There is also a movie trailor and a short narrative about the movie on the website....again, 2016.com, seriously, it would be a shame if America missed out on the opportunity to see this movie!! It will open your eyes!!
Wrong dates tells you the movie is not a relaible source. A real fool is the source of this movie.
Yeah, hopefully there will be a sequel about Romney and Ryan exposing the truth about them too. What ever Obama's truth is I'm confident that the truth of Romney and Ryan is much more damaging to the American economy and middle class than anything Obama ever even though of doing. As far as I'm concerned Romney and Ryan are devils. From my point of view the issue of Ryan having a black girlfriend at one point just confirms the idea that both Romney and Ryan are plantation owner wanna bees, except they were born in the wrong century. So in today's America of political correctness Romney and Ryan want to replace the long missing black slave with all middle class and America will be their plantation. It will be Master Romney and Assistant Master Ryan. Yeah Obama was not able to do what I had hoped and it is absurd that these wars in the middle east keep going on, but if you think Obama is bad just vote for Romney and Ryan and see how you like their "Master Plan".
Where's Cindy Sheehan???
I don't see her protesting in front of the WH...
Oh yeah, now I remember, we had a REP President back then...
You can't fight a sissy war the way it is done these days. By saying a sissy war i mean no disrespect to those serving. It is the government and the military leaders who call the shots. You can not defeat people like those they way they are doing it. The only way to defeat these knuckle draggers is total warfare. Start at one end,go to the other and leave nothing in between. They would do it if capable in a damn minute.
wrong dates tells you this movie is not reliable...what an ignorant statement. if you watch it you might be able to see the light of what O's agenda actually is.
This is sad.
Obama didn't get us into Afghanistan, Bush did.
We should pull out, but just like Iraq, there needs to be some semblance of Afghan Government control. The issue that has been the issue from the start, is Pakistan. The Taliban and al Qaida have been working out of there since the beginning of the war. But true to form for Bush, he never targetted the real issue.
At least Obama ordered the teams to go into Pakistan and eliminate Bin Laden, something Bush, who was cow-towing to Halliburton, was unwilling to do.
It was worth too much money to the Bush administration to go into Iraq, than to concentrate efforts on Afghanistan, hence the "Forgatten War". It wasn't that Obama wasn't willing to do what was needed, it was that the economy got so bad after Bush, that we couldn't afford to keep writing blank checks to support it. The GOP/TP agreed and so far have not voted to spend more in Afghanistan. I don't see either party stepping up to do what was done in Iraq, I haven't since 2003.
It's only the "Forgotten War" because if Iraq. It has ALWAYS been the "Forgotten War" since we went in there. Remember, the "War on Terror" that didn't have ANYTHING to do with 9/11.
The American people have not forgotten this war but I think the press has. We need more coverage on TV and in writing.
Military Man-your talking points are useless and wrong! We went into Afghanistan because of a little thing called 9/11. Bush wasn't afraid to go after Bin Laden and you know it. Pakistan and the US rules of engagement are the reason this war continues. It is to the benefit of Pakistan and Afghanistan that this war continue, not the United States. I would love to see this war end but I know we have made a great deal of difference in several regions of Afghanistan and I hate to see it go back to the suppressive and torturous Taliban or Al Qaida. I wish people would stick to reality and facts, not just the same old tired blame game!!!!!
This is not a forgotten war if you have your flesh and blood in theater. This is an active lie being perpetrated onto humanity by the most powerful economy on Earth. Israel and the US are wrong, they are lying to us in order to guarantee future and private profits. This is all about a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan gas field, through AfPak in order to sell gas to India. Unocal. That is what this is all about, this is what we are sending our children to die for and this is where our taxes are going. Into a great big huge lie with nobody responsible for this lie. Bush wasn't after BinLaden. BinLaden was the reason to launch fear mongering and war mongering. If Bush wasn't afraid to go after BinLaden then why did it take so long for the most powerful nation on Earth to find a man on a donkey. I say Bush should be in jail, if not for lying at least for using the wrong tools for the wrong mission and for sure for lack of being a leader..
Obama doesn't get the same press coverage that Bush did. No dead rollcalls since he came to office. The MSMedia is complicit in covering up for Obama and in doing so they ignore Afghanistan. Focus on Syria, stupid politicans and who's dancing with the star this week and ignore Afghanistan.
Get out now! Obama is the president and has been for almost four years, in that time he has made the Taliban 'our friends' and AlQuaeda the new rulers of Egypt, Libya and a host of other middle eastern and African countries. Obama is even using WMD's as an excuse these days. He is Bush and not one of his supporters seems to have a problem with that.
You kill their people! They kill ours! Who is actually the bad in this?
There is one, and ONLY ONE, solution to "our war" in Afghanistan and that is to "out-source" the war to Afghanistan's next door neighbor China.
Not only does China have the financial ability to continue the war in Afghanistan, it also has the military force to seal the borders and disarm the Afghan insurgents, the technical skill to take the Afghan economy from its dependence on SW Afghan heroin to NE Afghan rare-earth mining, and the moral skills to deal with insurgencies that the US can no longer accomplish.
(The last time the US successfully dealt with an insurgency was the genocide we imposed on Native Americans. Fortunately, we no longer have the social skills to be that brutal.)
Millerz,

Your reading comprehension leaves something to be desired. Bush IGNORED Afghanistan as soon as he was able to divert US and Coalition attention to Iraq.
You need to go back to third grade and learn how to read.
Oh we care about our soldiers all right. That is why we got so upset when bush/cheney fumbled the Afghanistan invasion so badly it still looks like they let OBL go on purpose. And we have not forgotten that only 6 months later bush/cheney lost interest in OBL.
We have not forgotten our soldiers who died in the Iraq Abortion either. Why is it that 22% of the Americans casualties in the Iraq Abortion are Californians, which has 12% of the population?
Riddle me that you macho men that are too afraid to fight.
You bet we screamed at the war criminals bush/cheney. They deserve to go to jail for their crimes.
No we are not screaming at President Obama. He has done pretty much what he said he would do.
He got OBL. Mission Accomplished. And now he is withdrawing from that dust bowl. Just like he said.
Bring back the draft!
As usual, mygirl, you're right on. Four years ago the media was reporting every stubbed toe, now not a peep. Hasn't obama gotten more killed in afghanistan in four years than bush did in eight?
Obama tripled the number of our soldiers in Afghanistan and told us all that this was the real war. The media quit reporting US soldiers deaths there because they could no longer use that club against Bush. This is the first article about soldiers in a very long time.....Obama is compaigning, this is very unimportant to him and he does not want it to interfere with his new fake promises....
Mygirl 2.20 excellent post.
Washington should be ashamed of itself. Endless death and destruction, for what? 2000 of our fine men and women killed along with 10x that in innocent civillians. Is this what America has come too? If it is I want no part of it. How do these people put their heads down at night. I saddens me to see what our country has turned into.
Miklkit, I agree wholeheartedly with bringing back the draft, only instead of a pick and choose system where you could weasel and buy your way out, make it mandatory for every youth to do at least four years of national service. If, for some reason, they are unfit for combat type operations, there are hundreds of other jobs right here in our own country that could be done by someone who couldn't or wouldn't use a gun. Take a look at Israel, where all are required to serve, ro Switzerland, were all boys are required to serve, and you get a far better picture as to why universal service is such a good thing. For one thing, after about twenty years of this, you would begin to see the politicians who have only done that kind of work slowly disappear, to be replaced by younger people who have served the country in other than a political sense.
Back in 2009 Bill Clinton, said Obama's depiction of his longstanding opposition to the war was a "fairy tale." Obama struck back at Clinton saying "I will bring this war to an end in 2009, so don't be confused!" My point here is that it is easy to run off at the mouth when you are not in possession of all the facts. In today’s emotionally charged political and economic arena, that application of wisdom, research and sound political discourse have given way to over emotional rhetoric and political banter.
