tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54516075710249880912024-03-13T02:05:39.766-04:00Out of AfghanistanAfter eight years, enough is enough. It's time to bring our troops home and stop hemorrhaging money in the graveyard of empires.rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-87005219316775652222010-02-22T15:28:00.004-05:002010-02-22T16:51:40.515-05:00Dredging 9/11 fear to support warNine years later, U.S. officials continue to justify the war in Afghanistan with the threat of another 9/11. On NBC's "Meet the Press" yesterday, U.S. general David Petreaus said, "I don't use words like 'optimist' or 'pessimist.' I use 'realist.' . . . We're in <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/countries/afghanistan.html?nav=el" target="">Afghanistan</a> to ensure it cannot once again be a sanctuary for the kinds of attacks that were carried out on 9/11."<br /><br />However, Afghans perceive U.S. military efforts there as terrorism, as civilians continue to be killed through drone bombings and other strikes. Just today a NATO airstrike <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/afghanistan/article7035978.ece">killed</a> 27 Afghan civilians in Marjah, despite the U.S. proclaimed effort to avoid civilian deaths during its current offensive there, the largest since the war began. Ironically, in its attempt to wipe out the Taliban, the U.S. and its (increasingly few -- see below) allies continue to stoke the flame of anger, resentment and fear within civilians, creating an even richer breeding ground for "terrorists" filled with anti-American sentiment.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the Dutch government <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/world-mainmenu-26/europe-mainmenu-35/2996-dutch-government-collapses-over-afghanistan-withdrawal">collapsed</a> Sunday over its role in Afghanistan. When, after a 16-hour debate, Parliamentarians could not agree whether Dutch troops would continue to work in Afghanistan under a NATO request, all members of the Labor Party resigned their 12 Cabinet post. They wanted to reject the request. Shortly after the collapse, Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende said troops would pull out of Afghanistan as originally planned. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span> <br /><br />If only the U.S. would figure out a way to follow suit.Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099929726566389819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-32177346990973804632010-02-19T10:57:00.003-05:002010-02-19T11:22:14.182-05:00News of Marjah, and beyond?Much of the news from Afghanistan this week centers around the "Marjah offensive," with both <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7248301/Operation-Moshtarak-three-more-civilians-killed-in-Afghanistan.html">Afghan civilian</a> and <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/18/AR2010021804013.html?hpid=topnews">U.S./NATO</a> deaths, consensus in mainstream press that the offensive is "working" despite ramped up gunfire, roadside bombings and more from the Taliban, and Pakistan's <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/world/lucky-accident-led-to-arrest-of-taliban-no-2-20100219-olwu.html">"lucky accident" capture</a> of Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.<br /><br />Some outlets report that Taliban fighters have been using civilians <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8519507.stm">as human shields</a>, propping them up and firing from behind them, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61I2E620100219">preventing</a> U.S./NATO forces from fighting back or advancing.<br /><br />Few outlets however give nearly as much analysis, if any, to the next step in the U.S. plan for Afghanistan once Marjah is "cleared." If any, like in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/weekinreview/14sanger.html">this New York Times piece</a>, it centers around the strategy to hand off power to Afghans, or as Obama says, a transfer. But, said Gen. Stanley McChrystal recently, “We’ve got a government in a box, ready to roll in.”<br /><br />Government in a box? Is it a transfer of power, or a U.S. installation of its own puppet government?Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099929726566389819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-53163565261914672282010-02-15T10:34:00.003-05:002010-02-15T11:04:25.581-05:0012 Afghan civilians killed by US troopsJuan Cole, president of the Global Americana Institute, offers on his blog today a straightforward <a href="http://www.juancole.com/2010/02/marines-meet-roadside-bombs-sniping-in.html">analysis</a> of the start of the current U.S./NATO offensive in Marjah, Afghanistan. Because of many roadside bombs and other Taliban guerilla tactics, foreign troops are moving slowly.<br /><br />Yesterday the US military shot rockets at a civilian home, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/15/afghanistan-civilian-deaths-nato-taliban">killing 12 civilians</a>, 10 from the same family, believing it to be a Taliban "source" of attacks. Gen. Stanley McChrystal said these sort of attacks must stop, since they'll continue to tick off Afghan civilians. Not good, Cole writes, since U.S./NATO "conceive of Marjah as a counter-insurgency operation, which begins by clearing out the insurgents but then depends on the territory being held in the long term, with locals being guaranteed security and prosperity by the forces coming in from Kabul."<br /><br />The offensive might last 30 days. For Afghan civilians, it might feel like 30 years.Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099929726566389819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-53510561049618850922010-02-12T17:31:00.004-05:002010-02-12T19:07:09.393-05:00Women contractor employees finally get some respect<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEn1Xt9-bqL4s2M6FHVambZg7WFm6Fbvky1W8-SnizUHvXQY9znr5_luUM_qZK_P8xz9c-Eu5V6uD0MeJ0tJJg8llr6h4RErIvkXsaiBdqCZAWhIjfB9UGwKTwTL8PJxiSKtds7xpkq8/s1600-h/images-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 74px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEn1Xt9-bqL4s2M6FHVambZg7WFm6Fbvky1W8-SnizUHvXQY9znr5_luUM_qZK_P8xz9c-Eu5V6uD0MeJ0tJJg8llr6h4RErIvkXsaiBdqCZAWhIjfB9UGwKTwTL8PJxiSKtds7xpkq8/s320/images-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437512724219011938" border="0" /></a>In some relatively good Friday news: the Pentagon is finally showing a small sign of recognition and respect for U.S. employees of U.S. military contractors (private "security" corporations hired by the U.S. government) who are sexually assaulted.<br /><br />After pressure from Congress, the Pentagon <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/12/AR2010021203234.html">will set up</a> a system to monitor these assaults, and is developing plans of how to help survivors of assault, whether through medical, legal and other forms of assistance.<br /><p>Many employees, most of them American, have had enormous trouble having their claims taken seriously. One Texas woman, Jamie Leigh Jones, sued Halliburton Co. and its former subsidiary KBR, after some employees gang raped her in 2005 while she was working for KBR in Iraq and the companies did nothing. Jones, who started a non-profit to support other assault survivors, said 40 former employees have contacted her "alleging a variety of sexual assault or sexual harassment incidents -- and claim that Halliburton, KBR or other PMCs have either failed to help them or outright obstructed them," <a href="http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9342">according</a> to the United Press Press International, and there are surely more.