While I am not privy to high level military intelligence surrounding this matter, I can only assume there is clear justification for continuation of this unpopular war. Were the liberal press to have attacked Obama’s war in Afghanistan in the same virulent manner as they and the Democrats applied to Bush’s war in Iraq, the Obama administration would crumble under the synergistic impact of his handling of this war, his attacks on American socioeconomic thinking and his widespread assault on morality.
In closing, my point here is that I can only assume continuation must be merited to some degree and that the press keeps this war low profile in a misguided and thinly veiled effort to aid Obama’s more liberal social agenda.
Why are we still in Afghanistan and, more importantly, why are we letting our soldiers get killed attempting to 'train' the Afghani rebels? Karzai is a Bush plant, he seemed more amenable to US policies, and he spoke the 'language.' He is also a crook of Biblical proportions. Let China have Afghanistan, let them have the region which is the only reason we are there, BTW. Let China and Russia duke it out over all those 'resources' and pipelines, they will break their teeth against one another and if China is stupid enough to go into Afghanistan after us, they will lose as well.
What no one in authority has ever really understood is the religion driving the country. Our 'leaders' still believe that 'westernization' will take hold, never once understanding that 'westernization' is anathema to the culture which is the religion of the region. Those folks in power want to keep the fourth century alive and well and will kill and suffer endlessly to do so.
Truth is that the only ones who quit caring are the liberals. I doubt that they ever did care, it was all just their propaganda. They were the ones, making the most noise with their media.
Precious....Obama has not paid for anything....He has only wasted money and he gave money away...and it is gone and we got nothing for it. He didnt even make an effort to spend it on infrastructure that at least we would have gotten a lasting benefit from...When you have the attitude that "I am just going on a spending spree" and when you are done, you see that you have nothing for that money except debt that will not go away. That is where we are now with Obama and his increasing debt. Obama has wasted a trillion dollars...and he intends to waste another trillion....Let your children and grandchildren know that they will be getting the bill...
"IT'S TIME TO SLOP THE HOGS"- News Media
When is the News Media EVER going to present the FACTS (and the Public gobble up that non factual slop):
First, US Involvement with US Ally Afghanistan goes back a long time ago, as the US built up US Ally Afghanistan into a 20th Century "Little America" from the 1950s to 1979 (USSR 40th Army Invasion).
Second, the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban as Fully Supported by the USSR Back Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran massacred the 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen of Operation Cyclone (that Defeated the USSR 40th Army Invasion)., and then massacred the rest of the Collaborators to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers. After all the massacres (majority of the population of Afghanistan) the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban then started to destroy everything that was "Non Islamic", "Modern", "Western" and literally the lights went out at Afghanistan and plunged into darkness and "Stone Ages" as Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban destroy the Electric Power Stations.
Third, while all this was happening at Afghanistan Obama Bin Laden was living with his Rich Saudi Arabian Relatives at Saudi Arabia forming his Anti US, Anti Saudi Government Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadist Organization of Al Quada. OBL, Al Quada, were NOT with us during Operation Cyclone, as it was Standard Operating Procedure to do complete "Vetting" of all trained or with us as Future Intelligence Assets and to insure that we were not compromised by enemy (then USSR) Counter Intelligence Assets.
Fourth, After President Clinton refused the offered US Ally Saudi Government Extradition of Osama Bin Laden for the 1993 First World Trade Center Bombing, and refused to provide US evidenceas to Osama Bin Laden's involvement with the 1993 First World Trade Center Bombing, the US Ally Saudi Government had to let Osama Bin Laden go free due to "insufficient evidence". President Clinton refuses to let the US Military attached to the CIA's SAD/SOG that were shadowing OBL to terminate him, President Clintion's excuse the US No Assassination Policy. The Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban provide Fundamentalist Islamic Sanctuary to Osama Bin Laden, Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadist Organization (Franchise) Al Quada, and are fully supporting the Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists Training Camps at Afghanistan. Osama Bin Laden and Al Quada start the planning of the next attacks (9/11 2001), as Osama Bin Laden and Al Quada did not gain the "International Recognition" from the 1993 First World Trade Center Bombing, especially the "International Recognition" of the "Islamic World" and the 1.5 Billion Islamic Believers Worldwide, as this "International Recognition" is required for the sponsorship and the Mandatory Islamic Tithes (Trillions per year) of the 1.5 Billion Islamic Believers.
Fifth, why we went there (Afghanistan) weeks after the 9/11 2001 Attacks. Overthrow the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban Government, defeat (kill with extreme prejudice) as the "VengeanceForce" those involved with the 9/11 2001 Attacks, end the Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadist Training Camps. US Military Asymmetric Warfare Teams attached to the CIA's SAD/SOGlinked with the Northern Alliance (that hated the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban, as the 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen of Operation Cyclone abandoned by the US were previously massacred by the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban) went after the Northern Areas of Afghanistan. Those US Military Asymmetric Warfare with previous experience surviving from Operation Cyclone attached to the CIA's SAD/SOGwent into the Afghan Towns and Cities to defeat the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban Militias (underestimated, they had grown into an Army), it was the other Teams with the Northern Alliance that literally came to the rescue on Horseback of the Teams at the Towns and Cities during the intense fighting (Urban Warfare).
Sixth, Why we went to Iraq. The surviving US Military Asymmetric Warfare Team Members route the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban Government, Fundamentalist Islamic Al Quada, Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadistsfrom Afghanistan to the Southern part of the Old Silk Road (Tajikistan, Northern Iran, Northeastern Iraq), killing them with extreme prejudice. The US Politicians demand we stop as not to violate the Sovereign Nations of Tajikistan, Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran, Islamic Nation of Iraq, etc.). The Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban Government, Fundamentalist Islamic Al Quada, Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists from Afghanistan escape us and are provided Fundamentalist Islamic Sanctuary by the Fundamentalist Islamic Kurdistanis of the Fundamentalist Islamic Autonomous Kurdistanis Region at Northern Iraq, combined together they become Fundamentalist Islamic AnsarAl Islam and with the Full support including training and armed by the Iranian Special Forces, Quds, become stronger.
President Bush pushes for a US Law to allow the US to continue the persuit of the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban Government, Fundamentalist Islamic Al Quada, Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists from Afghanistan that were at the Fundamentalist Islamic Autonomous Kurdistanis Region of Northern Iraq. The plans are already approved as Operation Hotel California. US Congress passes into US Law, 2002 Iraqi War Resolution, the US Military Asymmetric Warfare Forces attached to the CIA's SAD/SOG can now attack AnsarAl Islam. However, due to the length of time from being chased out of Afghanistan and being at the Fundamentalist Islamic Autonomous Kurdistanis Region of Northern Iraq of Islamic Sanctuary, Ansar Al Islam had been joined by many Islamic Jihadists from Worldwide, as now the Fundamentalist Islamic Autonomous Kurdistanis Region of Northern Iraq is the Main Worldwide Islamic Jihadists Training Camp (Southern Turkey, Border of Syria, Northwestern Iran, most of Northern Iraq).
Seventh, Operation Hotel California, those US Military Asymmetric Warfare Forces that survived the Mission at Afghanistan are once again attached to the CIA's SAD/SOG, this almost non mission capable force (due to high previous attritions) is augmented by the US Army 10th Special Forces Group. Using the techniques of Asymmetric Warfare get the Kurdistanis people that hated the oppression of the Fundamentalist Islamic Kurdistanis to join us to fight for their Cause(s), they become the Pro US Kuristanis "Pesh" (Peshmerga), unlike the US Military Conventional Warfare Forces living on separated bases isolated from them, we live with them, know their language(s) and culture(s) sometimes for years of consecutive tours. After living with them to gain their trust and training the Pro US Kurdistanis Pesh low intensity low risk missions involving them are accomplished to have them gain Operational Experience.