<br /></p><p>But the Military Criminal Investigative Organizations conducted only 25 sexual assault investigations between 2005 to 2007, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/12/us/politics/AP-US-Contractor-Assault.html">according</a> to the New York Times. </p><p>Sexual assault, many argue, is hardly given attention within civilian society, and is most definitely a low priority within a military culture with imperial interests. But for all the attention given to comraderie, trust, and military honor, one would think the treatment of women contractors and soldiers within a military environment should be taken far more seriously.<br /></p><br /><p><br /></p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099929726566389819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-31805523592463366052010-02-09T22:37:00.001-05:002010-02-10T15:34:03.001-05:00Talking with the Taliban, speaking for women<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPDmN8Jan6_wWfy6_gFfvVpDSbtSlSTpu8YhuL1_FrmVloK4ek83b6fkNBZ1DZWcpOURhECBRyPVtlZlosPFhfi3u5XE6sp4uF4vbILzilkMg1tAbYffnCxbxzbEJ35MqRwChvQ3Rbzs/s1600-h/OGOHOME_P2.jpg_full_380.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPDmN8Jan6_wWfy6_gFfvVpDSbtSlSTpu8YhuL1_FrmVloK4ek83b6fkNBZ1DZWcpOURhECBRyPVtlZlosPFhfi3u5XE6sp4uF4vbILzilkMg1tAbYffnCxbxzbEJ35MqRwChvQ3Rbzs/s320/OGOHOME_P2.jpg_full_380.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436715076283823490" border="0" /></a>More folks today have joined the debate of whether the U.S. should talk with the Taliban, most claiming talks would be too dangerous and ineffective. In a New York Times column today on the subject, Richard Bernstein <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/us/11iht-letter.html?pagewanted=2">quotes</a> Robert Mnookin, chairman of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law, at length -- in fact, he's the only source he consults for the whole of his column (so much for fair and balanced). Mnookin draws a comparison to Churchill's decision not to talk to Hitler at the height of World War II, and Bush's decision to refuse talks after Sept. 11. Negotiations with the Taliban now would fail and essentially give them more power and control, Mnookin said.<br /><br />Mnookin also adds, “With control, I have no doubt they would shut down schools for girls and do lots of things that would be disastrous.”<br /><br /><a href="http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/04/06">Like hundreds of other political pundits</a>, Mnookin cites the conditions of Afghan women as the first, or best (?), justification of why U.S. military force in Afghanistan must continue and alternative solutions to force must be discounted. One wonders how many Afghan women Mnookin has spoken with; do they share his concern, and does he speak for them? Afghan women do <a href="http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/12/05/the-afghan-women-tug-of-war/">speak out</a> -- in fact, Afghan women are quite strong and <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2009/0416/p06s13-wosc.html">willing to organize</a> -- and <a href="http://afghanwomensmission.org/index.php">they say</a> that while they suffered incredibly under the Taliban, all Afghans, especially women, will suffer as long as the U.S. occupation continues -- no solution within the context of a military occuation will prevent that. Mnookin's "saving Afghan women" argument is not only offensive, as it makes them bargaining chips without even a seat at the bargaining table, but also a red herring from the real argument -- whether talks would work to end the occupation more quickly, to strengthen the Afghan army, to supply humanitarian aid and job training, and allow Afghanistan to rebuild itself.<br /><br />But since Mnookin brought it up: will talks hurt or help Afghan women? The <a href="http://www.theladyfinger.com/2010/02/will-negotiations-with-taliban-hurt-or.html">jury's out</a>. If only Goldstein could write his column about that.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo: AP)</span>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099929726566389819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-52981843019285648512010-02-08T21:24:00.005-05:002010-02-08T22:22:26.910-05:00Salted pamphlets from the sky<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqI3hAb79-y7eQ1cFCqPygK-a1p2cheHxd9JMMf6Tjbv7D-Fx8R0VqS0TJKIGUyGWRy6bNdGMnrjM_nzV53jm_Q3QM1DkLUtFVfGlnptjlTjKynvzqbHhRLoO5CEH6KAmuW7JN2ssCmvU/s1600-h/images-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 126px; height: 101px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqI3hAb79-y7eQ1cFCqPygK-a1p2cheHxd9JMMf6Tjbv7D-Fx8R0VqS0TJKIGUyGWRy6bNdGMnrjM_nzV53jm_Q3QM1DkLUtFVfGlnptjlTjKynvzqbHhRLoO5CEH6KAmuW7JN2ssCmvU/s320/images-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436076323860805778" border="0" /></a>In cars stuffed with clothes and mattresses, Afghan civilians <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/02/08/afghanistan-nato-offensive.html">are fleeing</a> the southern Afghanistan town of Marjah in droves to avoid a coming NATO offensive intended to drive out the Taliban there.<br /><br />The town's 80,000 civilians learned of the offensive this weekend after NATO troops dropped leaflets over the area warning them that it was coming. It is expected to be the largest offensive since the war's start in 2001.<br /><br />This warning, on the surface, seems thoughtful. But it's too little too late, just more salt in the wounds. After all, in the past nine years of their occupation, foreign troops have done far too little to ensure civilian safety. Under the banner of rooting out terror, U.S. troops have killed thousands of civilians with aerial drones and other weaponry, more than 2,400 last year. They have knocked into Afghan homes in violent midnight raids, have inflamed more Taliban and spent way too little effort investing in infrastructure, schools, job training, and food and water aid for Afghans. No wonder civilians <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,471416,00.html">feel angry</a>, weary, distrustful and anxious for new solutions. <span class="DetaildSuammary" id="Htmlphcontrol1"><p>"Ending operations in Afghan villages is what the Afghan people are seeking as a priority," President Hamid Karzai said yesterday in Munich. "...That means Afghanistan really gaining judicial independence completely and rather very very soon."