After proving themselves to us, the full scale attacks against the Fundamentalist Ansar Al Islam start (see the unclassified History of the US Army 10th Special Forces Group). Just before being massacred Ansar Al Islam is given Fundamentalist Islamic Sanctuary by the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran, eventually the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban, Fundamentalist Islamic Al Quada, etc. go back to Afghanistan and Pakistan via the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran.
Eighth. The US Politicians realized that US Law, President Clinton's H.R.4655 "Iraqis Liberation Act of 1998" has never been accomplished, justification Section 2 "Findings" Weapons Of Mass Destruction (Clinton NOT BUSH), and Section 3 the Overthrow of President Hussein aka "Regime Change". Since the House of Representatives (H.R.4655, etc) and the US Senate (2002 Iraqi War Resolution) both Houses of US Congress created US Laws for War with Iraq, Iraq becomes the First Declared War since WWII in accordance with the US Law 1973 War Powers Resolution (Limits on the US Presidential War Powers, requirements for Declaration of War. No more "War Creep" like the Vietnam "Escalations").
The survivors (US Military Asymmetric Warfare Forces attached to the CIA's SAD/SOG augmented by the US Army 10th Special Forces Group and Pro US Kurdistanis "Pesh") of Operation Hotel California are now given a Change of Mission (instead of leaving to go home). Mission conduct US Military Asymmetric Warfare Operations to accomplish US Law H.R.4655 "Iraqis Liberation Act of 1998", that later becomes US Military Operation Iraqis Freedom (until 2011). Those of us that survived the previous H.R.4655 "Iraqis Liberation Act of 1998" covert US Military Asymmetric Warfare Missions and overt US Military Operation Desert Fox, shrug our shoulders. Our Mission now becomes 2002 Operation Redacted, with the Strategic Goals of: Seizing and securing the Northern Iraqis Oil Fields (what the Pro US Kurdistanis Pesh wanted as a "Reward"), attacking the Iraqis Military Forces to create an "Operational Feint" to make the Iraqis Command and Politicians believe the Main US Military Forces would be coming thru US Ally Turkey. Eliminate as many of the High Level Iraqis Military Command. Destroy or disrupt the Iraqis C4I. etc. until the later 2003 US Military Conventional Warfare Forces coming from the South (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia). See the unclassified History of the US Army 10th Special Forces Group (numbers of Iraqis Armor and Mech Infantry Divisions Destroyed prior to 2003 US Military Liberation of Iraq).
2004, After all the missions above we are finally allowed to stop to replace our dead, assess new team members, train the teams with the new team members, new train for our new mission US Military Asymmetric Mountain (Technical Mountain Climbing above 6,000 feet) Warfare. Those of us that have been involved with Afghanistan since Operation Cyclone, years of consecutive tours living with the Afghans, return "home" to Afghanistan.
In 2006, after opposition against by most US Politicians, President Bush Amends the US No Assassination Policy (see discussion Harvard International Law Review, Article, 2006, "US No Assassination Policy On the Offensive"). Now the US Politicians believe it is "Open Season" (Hunting) of them as now any "Roque Nation" etc. can assassinate them. The 2006 Mission of Locating, Capturing Osama Bin Laden; failing the locating and capture, termination of OBL (if the Mission of Capture fails) is added to our Mission at Afghanistan; this OBL Mission (Planning) is given primarily to General McChrystal (US Army Special Forces, previously Commander Special Operation Command), later to Admiral McRaven (USN SEAL, Commander Joint Special Operation Command) and the President's Own Executive Intelligence Agency the CIA (delegated to SAD/SOG). We start using our US Military Asymmetric Mountain Warfare training and experience to explore potential locations of OBL underground in the hundreds of thousands of miles of former mining tunnels, mines, etc. from since the times of the Egyptian Pharaohs by spelunking and find the "High Tech Mineral Wealth of Afghanistan" as confirmed by the Scientific Teams of the CIA later attached to us. OBL flees Afghanistan to Islamic Pakistan and is given Fundamentalist Islamic Sanctuary by the Fundamentalist Islamic people of Pakistan, NOT the US Ally Government of Pakistan.
The US Ally Government of Pakistan attempts to clean out the Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists from Pakistan and has the vetted parts of the Pakistanis Military attack the Northern Regions of Pakistan. The Fundamentalist Islamic Nations of the World (including their Allies, the Chinese and Russian Federation) are outraged and protest to the United Nations. The US Ally Government of Pakistan is told to stop by the United Nations, and do stop, the Fundamentalist Islamic Pakistanis Taliban, elements of Al Quada, Army of Islam, Hamas Foreign Fighters, Haqquini Network, etc. are left intact at the Northern Regions of Pakistan.
After President Obama's March 2009 Iran Policy, that allowed the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran to do anything without US Interventions; the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran start to do the anything and everything allowed by President Obama's March 2009 Iran Policy. Using the threat of being Overthrown by Islamic Jihadists the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran places pressure on US Ally Pakistanis Government to have the US withdraw from Pakistan (a known crucial Logistics to supply landlocked Afghanistan). US must leave Iraq, no more negotiations with President Obama or SOS Clinton for the US to remain at Iraq regardless of the situation at Iraq changing from when President Bush's Withdrawal Time Table was negotiated; the Islamic Shia Iraqis Government must negotiate with the Iranian Allies, the Chinese and Russian Federation, for the Northern and Southern Iraqis Oil Fields, that would have paid for the US Military Liberation of Iraq with Decades/Centuries of Iraqis Oil (US Oil depleted during the early 1900s "Black Gold Oil Rushes" leaving the US with only high Sulfur Content Crude Oil, as later used creating "Acid Rain" during the 1970s "Oil Crisis"), with the US European Allies and US loss of the Iraq Oil, the Libyan Oil becomes of Strategic Importance (known to the Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists, as to why former US Ally Gaddaffi is Overthrown by the Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group aka the Libyan Rebels), the Libyan Oil after former US Ally Gaddaffi is defeated is negotiated by Islamic Qatar with the Iranian Ally, the Chinese. see Result of the WWII German Army loss of the Strategic Oil of North Africa (including Libya). There are many more adverse results of President Obama's March 2009 Iran Policy pertaining to Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Libya, South and Central Americas, Asia, etc. with the Chinese and Russian Federation using the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran as their "Proxy Fighter" and the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran using the Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists Worldwide as their "Proxy Fighters" as supported by Trillions USDs per year thru the Required by Islamic Laws Manditory Islamic Tithes of 1.5 Billion Islamic Believers Worldwide.
My comments: Most of you NEED to figure out the difference between Strategic Asymmetric Warfare and Conventional Warfare (named from the Civilian Conventions to make War "Civilized", the 1907 Hague Convention (Result WWI charging into machineguns an "Honorable Death" in War) and the 1949 Geneva Convention (Result Korean Conflict (still a War) charging up hills into machineguns)). Historically, Asymmetric War is not a "quickie" War, nor "Instant Gratification"; and Historically, Asymmetric Warfare wins against Conventional Warfare.
President Obama as Commander In Chief Ordered Reduction In Forces (RIF) of the US Military of 90,000 to be thrown on unemployment means more deployments for longer tours. Note: According to First Lady Michelle Obama only 1% of US Citizens are currently Serving in the US Military: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e1R0lliFHc. Also she states why the majority of US Citizens are not knowledgeable, and not involved like previous Wars.
And regardless of his Secretary of Defense Leon Penetta's Advice of "a 10% cut to the (US) Defense Budget will result in a Million (US) Civilians becoming unemployed". Also negotiated then Ordered, the US Military Asymmetric Warfare Forces will remain at Afghanistan for decades after the US Military Conventional Warfare Forces depart, 2014.
And before you even think the useless "would have should have could have" "Protect our Borders". NOPE. President Obama's April 2009 (Southern US Border) Policy stated to the Mexican President "US Military will not be used to secure US Borders" AND President Obama's August 2009 (Northern US Border) Policy stated to the Canadian Prime Minister, "US Military will not be used to secure US Borders".
I (we, majority of us that survived the above, returned a few weeks ago after years of consecutive tours) are glad we will be going back on Retirement never to be Recalled per special category again from Retirement of President Obama's Ordered Forced Retirements. It is someone elses turn to do President Obama's "US Military Service is a Civic Duty".
Obama is the very best friend a radical Islamist can have. Then, Obama is also a neo-colonialist and instead of a friendly dictator running the show, he prefers splinter groups that wage war against one another, that way there is no real cohesion and no real force that will need to be fought. Additionally, it keeps the WAR ON TERROR alive and focused on turning America into a better police state. Wolfowitcz et al, had this insane notion that radical Islam was all for peace and westernization, democracy and freedom, ignoring the mandates for a global Caliphate written in the book. Ignorance and blind ignorance coupled with arrogance and naivete. Oh, did I mention oil? Not only oil, other resources as well.
Well said Mygirl1 ! !
Dont forget the opium that our pharm. companies use to make your low cost prescription pills
jack 1962499 said;
on the contrary, there has been order there for as long as they have been there. it's just not the same order that we are used to here in america. that does not make it wrong, just different. they have lived just fine with their particular "order" and we have no business telling them they are wrong and trying to make them change. the odd part is that everybody seems to think we are fighting the afghanis but the truth is that we are supposedly battling the "terrorist insurgents" there. where are they? the people getting killed there are anything but terrorists. so, you are absolutely right in saying get us out of there as there is no sane reason for our soldiers (beloved family members) to be dieing there. unless of course one considers opium and an oil pipeline to be worth dieing for.
How can the Afghanistan war be forgotten, when it is Hussein Zero's "war of choice?" The same way we will forget his Sorry Failed _ss, after we throw him out of Our White House in January.
Wow, you really need to learn how to read. What the article says is that Iraq was Bush's "war of choice." Truth is Obama did not choose any war, he inherited two!
He (Obama) is already talking about getting involved in another war. Don't forget Congress gave the go ahead in Iraq and Obama did have a Democrat controll Congress his first 2 years of his term. He could have got out then.
It became Obama's war of choice when he chose to escalate it in 2009. It hasn't been forgotten. The media has chosen to be quiet about it because it's not a good symbol of the Presidents leadership.
I remember when the Obama campaign in 2008 liked to emphasize that he opposed the Iraq war. He made a good call on that one, but expanding this war was a bad one. Add in his opposition to the surge in Iraq in 2006, and he is only batting .333 A good batting average in baseball, but not a good number for a wartime President.
Obama choose Afghanistan to be his war, we abandon Iraq , Obama make make a public decision and set an arbitrary political time-line not a military retreat , giving the chance to more terrorist to come back. Obama inherited two wars and he is involve in five , helping Muslim in their civil wars , once they elect their Religious Radical leaders like Islamic Brotherhood they are going to kick our @$$ because they don't want us in their lands.
Your correct Dave that is what is says.. Here is what gets me Candidate Obama promised to refocus America's resources on Afghanistan. We just keep on sending money, loosing American lives for what? They have no intention of changing from a third world. They like it. I can just imagine al qaeda and the Taliban sitting back and laughing that we are actually dumb enough to train the Afghan's so they can recruit them over. They are doing that you know. They no longer need to train them themselves we are. What a waste of American lives and money.
rgculver
Congress NEVER approved of the war in either Iraq or Afghanistan. All Congress approved was 'Funding" for a war that BUSH got us into. It was a political showdown and the GOP/BUSH used it as a 'threat' to anyone that would 'veto' supporting our troops in the arena. No politician who was up for re-election would have voted against paying for bushes war.
What are you smoking, the Congress Aprove the war in Iraq , not against Iraq to take down Hussein who got WMD, Hillary was one of the most louded speakers in favor . Some of those WMD are in Assad hands and ready to use against his own population.
Oskar look at the taliban as if they were a street gang like g 13 or the bloods. you will never rid the world of them ever. And we shouldnt be there now at all. We got osoma and shut him up so he cant tell the world about what really happened in his eyes anyway.
And yes obama have made afganastain his priority. that were we was supposed be from the start. not iraq. Bush destabilized the region with wars. so yes there will be more deaths from americans when you focus a war. Bush didnt. he let them soldiers kind of just hang out with no clear objective but to kill.
With that said. elect me as president. I would have closed gitmo. There would have been a mass exsplosion in that camp. oops cant believe there was such a fire from the ammo depot on the inside of the prison. And all of our troops would have been brought back the day after osoma was killed and we would have moved out of iraq alot faster. Like the day after I took office. I would have said this plain and simple.
We are not the worlds police. but make no mistake about it. Our military can reach every part of the world. You kill americans. we will track down every family member ya have and execute everyone. That is the only way to stop them. They dont care about themselves but do care about there faily members.
So speak softly and carry a big stick. Bash a few over the head and its over.
The war on terrorism starts on our city street everyday. somewere right now domestic street gang terrorists have a small child sleeping under there bed because of flyin bullets. screw the world police, police america first. secure the borders and claim street gangs as terrorist and fill the femma camps
At Dave 735909 - he may have "inherited" the wars, but he certainly can do something to get these young men home. This conflict is forgotten the same way the young men who fought in Viet Nam had been forgotten. The atrocities in Afghanistan to our soldiers are done by men/women (Afghans) who were supposed to help us while we are there. Instead, they kill our boys. I say get out and let them deal with their own problems and kill each other instead of Americans.
(((Yawn)))
Agreed. And so will his successor.
As the Mother of a solider who will soon be deploying to Afghanistan, this war is not forgotten. I am sure that all families of service members who have either been deployed, are going to be deployed, have lost a loved one whiled deployed, lost a loved one due to suicide as a result of the burden of the emotional stress from having served, or have a loved one whose quality of life and emotional stability has been severely altered due to having served, this war is a daily part of their lives. It's time to bring our soldiers home. And it's time for the people of our Country to let their feelings be known. It's true, many Americans are far removed from it, but those with family members making sacrifices are not removed and have to live with the knowledge that in order for many Americans to be "far removed" their family member and loved one is being put in harm's way and doing so willingly. We have become a Country of individuals who isolate themselves. So long as their life is not affected in any way, why should they care. Everyone in this Country needs to open their eyes to the reality that this war is destroying families. Most of the casualties are young men and women whose lives have just begun. Ask yourself how you would feel if it was your loved one. Again, we need to bring our soldiers home.
@Dave, just because a writer states an opinion does not mean that it is the truth. We have had a president that could have walked out anytime that he saw fit and chose to stay and fight. He had the election mandate to do just that. So Bush War? I don't think so! How about Obama's War for the last 3 plus years.
Yeah sure Dave, the truth is he stayed in Iraq for another 3 years. In Afghanistan he escaleted the war by 20,000 more boots on the ground, with no end in sight, when in reality the vast majority of people who voted for Obama did so because he had promised to end these wars. They're his wars now dude, "change" we can't believe in. He's just another politician, another warmonger, nothing more. Another liar and chief.
Shut your Jerry Hole Alan.
Blame it on Obama.
Blame it on Bush
Why don't you blame it on the ones responsible like the Taliban and Al Qaida.....or maybe you are one of those that Ann Coulter said were terrorists.
Probably true because you keep on blaming Americans.
Was it Americans that flew planes into the WTC, Pentagon and the field in Pennsylvania?
Maybe if you could pull yourself out of that Conspiracy Channel that you thrive in perhaps you would see the truth.
People who criticize the current administration for not ending Bush's WARS SOON ENOUGH would criticize the current administration if it ended Bush's WARS TOO SOON. Everybody's got an opinion.
P.S. America hasn't forgotten Afghanistan, or when it started on the republican's watch.