</p><p>Many of the fleeing civilians will stay with family, according to humanitarian groups, though the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have prepared resources to set up refugee camps in case a refugee crisis develops. Let's hope NATO and U.S. officials do the same -- after all, if or when that happens, civilians will need far more than pamphlets. </p></span><p><br /></p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099929726566389819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-43169157307614603082010-02-04T08:49:00.005-05:002010-02-04T09:10:50.643-05:00Winning Afghan hearts and minds -- a better strategy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzD9HbKj3ZARPA0w3do4BLAB4q4HPfIy2vlQarJdOOIm6BQjpvtffbuNMpDKsXy4MSpeu6zlzf1xOsQyxEF_vEVc4TKAs_-p9tgLpmJ7xIysw2GQ8WCAyztdBi0J5GBq1m2QZPxrqBTao/s1600-h/201024104755567621_3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzD9HbKj3ZARPA0w3do4BLAB4q4HPfIy2vlQarJdOOIm6BQjpvtffbuNMpDKsXy4MSpeu6zlzf1xOsQyxEF_vEVc4TKAs_-p9tgLpmJ7xIysw2GQ8WCAyztdBi0J5GBq1m2QZPxrqBTao/s320/201024104755567621_3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434390055044797250" border="0" /></a>After more than eight years of war in Afghanistan, many Americans -- including politicians and military leaders -- have begun to question whether military action really offers any solution.<br /><br />In this remarkably <a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2010/02/20102313495536477.html">clear-cut piece</a> today, Hekmat Karzai, director of the Center for Conflict and Peace Studies in Kabul, and US Congressman Michael Honda (D-CA), argue that the Afghan people know exactly what's needed to defeat the Taliban and rebuild the country. This includes an investment in and cooperation with local companies rather than foreign corporations, more training and payment for Afghan soldiers, an end to collaboration with extremely corrupt warlords (allowing most Afghan civilians to again trust our efforts, especially as we continue to criticize President Karzai for his corruption). <strong><em> </em></strong><strong><em></em></strong><strong><em></em></strong><strong><em></em></strong><strong><em><blockquote style="font-weight: normal;">"Afghans want better delivery of services, professional and competent appointments, and minimal bureaucracy within the government, all of which reduces corruption...The key to the main challenges facing the country is to build Afghan acceptance and ownership. When 80 per cent of all foreign aid dollars circumvents the Afghan government entirely, and when the same amount leaves the country in contractor hands not Afghan ones, locals question the motive of the US."</blockquote><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></em></strong>Of course, Afghanistan is a sovereign nation -- why do innocent Afghans have no say in America's role there? As the authors point out, we must begin listening to them.<br /><strong><em><br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /></em></strong>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099929726566389819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-28827999962982187262010-01-17T14:43:00.003-05:002010-01-17T14:47:55.501-05:00Karzai faces more rejection over nominees<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHp__G2ozCS6oWu6qx2VUVqs-0ik3SDR96d5pS6HUS_vZac_ND2qxAIGjSNNS8Xr-rhZXYzayCZskdrS_ky9G5f8GfuwLiioftXnedRH9MC742EnJLf4GqOz204v1g55dunQOWWlK7RQb/s1600-h/karzai.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHp__G2ozCS6oWu6qx2VUVqs-0ik3SDR96d5pS6HUS_vZac_ND2qxAIGjSNNS8Xr-rhZXYzayCZskdrS_ky9G5f8GfuwLiioftXnedRH9MC742EnJLf4GqOz204v1g55dunQOWWlK7RQb/s320/karzai.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427797123904827746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />President Karzai's cabinet nominees were<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=avGIBftSyuFg"> once again rejected</a> by the Afghan Parliament. Two weeks after Karzai saw 17 of his 24 nominees denied, Parliament approved seven more. This leaves Karzai's cabinet with fourteen approved appointees, but ten vacancies two months into his presidency.<br /><br />The main issue, as during the first round of nominations, is Karzai's attempt to appoint cronies of local warlords he owes favors to for their support during last year's presidential elections.rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-38368000257583022302010-01-14T12:49:00.005-05:002010-01-14T13:12:48.565-05:00Al Qaeda, Afghanistan, Yemen and a Confused American Intelligence Community<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNw1YQdg_8uCgZGNESOht8pKxdHIXFik4LMRJgQLkB-COkiG9n_ZKCaG3sW1zv35W7ZNnYFVpO01C4JMga-oD7G_H3GpNwvumX44SbfmCJDvteQZJzi5jVku4zSBYxC29wbxUAq-OQur-u/s1600-h/yemensheik.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNw1YQdg_8uCgZGNESOht8pKxdHIXFik4LMRJgQLkB-COkiG9n_ZKCaG3sW1zv35W7ZNnYFVpO01C4JMga-oD7G_H3GpNwvumX44SbfmCJDvteQZJzi5jVku4zSBYxC29wbxUAq-OQur-u/s320/yemensheik.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426654717177397890" border="0" /></a><br />Before the underwear bomber captured America's attention, there was a growing rumbling about the "next front" of the fight against terrorism, Yemen.<br /><br />Yemen is the poorest country in the Middle East, and it is run by a despotic president who lavishes himself with exorbitant mosques and palaces while his people suffer from lack of food and water. President Sellah will be our "ally" as we seek to crack down on the hundreds of local Al Qaeda operatives in Yemen, but the more important figure in the equation is Sheik Abdulmajeed Al-Zendani (pictured above). The most important religious leader in Yemen, Zendani has given the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8459282.stm">green light to target</a> CIA operatives in Yemen as a form of Jihad.<br /><br />Zendani is not so subtly cautioning against U.S military intervention in Yemen, a sentiment offered by the brilliantly titled <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8459282.stm">Minister of Religious Endowment and Islamic Guidance</a>, Hamoud al-Hitar. Al-Hitar has said said that military action by the U.S or any other government will inflame and unite the Yemenese people.<br /><br />These words of caution are being disregarded by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), who rather <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10620305">cavalierly suggested</a> that the U.S should consider airstrikes in Yemen. Levin has held reasonable positions on Iraq and Afghanistan, so his hawkishness could be a classic Washington case of "finding the good war," which is how Obama because so committed to escalating Afghanistan.<br /><br />A recent article by the excellent Tom Engelhardt reveal seismic weaknesses in our Afghanistan intelligence operations that seem likely to be repeated in Pakistan and Yemen. Whether intentionally or not, the military and intelligence community continue to insist on referring al-Qaeda as a global operation, when it is in fact a highly fragmented series of cells that largely do not communicate with each other. <br /><br />Engelhardt calls this bin Laden's "<a href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/LA12Df01.html">open-sourcing</a>-" basically any set of disgruntled young militants that subscribe to his beliefs can carry out their evil deeds "in the name of al-Qaeda." This open-sourcing renders our pursuit of "top al-Qaeda leadership" in Afghanistan and Pakistan less meaningful than we might be led to believe. Yet we still pour in thousands of troops to these mountainous wasteland, creating what Engelhardt calls a "666:1" ratio between NATO forces and known al-Qaeda fighter. <br /><br />My summary can't do Engelhardt justice, so you should reach his whole piece. The larger point, however, is that both Afghanistan and Yemen currently contain known jihadists looking to attack the United States in some capacity. In the first country, we have engaged in an exhausting, deadly and expensive 3024-day war with no end in sight. In the latter, we still have choices. Let's choose a little more carefully before we jump to military action in Yemen.rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-85782325162573904652010-01-14T12:18:00.003-05:002010-01-14T12:28:38.256-05:00Grim Numbers for Afghan Civilians in 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFlq9hjjNuiin5XJ2iDszPSlAN6A5faYN-AgMVN4ElHEQ2TkbuVwuxzETmi-KBXj7jcDDJoWxi-VLuvAlDUvSR94uv7NFrZjNmcA6PieHppxup5MG-IPGmlh39lrn5YRFqrRR4D_PFWw/s1600-h/afghanistan+children.