As an independent, I'm ok with the wind-down pace in Iraq - Obama is following the plan agreed to by Bush and it seems to be working. However, I do criticize Obama for not ending our role in Afghanistan. I don't see any positive ending in that country, so I want to get our troops out as quickly as possible.
I also haven't forgotten both wars started under Bush - but he's not the president anymore. Also, Obama got us involved in Libya, and looks like he may get us involved in Syria. These actions may not be as bad as Iraq, but they are still wars I don't want to be involved in.
I'd bet everyone here saying we shouldn't be in Afghanistan was waving flags and vowing revenge on Al qaeda/Taliban after 9/11...Just because we got OBL doesn't mean the threat is over. I hope we get out of the sandbox, and soon, but stop being hypocrites and jumping on the band wagon. You wanted you revenge, and now you/we must pay the price.
I say we pull our troops out of Afghanistan. But at the same time, we warn every country in the world that if terrorists attack U.S. citizens from their country, we will retailiate with nuclear weapons striking the area where the attacks originated and destroying that terrorist threat.
Why do Obama supporters keep saying he inherited the wars? He was not forced into becoming president, he chose to run and was elected. If he didnt want the responsibilities of being president he should have sat on the sidelines like he did when he was senator.
What the hell can we do? Over 70% of the American people want us out of there, but we have a government that doesn't care what the people think, or want. Its really big money interest, that keeps us in constant war. The military industrial complex runs washington, while our people die, to make all of them richer.
What the hell can we do? Protest like in the 60,s. We showed up in washington we showed up all over. We did not get permits half the time. Heck half the fun was getting arrested. So i guess its time for the older generation to show the younger ones how to do it.
Hey guys we need to dust off our flowered bell bottoms and do rags, (thats if we can still get in them), get a copy of our draft cards to burn, get the signs back out and put a line thru vietnam and put afghanistan over it and show up at 1600 Pennsylvania ave, with loud speakers, and get three hots and a cot.
If you can do nothing else, get a 4x8 sheet of plywood, in large letters put GET OUT OF AFGHANISTAN, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! and stick it in your front yard and use your freedom of speech instead of your freedom of bixch. If we make enough noise one of those idiots will notice that we are really not interested in gays in the military, we want JOBS, THE ECONOMY FIXED, THE NATIONAL DEBT DEALT WITH, SOCIAL SECURITY NOT MESSED WITH, AND QUIT CUTTING MEDICARE TO PAY FOR YOUR NEW HEALTH CARE PROGRAM. AND GET OUT OF AFGHANISTAN.
SAMEOLE SAMEOLE. ALL THE STUFF IN MSN IS GAYS. THATS NICE BUT THERE ARE ISSUES THAT AFFECT ALL OF US INCLUDING THE GAYS. THEY ARE OUTA WORK TOO.
YELL SCREAM RANT UNTIL SOMEBODY LISTENS. Me i will set the example and get some plywood See if i can get the black heliocopters to land in my back yard.
K
You said it perfectly !!!!! That is it in a nutshell .
bob
Thomas
You are correct . It is long past time we ( the older generation , boomers ) joined the fight.
bob
well said thomas
Whatever happened to a government, by the people and for the people, and all that caca?
Protesting now days, would by considered un-patriotic and you will be put on a list.
With all the cameras outside the white house they will store your face image in a file of
people that can be hauled away and hold indefinitely with any charges (Patric act)
People nowadays know to not mess with the government as your life will be unpleasant.
E.g A Police State.
I have not FORGOTTEN the war in Afghanistan. How to fix this problem? Vote out our current Congress. Get some different blood in there. Too much is under the table, nepotism, pork, whatever. Make sure the new folks know, on their coming in, that they are there for a short time if they refuse to listen to their constituency.
I'd like to forget the war, I'd like it to go away, and our folks come home. I'd like to see bloody news coverage everyday. We need to see it. We need to be REMINDED. Sweeping it under the rug will not end it. The more we are exposed to the violence, the more ready we will be to leave it.
There is no such thing as a "clean" war. I don't remember the episode, but in the original Star Trek series, there were two planetary factions at war. They had "cleaned" it up by just letting computers pick sites and people that were "destroyed." The people dutifully reported to death chambers, and society went on. Kirk argued that war should be a terrible thing, that way people will be more willing to work toward peace. Robert E. Lee (Yes, a real person), said, "It is good that war is so terrible, else people would get to like it." We need to learn from these lessons. They're true ones.
Yes. Bring back the draft with very few exemptions for the "Fortunate Sons".
Let everyone have some skin in this game and we will see a lot less cowboys running around starting wars just for fun like bush/cheney did.
What made Romneyhood "too important" to volunteer for a war he ardently supported?
John Kerry did and is by far the better man.
Funny, isn't it, that the very people you claim want us to stay in Afghanistan are the people working to help bring our troops home. If you think we should just throw up our hands and quit, saying "This war is unwinnable" the way so many did for Viet Nam, then I feel for anyone who has to defend you any time in the future. Why should we simply quit something before we have accomplished even half of what we set out to do? Another question to answer is why people supposedly on our side are suddenly turning and killing the men they have been working with, sometimes as much as two or three years. Find the answer to that, and you will have found the answer as to why we can't just drop everything and leave.
Of course, Liberals only cry about war when there is a Republican in office! Such Hypocrites! Obama does not care what you think.
WE have more important things to worry about like American Idol, and what Snooki is doing. Watching Morning Joe this morning, there was a 21 year old soldier who was killed, and them explaining he was 10 years old when this war started. Sad, my country makes me sad. I am ashamed of both of our dominate political parties, and it's time to see them both go.
Someone once said WAR IS HELL, i am with you we AMERICANS need to let congress know we are done with the way they are running this country, its time we take back our great nation. by the people for the people! we need new people in congress, ones who are not afraid to fight for the people! and i WONT FORGET ARE MEN & WOMEN FIGHTING OVER THERE will be praying for them! tell they all come home.
I have not forgotten them and they are in my thoughts everyday. I feel for them, being is such a hostile territory basically with their hands tied as far as rules of engagement.
Their are no good alternatives in the current Government. The entire thing is a system that thrives on division. All sides are equally guilty with this. While I agree that it's time people take this country back, I doubt society has the heart or desire to do what is needed to be done.
Bring back the draft! Let all of those Fortunate Sons who are "too important" to fight for their country get some skin in the game too.
All able bodied persons seeking immigration should also have to enlist.
They used to do that. One tour in vietnam was a guarenteed green card.
And how does the public forget? When the news stops reporting it. Lets face it the average public is like a dog when a squirrel runs by. Now that the liberal media is not attacking Bush over the war, everyone is "forgetting" it!
Agreed, the media made Bush out as a war monger. Obama barley gets any flack from the media when it comes to Afghanistan.
Guess what, the media is controlled by the left that carry the water for Obama. Obama is fighting more illegal wars helping the Arab Spring against the will of the Americans and letting die Americans in Afghanistan. 5 soldiers from our community die during the last days we will honor all of them.
Bush is more war monger than Obama because Bush was the one that started wars, Obama is the one that ends them. We had no reason to get into war with Iraq, and if we had concentrated on Afghanistan in the first place maybe we wouldn't still be there.
Obama is ending the Afghanistan war and is taking flak for providing the enemy with a time line, but he is drawing it down.
Obama never went to war with Libya even though those on the right were urging him to do so.
Never get any flak about Afghanistan? Leaving aside the fact that the media itself doesn't report on it at all, Obama didn't start Afghanistan. Sure he pumped up the troops, but he got Osama and now he's drawing it down best he can.
It's important to remember that there's more at stake than Afghanistan. The problem is Pakistan which is in danger of being taken over by real terrorists, and that country has nukes.
I want the war to be over very badly, but to somehow insinuate that Obama is just as much of a "War monger" as Bush is just flat wrong.