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFlq9hjjNuiin5XJ2iDszPSlAN6A5faYN-AgMVN4ElHEQ2TkbuVwuxzETmi-KBXj7jcDDJoWxi-VLuvAlDUvSR94uv7NFrZjNmcA6PieHppxup5MG-IPGmlh39lrn5YRFqrRR4D_PFWw/s320/afghanistan+children.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426648486439177938" /></a><br />The United Nations is reporting that more civilians were killed last year than any other since the US-led invasion of 2001. According to the UN mission in Afghanistan, over 2,400 died in 2009, a 14 percent increase from 2008. These figures come in the heels of a report from the Afghanistan Rights Monitor alleging that over 1,050 people under the age of eighteen have been killed in Afghanistan, an average of at least three every day.Cristina Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841231134876578911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-46929984126881666742010-01-14T11:57:00.003-05:002010-01-14T12:08:38.698-05:00We are back to report...more of the same<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJnA34emSyWOLSLZoLfMe_Une3nnsMtjJdDVIfwC5fIOqw0aZPXNC9NuXz6oPb5HsaQYhfexMPOfhWt_cInf8smjZlj6KZw-ZUwxPSBdx1IxvGawE6K8_sjB3gFJ3ww2_VTfpPq9DNpub/s1600-h/afghanwar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 255px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJnA34emSyWOLSLZoLfMe_Une3nnsMtjJdDVIfwC5fIOqw0aZPXNC9NuXz6oPb5HsaQYhfexMPOfhWt_cInf8smjZlj6KZw-ZUwxPSBdx1IxvGawE6K8_sjB3gFJ3ww2_VTfpPq9DNpub/s320/afghanwar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426641558960563394" border="0" /></a><br />We are back after nine days, the longest lay-off at this site yet. I've been working on a lawsuit against Mayor Bloomberg, which has eaten up my time. Here are some refreshers:<br /><br />The war in Afghanistan has now lasted 3024 days.<br /><br />As of this moment, the war <a href="http://costofwar.com/">has cost</a> the United States $247, 604,000,000.<br /><br />The U.N released a report calling 2009 the <a href="http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/asia/Blast-Kills-15-Civilians-in-Southern-Afghanistan-81481002.html">bloodiest year</a> for civilians since the war began in 2001. According to the report, 2412 civilians were killed, two-thirds by anti-government forces, mainly the Taliban. The number killed by NATO forces was actually lower than the year before. General McChrystal has made the reduction in civilian deaths a priority, and he deserves credit for that.<br /><br />President Obama's $33,000,000,000 request to fund the surge has confirmed the once disputed notion that this war costs the United States approximately $1,000,000 per soldier per year. Obama's overall defense budget request will top $700,000,000, becoming the largest defense budget in history. To be fair, the defense budget grows pretty much every year, so this is a 'record' that will only last until the 2011 budget request.rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-51895781605182664102010-01-05T11:10:00.002-05:002010-01-05T11:15:46.360-05:00Karzai Nominations- UpdatePresident Karzai has ordered, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/world/asia/05karzai.html">by decree</a>, that Parliament remain open until key Cabinet positions are confirmed. Currently seventeen of the twenty-four positions remain vacant, including the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Public Health. Unfortunately, Parliament is set to begin a six week vacation (apparently they have inherited American legislators' love of vacations) and remain unlikely to confirm Karzai's second choices anyway. <br /><br />Karzai is currently trapped between placating members of Parliament, who wanted skilled technocrats to lead important ministries, and warlords that want to be rewarded for their political support in the presidential elections last August. Maybe there's some way Karzai could split the baby by appointing technocrats who fill ethnic and regional niches being asked of by warlords, but that's just me talking. The warlords may be making more hardline demands than that.<br /><br />We'll remain on this story as it develops.rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-87280301250646747302010-01-04T00:10:00.001-05:002010-01-04T00:12:04.580-05:00Karzai nominations slammed, rejected by Parliament<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSbTnq5HYBefIzXCSDglgQjPTLziSy0KJn98Y0su69UYAW5029PQwDkHtrimrp_xLIM7i1GwNgsBUj6sbADg2DnrYFjtUYMRGn43coyreWIISoY0JxzOyceq1bm1zDR3MUm1YqbJbW31v/s1600-h/karzai.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSbTnq5HYBefIzXCSDglgQjPTLziSy0KJn98Y0su69UYAW5029PQwDkHtrimrp_xLIM7i1GwNgsBUj6sbADg2DnrYFjtUYMRGn43coyreWIISoY0JxzOyceq1bm1zDR3MUm1YqbJbW31v/s400/karzai.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422747946305424418" border="0" /></a><div class="intro"><br /><p>In a truly surprising move, the Afghan Parliament <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/world/asia/03afghan.html">rejected 17 out of Karzai's 24 nominees</a> for the Cabinet. In doing so, they sent a powerful message to Karzai that his days as quasi-director may be coming to an end.</p></div><div id="extended"><p>Of the seven that were confirmed, five were incumbent ministers, and are generally supported by the United States. All passed by narrow margins, with none winning the support of two thirds of Parliament.</p> <p>So what to make of this? There's the view of MP Barakzai (Kabul): </p> <blockquote> <p> "Those who came as a representative of a group, they failed," Ms. Barakzai said. "I hope it will be a good lesson for President Karzai that when the issue of reform comes, he is not alone; the members of Parliament really want reform. It was the moderates and the technocrats who got the vote of confidence." </p> </blockquote> <p>This would be the optimistic perspective. It rests on the assumption that there are enough technocrats and MPs voting on principle that they can hold Karzai's corruption in line this term. However, the New York Times suggested that ethnic politics might have also been at play. </p> <p>Either way, watching the Parliament demonstrate such independence from Karzai is a sign that Afghanistan is embracing separation of powers. In our society, that leads to constant paralysis, and blocks most attempts at meaningful reform. In Afghanistan, hopefully it will instead lead to to the birth of political culture that embraces progress and reform, and ultimately the election of someone other than Karzai and his ilk next election, five years from now.</p> <p>While there's no question that some of his nominees were human rights abusing warlords, my impression was that their nominations were meant to win political support in hard to control areas of the country. What a mess, what a mess. Happy Saturday night all.</p> </div>rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-58106680932853706882010-01-03T17:26:00.002-05:002010-01-03T17:31:27.163-05:00Time and MoneyThe war in Afghanistan has now lasted <span style="font-weight: bold;">3011 days</span>. My previous calculation for the 3000 day mark was mistaken, as it neglected two leap years.<br /><br />After 2010 money has been appropriated, the United States will have spent $325 billion since the war began in 2001. That means the war has cost the <a href="http://rethinkafghanistan.com/blog/?p=1115">average taxpayer </a>$2,298.80. <br /><br />The 30,000 troop surge, alone, costs the United States <span style="font-weight: bold;">$57,000 per minute</span>. I will be very impressed if someone can demonstrate to me how we are getting a worthwhile return on our investment.rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-34161818447444955092010-01-02T12:31:00.002-05:002010-01-02T13:14:15.163-05:00The War Rages On Into The New Year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitirCQox3n3rjsQyuqDbBF7u21RiJfJjD3rGLRCmYkSke9VGsPwPFrVmtRs25WkyrGRXJoynBF9hASkB0R3c7Q-0DGnwF3r2vMslzQh2D5tb6_8QAFrASC2UDQJrO2dQ3cLEn7gGj72Hbz/s1600-h/afghanwar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitirCQox3n3rjsQyuqDbBF7u21RiJfJjD3rGLRCmYkSke9VGsPwPFrVmtRs25WkyrGRXJoynBF9hASkB0R3c7Q-0DGnwF3r2vMslzQh2D5tb6_8QAFrASC2UDQJrO2dQ3cLEn7gGj72Hbz/s400/afghanwar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422196900361290850" border="0" /></a><br />Afghans celebrate March 21 as the start of the new years, not January 1, but Taliban fighters probably had the western calendar in mind when they launched a series of <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iJgacmVH10TcZcaXUUwoAayYpFDA">vicious attacks</a> this weekend. The Taliban killed seven CIA operatives in an attack in eastern Afghanistan, and killed five Canadians in a roadside bombing.<br /><br />Roadside bombs will be the bane of the occupation. They are inexpensive to make, and with Afghanistan's limited road system, extremely difficult to avoid. While the Taliban's already limited ability to engage us in the battlefield will be further reduced by the surge, the surge will do nothing to reduce NATO vulnerabilities to roadside bombs. As for the CIA killing, <a href="http://rawstory.com/2009/01/attack-cia-base-inside-help/">rumors</a> are a-swirling of insider betrayal, and the killer was able to smuggle bombs past the security checkpoint without being searched.<br /><br />But fear not, that Afghan National Army will be ready to step up soon and take our place, so we don't have to be betrayed by double-crossing Afghans and blown up by roadside bombs. Except for one small problem. Buried in the news crush of New Years celebrations and Top Ten lists was an <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/12/30/820356/-BREAKING...Pentagon-Papers-oops-there-goes-the-Afghan-Plan">explosive Washington leak</a>: a 25-page report for General David Petraeus declaring that "Nepotism, corruption and absenteeism among ANA leaders makes success impossible...If Afghan leaders do not place competent leaders in charge, no amount of coalition support will suffice in the long term." The report also noted that because Afghan leaders are paid by the number of local soldiers they recruit, Afghan National Army numbers are often inflated by up to 50%.<br /><br />The surge might provide us some TV-friendly momentary victories. But President Obama, like his predecessor, cannot reconcile NATO's purpose in Afghanistan with a viable strategy for achieving it. If transferring power to Afghans in 18 months is the goal, we should acknowledge now that the transfer will be an ugly, hasty excuse to get the hell out of there, which is, of course, something I don't think we need 18 months to figure out.rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-32325565225327694742009-12-30T01:36:00.002-05:002009-12-30T01:37:39.317-05:00Gloomy Expectations for 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUh5OXLSnvrIX3kzrOwgRUqEwGwq5hfDQJUmrkc-FkApi6PC6wWmVZnk_1ccnTM24tYB4zG0nOomMYhc79ZbOIBzme6U2ye2cCJRyww00XiqEQrVKSaHk2Zcp7vAZVgO5FFPYoNx62y0/s1600-h/2010.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUh5OXLSnvrIX3kzrOwgRUqEwGwq5hfDQJUmrkc-FkApi6PC6wWmVZnk_1ccnTM24tYB4zG0nOomMYhc79ZbOIBzme6U2ye2cCJRyww00XiqEQrVKSaHk2Zcp7vAZVgO5FFPYoNx62y0/s320/2010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420914643651360546" /></a><br />In only a couple of days, the politically bruising 2009 will come to a close and we will begin another year. After being severely disappointed by our freshman president in the current year, we must now assess the year that lays ahead. Unfortunately, 2010 has already been doomed by terrible foreign policy due in large part to President Obama's erroneous choice to escalate the war in Afghanistan. <br /><br />The rise in troops in Afghanistan will surely bring more war casualties. Not only for our troops, but also for Afghanistan's already vulnerable civilian population. Considering that the number of civilians killed in Afghanistan jumped by ten percent during the first ten months of 2009, this is extremely frightening (a total to 2,038 during that period according to the U.N.). It is in this context that President Obama will have to ask Congress for close to $100 billion to carry out operations in Afghanistan. Getting these funds is sure to be a political struggle as President Obama will have to lobby congress himself for the funds, as Democratic speaker Pelosi refuses to do it. <br /><br />Given the many political entanglements President Obama has found himself caught himself up in (i.e. the heath care fiasco, the economy), the lack of "success" in Afghanistan will not bode well for neither his presidency nor for the Democratic party. He simply does not have the political capital to afford anything but "success" in Afghanistan. Sadly, in Afghanistan, a military victory is wishful thinking.Cristina Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841231134876578911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-14290464094980049222009-12-28T14:42:00.001-05:002009-12-28T14:46:36.984-05:003000 Days LaterWe have now been at war in Afghanistan for 3000 days. <br />That is all.rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-73597792480409366782009-12-28T10:51:00.005-05:002009-12-28T11:11:54.091-05:00Afghanistan War Notes: December 28, 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzneHtQZptPSWbh5fibB9RtKRcxb3IISweM9OnYAA4Nw-gvur9RZIAXSaIa7NJC5Xh8kYvkpHej55eWMKBWhhW9La3bPSk9RS_4mkkQuwVxdMKMqIfYi4BaRzmNaOcF54I-vr7SCbSCjE/s1600-h/afghancartoon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 326px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzneHtQZptPSWbh5fibB9RtKRcxb3IISweM9OnYAA4Nw-gvur9RZIAXSaIa7NJC5Xh8kYvkpHej55eWMKBWhhW9La3bPSk9RS_4mkkQuwVxdMKMqIfYi4BaRzmNaOcF54I-vr7SCbSCjE/s400/afghancartoon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420315473380531666" border="0" /></a>The American people showed off their brilliant foreign policy cred in a <a href="http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/poll-public-opposes-afghanistan-war----and-favors-sending-more-troops.php">recent CNN poll</a>. Put simply, Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan 55%-43%, but favor sending 30,000 more troops by 59%-39%. I suppose you could parse out what "opposing" a war means. Personally, when I oppose something I want it to stop. I've seen some bloggers and commenters try to twist the numbers to a logical conclusion, and there's some support for the notion that that Americans are fed up with the war, but willing to give it "one last try" with the troop surge. Since we know that the Obama administration is lying about the size and duration of the surge, it seems that the American people have been duped again.