Remember that Nixon said he would end the Vietnam War in 1968. When did we finally get out? 1974. Nixon was long gone by then.
President Obama is doing just what he said he would do.
Bring back the draft!
And yes, I was at the anti war protests and yes, I was drafted and went. Just doing my patriotic duty on both counts.
I don't know what you consider "war" if we weren't at war with Libya. Installing a no fly zone on an independent Nation and bombing them with drones has to be considered an act of war.
Midlkit, Nixon took office in 69, and didn't resign until over a year after the Paris Peace Accords that officially ended the Viet Nam war were signed. Our last troops didn't leave until 75, but the war had officially been over for two years then.
Hey obummer. you promised to get out of the wars (campaign, remember?). You forgot Afghanistan. Cant blame it on bush anymore. There are more war dead in afghanistan under you than under bush, there johnson, i mean obummer. 2,000 now. hey but only 56,385 more and you can beat johnson and vietnam. Hey pretend your nixon. at least for a while. Operation linebacker. You want my vote get out before november. You are not any differant than the rest republicans included.
and if you are not getting out of afghanistan as that is going to cause the massive double dip we have been hearing about, so you can get reelected, remember the word, impeach, cause i will be screaming it.
the sad thing is that the more i see and hear about our representatives in washington, the more i like my dog. At least he only pees on the ground.
With a do nothing Republican congress you demand these crazy results from O'Bubba?
He may not be purr-fect - But, he's the lessor of two evils.
Vote Obama in November!!!
Pssst: And nuke the warmongering Jews so we can 'take a war break!!!'
TheAZCowboy what a joke. Fighter pilot...bull@!$%#! More like a gay cowboy clown.
alread taken care of.. i am voting for obama..to get out of the white house
AZ Cowboys quote "And nuke the warmongering Jews so we can 'take a war break!!!'"
Hey cowboy, why don't you go put on your SS outfit for us. Jews / warmongers, yeah dude, they have started so many wars, oh yeah buddy. Just like the ole US of A, they start lots of wars. aka Korea, Vietnam, Clinton's baltic war, Gulf War 1, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and coming soon Syria. The only "Jewish" war was when they were attacked in 67 and kicked butt in 6 days, America can't even take down a third world country. Israel kicks rear when they have to, we just talk a big game. We are "worried" about what others think, Israel doesn't care what others think including your bigoted self.
Bill: I take it that you prefer a draft dodger, a tax dodger, a thief, and a proven liar (71%) to the President who has done what he said he would do.
So I'm guessing that you are a draft dodging, tax dodging, thieving liar too.
My nephew was in Iraq in 03-04 He told me "They don't want us here" He served with the Tenth Mountain Div, and has since returned. Afghanistan is all about whats in the ground there. The people want to live in the stone age's. It's not up to us to change that. The natural resources in the ground there are no good for anyone. Has long has the folks there love there Moon God. Ask the Russians how they had there A$$ kicked by these people in the 80's. I am sure they are laughing there butts off at us. It's a bottomless pit of death for anyone trying to help. Bring our troops home.
Yeah Jaun- Now they've got the same people that we are there to guide and train turning the barrels on our guys (and gals) They don't want us there, and lord knows I don't want them in my city either. They've got mosques going up left and right in the states, this is just their way of setting up a master plan. Once they get a few mosques in every state they will rise and create a holy war. We are watching in happen right under our noses.
Americans don't fret, you know we've got alot of half cocked crazy white boys armed to the teeth to defend our beliefs and our way of life, right over here. The south will rise again, this time against people that are trying to destory us. They're not coming here to be free. they don't want to live in peace, they are just here to use us and then try to take us down.
When Bush was in office the media reported daily.. of course they reported that Iraq and Afghanistan were failures and as Senator obama put it "all our troops are doing is bombing villages and killing innocent women and children"
Now the Nobel Peace Prize Loser is President and we have a media blackout. Afghanistan is not a forgotten war. It is not forgotten by the men and women over there fighting for us. it is not forgotten by their families and loved ones and it is not forgotten by the real Americans.
This is another White House Media plant to favor obama.
My thoughts exactly. When Bush was President, the media was all over it giving the number of troops killed daily and reminding everyone of the war both in Iraq and Afghanistan. One minute after Hussein took over, the press was silent and has been ever since. Obama promised to end the war in Iraq and even win the war in Afghanistan because he said it was the real root of the terror issue. He went around apologizing to the world and then the press ignored his campaign promises as well as the war and our troops.
Aggression is not about: 'Them patriots over there fighting for us.'
It's about getting these serial baby killers sent by the reichwing 'nuts' to commit murder and mayhem to the ICC and putting them away wet in a Nuremburg style prison cell.
I agree AZ.
When are the war criminals bush/cheney going to be brought to justice?
For a war that nobody supposedly cares about there sure is a lot of money being pumped into it and blood red sand because of it.
Barack Obama Promise to End War
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the
time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home.
We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank. "
- Barack Obama Campaign Promise - October 27, 2007
And President Obama is doing it.
Let us see if some here can just take their meds, and remember clearly who it was that wanted to show the former Soviets how it is done(who also failed)---
The big question is why other than the oil line going through there, are we stuck with this, and blaming the current president, when it clearly was the one before who attacked yet another country.
No, I guess we need some college freeloaders(SS) like Mr Ryan, and more religion (Romney) to tell women to fess up when they get pregnant from too much brawn after the Prom and other "accidental" pregnancies-- (rape for those here who are not with the basics like Mr, AKIN.)---I mean we do need more kids to take those non existing jobs soon being returned from China, and India----
It is hard to believe that we go around the globe and pretend to be the envy of the globe. --Yes, compared to 3 rd world countries maybe, but real western countries-- do not think so!
Just see how Assange has to go to Sweden to explain why he had sex without protection? (I think a little extreme, or is it because he was telling too much truth about the secretive USA?)--After all the information was available through a not so secretive source--ourselves, so as usual we pretend to small people that we are so safe, like in airports--same stupidity!
Ok I will take the meds too, after all we are in USA!
@Bundgaard 1210892 what in the heck are you taking about? Do you really think that there is any oil in Afghanistan? I also hope that you not implying that the POTUS fully paid his way through college nor that the his religious beliefs has nothing to do with the way he managed the position of the Presidency. About the only thing that you stated that may be right is the fact that we are headed straight to a 3rd world status with our national debt crisis.
@Bundgaard - yours is quite possibly one of the most ignorant post I've ever read on this blog.
I can see most of you forgot that OBAMA got us OUT of Iraq and we are getting out of Afghan in in 2014 (with a small force staying). It seems you also forgot that Bush sent us to those two warzones in the first place. Where were your complaints when Bush was in office? Yea, that's what I thought......
Blah Blah Blah. This is Obama's war and we will not wait until 2014. Look at the difference in casualities in A'stan under Bush versus casualities un Obama. We lost more troops in 1 month under Obama than 1 year under Bush.
You can't seriously think that it's Obama's fault for and increase in fatalities, really? Do you NOT know that with an increase in troops comes an increase in fatalities? Don't you know that the Troop population in Afghanistan has increased every 1-2 years, therefore an increase in fatalities? The fight started way back in 2001, if you didn't know. And you know darn well that we will NEVER leave that place when a Republican is in office. You seem to forget the "maybe 100 years" statement from McCain about Iraq. You sound like one of those people that rooted for the war when Bush was in office. For some reason, you are against it now that Obama is in. Hmm, I wonder why. Are you going to blame Obama if you forget to brush your teeth in the morning too?
The skunk, could have gotten us out of afghanistan a long time ago if he really wanted to, after all he is the cic in some peoples mind...he's in over his head, never had a clue, and still doesn't....Whenever i read a post where someone blames Bush, you know their a lib, thats the skunks way, always blame someone else for his failures or lack of doing anything, I wonder who'll he blame in 2016 when he has to leave the whitehouse...hopefully he will be leaving in january, kicking and screaming, and blaming bush for it all...