<br />.....................................................<br />Our hearts go out to Bowe Bergdahl, the 23 year old Idahoan who was <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/26/world/asia/26afghan.html?_r=2&hp">captured by the Taliban</a> six months ago. Bergdahl was captured after he fell behind the rest of his group on patrol, and on Christmas the Taliban released a video in which Bergdahl read a statement. Bergdahl is being treated well by his captors, who probably recognize the propaganda opportunity that comes with treating a prisoner of war with dignity, in contrast to what we are doing in Bagram. I know the U.S has a sometimes policy of not negotiating with terrorists, but the Taliban are not a terrorist outfit, and it seems fair to Bergdahl's family to at least consider the Taliban's offer to release him in exchange for "a few prisoners" we are currently holding.<br />..................................<br />Oh, and we are doing all kinds of <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8429843.stm">crazy shit in Yemen</a>. It was only a matter of time before the no longer called War on Terror expanded to another lawless backwater. The nation's dire poverty and authoritarian regime leads to great discontent, and easy recruiting for Al Qaeda. The U.S, for its part, has offered military aid and drones, instead of, obviously, support to improve the lives of regular people there. There is no doubt the war will continue to widen into a hard conflict, with a warmongering assist from the U.S Senate's worst person, Joe Lieberman, who yesterday called Yemen "<a href="http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/12/28/war_widens_to_yemen.html">the war of the future</a>."rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-14965538314824626962009-12-26T14:54:00.004-05:002009-12-26T16:14:59.464-05:00War Notes: December 26, 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlz_Ov9wYgzB3WpH8pU3mGtrXGclQpW9qKQYQ2buc8Yxe9e1mySb8wCrcLZHVCk3cJul56l-gN78L6OYmjzDkC-9HfQyDP86988Zav6lU17kRyw7l1jjPusN5PWB_Hq5dXd3PmWF0fss2/s1600-h/afghanwar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 255px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlz_Ov9wYgzB3WpH8pU3mGtrXGclQpW9qKQYQ2buc8Yxe9e1mySb8wCrcLZHVCk3cJul56l-gN78L6OYmjzDkC-9HfQyDP86988Zav6lU17kRyw7l1jjPusN5PWB_Hq5dXd3PmWF0fss2/s320/afghanwar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419636011331290018" border="0" /></a>I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. The war drags on, and we'll kick along with it.<br /><br />Did you know that we are approaching the 3,000th day of U.S military involvement in Afghanistan? When I was a kid I remember an explosive documentary on Vietnam called "The 10,000 Day War." If you were to begin counting the "War in Afghanistan" as beginning with the 1979 Soviet invasion, the war has now lasted 11,000 days. Oh well, at the end of the day, these are all numbers. Hopefully someone will throw together some poignant analysis to commemorate the 3,000th day on Thursday.<br />......................................................<br />Here's another statistic for you: zero. That's the number of floor debates about the war in Afghanistan since the invasion was authorized in 2001. That bothers Representative Eric Massa (D-NY). Massa is a rock solid progressive, and though he has called on the House of Representatives to hold <a href="http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story/Afghanistan-War-Anniversary/grkz3Lw41UaJYs6BOEdw_w.cspx">public deliberations</a> on the conduct and future of the conflict it's unclear if he's got the statute among the leadership to get any meaningful action going.<br />...................................................<br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">New York Times </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/26/opinion/26sat1.html?_r=1&hp">is displeased</a> with El Presidente:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Mr. Karzai still does not seem to understand that substantial and urgent change is needed- in policies and personnel- to fix a government that has lost credibility and is barely hanging on in the face of an increasingly powerful Taliban insurgency.</span><br />Karzai's new cabinet, unrolled to some fanfare, actually does little to address corruption and competency issues that have plagued the government since its early days. Most notably, Karzai excluded Abdullah Abdullah and his close allies, while returning 12 out of 24 members to the cabinet, and appointing several warlords with highly questionable human rights backgrounds. As far as I can tell, it's par for the course.rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-4976992340562211682009-12-25T12:05:00.005-05:002009-12-25T13:57:52.575-05:00A Dangerous U.S. Dependency on Shady Afghan Private Contractors<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RXr5zkOnpm8ZLulHer3yXwlcedKVXAhXJzU0gU0o9fdWERqrgzMfm_0xh-thzxqgyrxlJ_cf0IyzvLAPTmSodqDnaYaLo9vvYvrgKw68ZZ8afjGpexYkmcJkc1LLn7m9CInyIxPcEWY/s1600-h/private+contractors.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RXr5zkOnpm8ZLulHer3yXwlcedKVXAhXJzU0gU0o9fdWERqrgzMfm_0xh-thzxqgyrxlJ_cf0IyzvLAPTmSodqDnaYaLo9vvYvrgKw68ZZ8afjGpexYkmcJkc1LLn7m9CInyIxPcEWY/s320/private+contractors.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419232258274325938" /></a><br />With the escalation of troops in Afghanistan, a surge of Afghan private troops is sure to follow. According to the Defense Department, the current number of contractors in Afghanistan (most of whom are Afghans) stands at 104,100. In December, a report by the Congressional Research Service projects that the overall number of contractors in Afghanistan could swell to 160,000. These contractors will be hired to work at U.S. bases, guard U.S. installations, and participate in expanded U.S. training programs. <br /><br />Unfortunately, according a <a href="http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/11/army_convoy_security_112909w/">report</a> released in the Army Times, these private security guards are "trigger-happy" and are "killing civilians and undercutting counterinsurgency efforts." According to a U.S. officer in the area, Capt. Casey Thoreen, the heavily armed guards are like "gun-toting mercenaries with probably not a whole lot of training" and are "light on the trigger-finger." The Afghan district chief has said that most of them are "heroin addicts armed with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles". <br /><br />Citing the district's senior Afghan intelligence representative, the Army Times reports that on one particular road, Highway 1 in Afghanistan, where vehicles ferry supplies to coalition bases, "more than 30 civilians have been wounded or killed in the past four years by the private guards tasked with protecting the convoys." <br /><br />Since locals associate these contractors with the coalition, their reckless behavior is not only morally unacceptable, but it is also contributing to the occupying forces' staggering unpopularity in the region. Ultimately, these are the factors that are lining this war up to amount to a military disaster.Cristina Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841231134876578911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-72745595684210045802009-12-22T11:37:00.003-05:002009-12-22T12:01:06.730-05:00Pondering Balochistan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrb2AnDyB2sLcW2QfIA6UqTuBne8Dx8h_fGD02arUYrwJPG0Q9SNoIn1iTcDjJRg0i0GsewCCHhIQSjjdS0CLuMBOxvyzFhmDOnUtNXOksNXjWe_gu9_cjKDhyphenhyphenrrbxEg-JsNWr0KfFcsU/s1600-h/physical-map-balochistan.