Hello,
"You can't seriously think that it's Obama's fault for and increase in fatalities, really? Do you NOT know that with an increase in troops comes an increase in fatalities? Don't you know that the Troop population in Afghanistan has increased every 1-2 years"
Hello who authorized the surge or increase in troops?
We caught Osama JUST OVER A YEAR ago. Now, Obama has a plan in place to pull out by 2014. We got Saddam Hussein in 2006.......no plans to leave by Bush. I don't care what else Obama is blamed for, jobs, gas, the housing market, I don't care. You can't pin that mess in the middle east on him, you just can't do it. Iraq was bull crap. Obama got us out of Bush's Call of Duty game. Afghanistan was because of 9/11. We caught Bin Laden. We leave 2014. Like I said before, we would still be in Iraq with no plans to leave Afghanistan if a Republican was in office. You know it's true.
There was more than one surge. The first was in Iraq 2007 by Bush. Obama wasn't responsible for any increase between 2002-2008. Like I said, we caught Bin Laden and now we are leaving that place.
"We caught Bin Ladin" do you have a frog in your pocket...the SEALS did and Obama's boys comprised OPSEC and spread everything over the internet for votes for Obama.
Barack Obama Promise to End War
Funny how the liberals stick up for Obama's dumb ass no matter what that dumb @!$%# screws up. But thats OK it was all Bushs fault anyway....
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the
time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home.
We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank. "
- Barack Obama Campaign Promise - October 27, 2007
Tristan Crain
First off, Iraq came before the COD MW series. To compare them the way you did shows age and ignorance.
This is Obama's war. Why? Because he promised to have us out and we're still there. I was there, my friends were there. Some came home draped under a flag. So what, he "got us out of Iraq". Big deal. You want to know a little secret though? We're still in Iraq - the 'combat' troops (Infantry, Tankers, Artillery, Cav, etc) were pulled out but everyone else is still there. Still getting killed the same as before. We still have special operators there, same as before. Last time I checked (when I served) special operation classes are technically categorized as combat roles. Albeit unconventional and nonconforming to standard rules and tactics but still they are combat roles.
Obama has done nothing but sit on his sorry a** for 4 years complaining about healthcare while everything else crumbled or bled. I'm not saying any other option we've have over the past decade would have done much more. They all would have screwed us in their own way. It's the nature of corporations.... err, I mean politicians.
We really caught and kill Bin Laden? did you see it? I didn't;t so I don't believe...Afghanistan is OBAMA war with no reason...if you have a bad neighborhood you either moved out of protect your house, you don;t go and bomb and kill those people...
we have neighborhoods here in our own land that police can't get in...our soldiers moral is down because is no support from his commander in chief. Our soldiers come in cofins everyday.
Is no respect from Obama to an american citizen when he call Rommey "Robin Hood" that's not a way to treat people calling names because they don't agree....is alot that Obama is doing or NOT doing to have this nation the way has been...
All Obama did was be in power when the identical exit strategy already devised when Shrub was in office started occurring. Nothing new happened. And for all the dreamers nothing will change if Romney takes over. It is what it is. The military for the most part couldn't give a rat's behind which party is in power. They'll still devise their plans as needed without the political bias.
Forget it Tristan. These paid trolls will not say anything sensible.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our elected officials, now and in the past, for having our troops die/maimed in Vietnam #2, or #3, or is it #4? Since they have never served in combat, what do they care????
Get out of the middle east. We are getting permission from the Afghan Gov. on who we should kill. We have fought the war on their behalf. You can't win a war against an idea or religion. Those people have been occupied by the Russians and just like Vitenam it bankrupted the Russians. Let them fight amonst themeslves and deal with the person who is storng enought to hold the country together by whateve means he sees fit. It is a civil war and we are outsiders who are hated (and attacked) by both sides. With all of the toys the military has I don't know of a war we have won since WWII.
If you want our troops out of A'stan then vote Obama OUT! He does not give a crap how many Americans die over there. He says we are leaving in 2014. Well if the American people have anything to say about it, Obama will not be in office in 2014.
Obama inherited the war and tried to make the best of it. But Bin Laden is dead and there is nothing more to be accomplished, sad to say. Mr. President, please pack them up and bring them home. It's time.
Can only compare this to LBJ and Vietnam.
Finally, someone that knows the truth! Hey Voodkokk, don't you wish more citizens knew of the lies that took us into war, even more so hear the voice of their beloved presidents that have confessed their involvement in getting the U.S. into wars?
Personally, I can't understand why a Nation is afraid of itself! I would think that everyone would see that a divided country is a conqured country!
at least LBJ a Democrat had the balls to admit failure in Vietnam and decided to NOT TO RUN for another term as President in office!
how the truth will set you free OBAMA! admit failure like your previous Democratic Pres!
and then came the next certified criminal politician Nixon!
vote with "lead" folks, its the only thing that will make a difference and the politicians and their puppet masters know it!
Nixon said he would get us out of Vietnam in 1968. When did we finally leave? 1974! The criminal Nixon was long gone by then.
All the talk of nation building and helping the helpless is the sweet syrup of seduction to get the sappy Americans to authorize the military industrial complex to make billions for themselves. They bungled getting OBL in Tora Bora many years ago but eventually got AL Qaida out of Afghan - the perps of 9-11. Our troops are the commodity or the war profiteers. So we stayed and spilled blood - ours and theirs - so they hate us now and their only use for us is to take duffle bags of cash from the US officers who show up to "pay" for some mistake of violence we made when blowing up a wedding party or school. Our President and Congress are owned by the security and war making industries and they have given up on trying to be in charge. Easier to give silly interviews on abortion, rape and other domestic things they know nothing of. God Bless the USA, because our polytissiuns will not.
Hope you feel really good this morning Odumbo, after reading this news.
And that does not take into account all of the innocent women and children, (50,000 at least) who have been murdered in this war of no result.
Not a GD Friggin thing has been accomplished by this war, just like the previous one in iraq, not a friggin thing was accomplished.
They, both countries still hate us, still burn our flag, still kill our soldiers when ever they get the chance.
And on top of that, OUR EXTREMELY CROOKED, CORRUPT, LYING PIECES OF CRAP IN CONGRESS continue to give both friggin nations billions of OUR dollars each and every year.
Thank you US Government, thank you Odumbo, but most of all thank you war mongering, illegal, corrupt congress, we appreciate the way you pigs continue to send our young men and women to their deaths each and every day.
Some fellas have gotten God-awful rich from the conduct of these wars. Go read the articles written in 2003, 2004 and 2005 about the Blackwater and the Bechtel contracts and others. Military actually had an expertese drain as special forces people left to take contractor jobs doing the same work as uniformed troops at 5 times the pay. Blackwater supervisors one and two levels up from the guys in the streets with weapons were making $200k to $500k for roles similar to a 1SG or SGTM. They worked side by side with troops in uniform whose spouse may be on food stamps back home. But none of these guy's pay holds a candle to the execs at the corporate level - many of whom are retired military who arranged their defense corporation job while they were active dutry. This is the Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Pentagon Generals' model for modern war fighting. There is so much money being made by so many it is not a wonder why the wars keep going and going.
Everyone in our military is a terrorist mercenary on behalf of the USA. And they knew that when they signed up to get paid to kill. I doubt any of them were like "Oh ya lets join the army. Its great you travel the world building houses in destroyed neighborhoods and helping run farms in small villages to keep much less fortunate beings become more self sustainable." If they joined in the last 11 years or so they knew odds were that they were gonna go to the middle east and kill people.
Their is no reason to feel bad for these people in the military. They knew exactly what they were doing for all that veteran's discount, insurance, cheap student and home loans, and straight up cash. And if all they wasn't enough they've got a foot up to come back to this country and become one of our fine Civil Oppressors in blue(Police).
This whole war was at its BEST is just a shakedown of the middle east, yet again.
I am in my mid to late 20s and I can remember being a young kid watching television as we shot up the middle east in night vision during the first Iraq war. Thats right. The real thing kids. Those aren't white glowsticks on that green screen. Those are bullets and rockets.
Win the War on Terror. End War.
mrchach.......if your in your mid twenties and haven't served in the military, even as a lowly clerk, you have no say in this argument...unless you've been there done that stay at home in your mommy and daddy's house and suck your thumb...
Mr coyotehunter. why wouldnt he have a say in it. Its America. And its sad to say but mrchach is right about somethings. Anyone that joined the military knows there going to war. And could die. We have guys with 3 and 4 tours comin back as ticking time bombs. And one just flew of the handle and shot up the wrong people at church. Of course they will say he was a racist. A member of the skin heads. But look at how many tours he done. was he a foot soldier on the lines? bet he was. bet he also seen many people die and probally had to kill a few himself. Now times that by how many million people that served there. read articals about how many soldiers are commiting suicide, domestic violence, drunks and drug addicts. I personally feel bad for them all, They didnt know that normal people are not programmed to forget what they see or how it feels to live in fear everyday. now with that said let me tell ya pts is no joke mental condition. not only does it affect a person the rest of there lives. It also destoys families. So someone ask Bush this, Was it worth it? If it was why was none of your children in the war. your daughters could have been nurses. Or even picked up a gun
Gunner, that racist, which he was and was confirmed by Southern Poverty LAw Center and others, never fought overseas. SO he wasn't a ticking time bomb in that sense, so you lose on that point. I was for Afghan, but against the Iraq war. But we went and now we have to realize that we cann do no more in Afgan. Our friggin Generals (who all make $1mill a year just in salary, not including perks) are advising Obama just as they did Bush, to not leave until they have reached some target of theirs. If youre a CIC, would you listen to your Generals? I dunno, but I want my fellow soldiers out fo that pit. We have mroe for them to do here, ALIVE.
Of course the country is 'forgetting' this war...Why? Well, because you don't see the liberals protesting on the streets and calling the President names like they did during the Bush years. Not one of these liberal groups is out and protesting in front of the White House. And, of course, now that there's a hyper-liberal in the WH, the MSM could care less about this war. Where has the MSM been during Obobo's term on this? I clearly remember that during the Bush years there wasn't a single day that went by without the MSM reporting on the number of casualties, the money spent, and so on. Now, they're all silenced! Amazing the level of hypocrisy displayed everyday by these liberals.
Not true about libs not protesting the war. A quick google will show you that they have been. How about if some of you republicons join with them?
Whoops, forgot you guys are the ones that don't mind the government spending tax money as long as it's for a war vs. social programs and things that might really help your fellow American.
Two thousand US deaths in Afghanistan is nothing compared to the number of innocent civilians that have been maimed and killed or the number of soldiers that are coming home with disabling catastrophic injuries that they will carry for the rest of their lives. But oh how they care but they will never dare look to the heart of the matter, how men of great greed get what they need, purses that only get fatter.We the People of The United States are no better then Penn State, because we refuse to accept what is really going on in this country and how both major parties are involved.I don't understand is why we the people are so stupid that we keep putting the same sell outs back in office instead of new blood. I'm going to keep voting every incumbent out and for as many independents as I can. If everyone did that it wouldn't change the government in one election but it would sure shake them up to realize that if they do not start serving the people over big money contributions they will be finding temporary employment.The only thing that is going to save the country is putting the pressure on government to serve the people rather then their own self interests.
Mark you just hit the nail square on the head! That is and has been the real problem all along! Both parties refuse to kill the golden goose, this war has been about money since its inception. Doesn't matter what party, Obama has had plenty of time to end this conflict! The system is broken folks, and the big money says it will stay broken. Might get rid of a few over time with independents but the ones who have done the deed will live on our money till they die. My son was in afghanistan for 13 months and thankfully will be coming home alive and well next week. God bless the men and women who have faithfully served our country and prayers for those lost and the thousands who have been injured.
I have the utmost respect for all of our sons and daughters who are putting their lives and bodies on the line because they are true hero's. It's our treasonous sold out leaders that I have no respect for and I hate what they have done to our people and the world.
Mark, I agree. Not only that, but this topic was clearly posted by someone who is stirring up crap by calling this war a "forgotten" war. Not only is the author plagiarizing from prior articles on Korea but it is clear from all the posts that this war is not only NOT FORGOTTEN but it is anathema to most of the American people.
But oh how they care but they never dare look to the heart of the matter, how men of great greed get what they need purses that only get fatter. What we do with our vote really counts but the people seem to be asleep.
Yep, where is Sheehan and the rest of the anit-war crowd. Oh, forgot it is ok to sacrifice our troops under the democrats but not the republicans.
The Republicscum put us there, not the democrats, THAT's why.
Yeah, we really DO care, but, you know, it's a matter of freedom of religion. Our young men and women are being sacrificed to Allah/Islam/Mohammed/Muslims. Now, seriously, we can't say anything. After all, it's religion, isn't it? And, Lord knows, we certainly can't challenge blood sacrifices to Islam now, can we?
The forgotten war now and the forgotten vets in the future nothing really changes.Many die big business profits off war
Big business may profit but they sure aren't going to fight, die and be maimed for it. Unfortunately jroliver some things do change and for the worse, we sacrificed the lives and bodies of our soldiers in Vietnam only to sell the country to China.Basically our industry is now China a communist country that can nationalize it if the USA ever dares to cross it's new masters. So basically the wealth of the USA has only become the paper it's printed on, oh how our leaders and corporations have sold out this once great nation.
I think that the author of this piece and our media need to take some credit for this being a forgotten war. Americans can only forget what is not in front of them. Turning on the news in the morning I am more likely to see the latest talking dog YouTube video than a war update. Media shapes American discussion. It is human nature not to seek out things that are uncomfortable to deal with, which is why the media has a responsibility to keep citizens informed in a meaningful way that is based on fact, not political sway or scare tactics.
Caris,
I think you are right on mark, Joe Scarbourough tries to keep this out front on his "Morning Joe" program, wish all talk show hosts would keep this issue on the front burner. Its a backward little country that can easily be managed from afar. Put a satellite over it and if they start of their training camps again send them a little explosive gift.
Part of the reason why it is forgotten, is because of the controversy that arises when people talk about it. It's like someone talking about religion in a group. What's going to happen? Something similar to what would happen if someone discussed the war, so people become passive on the subject. It is a sad day when people forget about the men and woman who serve our country, especially, the ones who have given their lives. The war isn't a popular subject, but our soldiers serving in it shouldn't necessarily be pushed aside as unpopular human beings-for an objective they did not have control over. Believe me, most of those soldiers DO NOT want to be there. There are a few that will do anything to stay and fight, those men or woman usually have been hurt emotionally to a point where they want to give their life for their brothers in arms that gave their own. Have some respect, I have some decency not to put profane language on here; the least you could do is have the decency to respect the dead and not depress the men and woman any lower than where they already may be. A lot of those soldiers coming back from 'hell' (Afghanistan) will come home and make minimum wage and not know what to do or where to turn to for work. Maybe this is why they stay as well? Of course, you'll have your specialized trained soldiers who may be able to get a better job. The majority of men on the front lines, most likely, will not. Your next title should be "How we can help wean our soldiers into a civilian life more easily." Or, "Our Government isn't working hard enough to help our soldiers who leave the military have a successful civilian life."
Patricksky
Its hard to help vets to move into the mainstream when there is no mainstream to move into. Our economic mainstream is resembling the Mississippi River during this drought, yes there are boats afloat, but no one is going anywhere. The guys coming home deserved an economy that would provide jobs, instead the Bush tax cuts, the two unpaid wars, the no bid contracts, the new Department of Homeland Security, fed the rich and left the rest of us holding the bag.