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrb2AnDyB2sLcW2QfIA6UqTuBne8Dx8h_fGD02arUYrwJPG0Q9SNoIn1iTcDjJRg0i0GsewCCHhIQSjjdS0CLuMBOxvyzFhmDOnUtNXOksNXjWe_gu9_cjKDhyphenhyphenrrbxEg-JsNWr0KfFcsU/s320/physical-map-balochistan.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418100644928779058" border="0" /></a><br />What was once the mission to drive Al Qaeda from their sanctuary and kill their leaders has officially devolved into a question of whether we should invade Pakistan to kill the leaders of our puppet government's opponents in Afghanistan.<br /><br />Every now and then you'll hear the mainstream media mention Balochistan, or its key city, Quetta, but this is no side front. What happens there over the next one to two years will determine the success of our military mission in Afghanistan, as well as the future of our relationship with Pakistan (or our relationship with the current Pakistani government). <br /><br />Baluchistan has become the home of the Afghan Taliban, with much of their leadership permanently based in, or known to pass through Quetta. As the map on the left demonstrates, Baluchistan is pretty huge- in fact, its Pakistan's <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/21/us-taliban-balochistan-strategy-pakistan">largest and poorest province</a>. Quetta is pretty deep on the Pakistani side of the border, meaning any incursion into the Taliban's base would be a pretty large breach of national sovereignty, unless, of course, Pakistan allowed it. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/21/us-taliban-balochistan-strategy-pakistan">And they won't</a>:<br /><p style="font-style: italic;">"We can't fight everyone, everywhere. We need to be pragmatic. And we will not be dictated to," said a senior official with Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), speaking on condition of anonymity. The official admitted that insurgents "do come and go" in Balochistan, but insisted the ISI was already cooperating with the CIA in the province, citing 60 joint raids over the past year.</p><p style="font-style: italic;">Drone strikes in densely populated Quetta would be "disastrous", he said, both in terms of civilian casualties and anti-American hostility. "I think this is just pressure tactics, the Americans aren't stupid enough to [extend drone strikes]. But if their objective is to destabilise Pakistan, that would be a good way to do it."</p>The U.S would disagree with the assertion that Pakistan is doing everything that they can. The reality is that the U.S will not be around forever, and Pakistan would rather not trigger an endless battle with the Afghan Taliban when it could just as well become a strategic party with them down the road. Witness the difference in policy in northeastern Waziristan, "the tribal area." There the U.S and Pakistan have been launching an intense drone and ground attack against Afghan Taliban. The reason for Pakistan's enthused participation that Waziristan is the base of the "Pakistani Taliban," who have been suicide bombing Pakistani cities and truly terrorizing the region.<br /><br />It is simply not in Pakistan's interest to help us properly take out the Afghan Taliban leadership in Quetta. I do not believe that national sovereignty issues would morally prevent us from taking the fight into Balochistan (though legally I'm more conflicted). If an enemy of the United States is attacking us from Pakistan, and Pakistan won't do anything about it, we have a right to act. However, in this case, it is not American interests that are at stake, but the Karzai government's. That is quite different. The Afghan Taliban will not "follow us home." That we are thinking of creating a regional and international uproar by sending troops into Pakistan goes to show how pointless and ill-fated our battle against the Taliban is.rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-537724602509861442009-12-20T22:37:00.000-05:002009-12-21T10:02:48.987-05:00Blackwater's Role in Obama's War<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5OSj9a4wpD11PI0yYm61K8N2Nz-fCMfGtvW2WRczUEm14hCORd2fbZx1RQsN0VxzTfZfvMF9a0F_Rz695_lttJsW_Rjn4Cn99_5jKbqJ429L6zSDpvnjZD0QjklKOjucok8xBAnrInU/s1600-h/blackwater.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 111px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5OSj9a4wpD11PI0yYm61K8N2Nz-fCMfGtvW2WRczUEm14hCORd2fbZx1RQsN0VxzTfZfvMF9a0F_Rz695_lttJsW_Rjn4Cn99_5jKbqJ429L6zSDpvnjZD0QjklKOjucok8xBAnrInU/s320/blackwater.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417699265493774306" border="0" /></a>
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Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16;" >In November, The Nation magazine broke out an explosive and frightening <a href="http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091207/scahill" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;">report</span></a> detailing Blackwater's previously unknown (and denied) role in Pakistan. The New York Times has now released an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/us/politics/11blackwater.html" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;">article</span></a> reporting on the notoriously evil security company's role in Iraq and Afghanistan, thus further exposing the real character of the so-called "just war" that is now being escalated by President Obama.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">
<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16;" >According to The Times, the parameter of Blackwater's role was meant to be limited to providing "security during raids, leaving it up to CIA officers and Special Operations military personal to capture or kill suspected insurgents". However, the firm's role was more extensive than publicly admitted with its agents participating "in some of the CIA's most sensitive activities — clandestine raids with agency officers against people suspected of being insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan and the transporting of detainees." Many of these operations involved the killing of individuals suspected of participating in resistance to U.S. occupation and "occurred on an almost nightly basis during the height of the Iraqi insurgency from 2004 to 2006, with Blackwater employees playing central roles," the Times reports.
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<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16;" >Responding to the recent negative press, a spokesman for Blackwater insisted that there was never any contract for the firm to participate in raids with CIA or Special Forces troops "in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else". This disingenuous comment circumvents an ugly truth: this lack of "contract" is precisely what allows the so-called security firm to act without accountability. The lack of a defined role allows it to act without regard to any government oversight or to civil and military law.
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<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16;" >It's clear that the use of these mercenaries has become out of control. Yes, Blackwater is particularly evil. We know its horrific history in Iraq (well, we know some of it). Remember the September 2007 event when Blackawater operatives opened fire on unarmed civilians, killing 17 Iraqis? But aside from its shady character, there is no reason why a private contractor firm should be doing the CIA's or the military's job. No reason other than the convenience of having some third party do the dirty job without having to take the responsibility. Obama has pledged transparency in Afghanistan. If we’re pointing fingers at the corrupt Karzai administration, we need to get our act straight ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></p> Cristina Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841231134876578911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-87464132223105253332009-12-19T15:31:00.001-05:002009-12-19T16:25:05.799-05:00The Impossible Balancing Act<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmX0FqG7cuAl3TTRbGs1X7c5lgViNv7WQaCBP7D-aHVmLq86DiRSjkc-nYT8R4VwAZz9LnQQ_f68XeoCVBnnCL9Bs1Tt_CNDcsTZ6WNELrbWVxthN9bdS73IZSBCBN9PwdA3jNUyGc7d__/s1600-h/woundedsoldier.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmX0FqG7cuAl3TTRbGs1X7c5lgViNv7WQaCBP7D-aHVmLq86DiRSjkc-nYT8R4VwAZz9LnQQ_f68XeoCVBnnCL9Bs1Tt_CNDcsTZ6WNELrbWVxthN9bdS73IZSBCBN9PwdA3jNUyGc7d__/s320/woundedsoldier.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417048002141005666" border="0" /></a>Remember when everyone wondered, "How can we reconcile Obama's promise to stay until we get the job done with his pledge not to make an open-ended commitment?" Funny, how sometimes the seemingly pesky little questions are actually the important ones.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Analysis/2009/12/18/Outside-View-Jockeying-for-influence-in-post-US-Afghanistan/UPI-38431261153625/">Colonel Lawrence Sellin</a> (a P.H.D, no less) painted a grim portrait of war's future by explaining Pakistan's reluctance to cooperate. Sellin notes that Pakistan is very much taking into consideration our eventual departure, calculating that it is not worth antagonizing the Afghan Taliban or tribal leaders operating on the border. Unless a group is explicitly targeting the Pakistani government, like the Pakistani Taliban, Islamabad sees no value in creating new enemies that it will have to confront down the road without our troops and money. <br /><br />Republicans would take the previous point as a mean to bash the president for suggesting a withdrawal there. "Afghanistan: today, tomorrow and forever!" is their battle cry. Incidentally, that is the reason the parallel between Obama and LBJ will not end with him being driven from office as a one-term president because of the war. American support for the war is incredibly strained, but since the Republicans are only offering war, harder and longer, they will not be able to use the issue effectively against Obama. At least Nixon had a "secret plan" to end the war.<br /><br />In a <a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Analysis/2009/12/19/Outside-View-Surely-youre-joking-Admiral-Mullen/UPI-28071261238735/">follow-up article</a> for <span style="font-style: italic;">UPI</span>, Sellin advocates for a bottom up approach to conducting the war that puts allied tribal elders in the lead, with the U.S military serving more of a supporting role. This makes sense: while the Taliban will rally locals against the occupation as long as we are in Afghanistan, their argument will carry less weight if Afghans lead the fight against them. Part of this strategy involves training soldiers locally in their tribal areas, rather than sending them to Kabul. Given the <a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2009/12/19/Pakistani-militants-relocate-to-heartland/UPI-31431261244360/">wack-a-mole</a> nature of the insurgency, it would be wise to heed Sellin's advice by strengthening local tribal leaders that we can work with in the long run, who can hopefully be weened off our support in the near-mid future.rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-88178081922860995562009-12-17T12:10:00.000-05:002009-12-17T13:02:11.440-05:00With Friends Like These<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsEHc5kiWcALk64-3bodPUp1-DCaLhH9U0vtQg6EZwujQxQwgz873pkEcpWmC_WJnEl_ihWdB00r6S5tdYe4r99jnIMY6k0kgeYwgzJFG8rWamIuBcMxlxmoryZw3aP9H4sHwfbJUMr93/s1600-h/president-asif-ali-zardari.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsEHc5kiWcALk64-3bodPUp1-DCaLhH9U0vtQg6EZwujQxQwgz873pkEcpWmC_WJnEl_ihWdB00r6S5tdYe4r99jnIMY6k0kgeYwgzJFG8rWamIuBcMxlxmoryZw3aP9H4sHwfbJUMr93/s320/president-asif-ali-zardari.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416260723497731058" border="0" /></a><br />Everyone agrees that NATO's pursuit of Al Qaeda and Taliban leadership will only be as successful as the cooperation the allied forces receive from Pakistan. However, the New York Times reports that Pakistani military and intelligence agencies have launched <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/world/asia/17visa.html?_r=2&hp">a campaign to harass</a> American diplomats and operatives:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The problems affected military attachés, C.I.A. officers, development experts, junior level diplomats and others, a senior American diplomat said. As a result, some American aid programs to Pakistan, which President Obama has called a critical ally, are “grinding to a halt,” the diplomat said. American helicopters used by Pakistan to fight militants can no longer be serviced because visas for 14 American mechanics have not been approved, the diplomat said. </span><br /><br />There are a number of reasons for Pakistani resentment cited in the article, including local opposition to the expansion of the American embassy and the presence of Blackwater operating in the AfghPak frontier on the Pakistani side of the border. It could also have something to do with American drone attacks, which are reportedly on the rise, and <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-us-pakistan14-2009dec14,0,3724162.story?page=2">destined to encroach further</a> into Pakistani territory. Americans want to target Taliban leadership in Quetta, which is not on the border, and have expressed frustration that Pakistani forces will not pursue the Afghan Taliban there, implying that drone attacks may be necessary.<br /><br />Pakistan will continue to serve as an unwieldy ally in this war, especially now that President Zardari is in danger of being impeached on <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=alA0nMVnKUY0">corruption charges</a>. Zardari is another one of those inadequate leaders we are doomed to support, as his opposition is full of extremist militants. Lest anyone forget, Pakistan is the nation we hope Afghanistan can become in 20-30 years...rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5451607571024988091.post-57875350943419165132009-12-16T23:01:00.000-05:002009-12-16T23:18:41.662-05:00A Proud Day For Brooklyn<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qLjpZZyVzE60adq2IpX7apcFs2_vr6mrxB4PiSEbuoTQi2dJ9-wc9aqVYuoCJR8DeAslV6qIKxOQlUy01kOsAjQloDDykzLwyCKITODoPJbjkPH1kRqef_0kO63MHEIuWaXmhnVN85Hd/s1600-h/brooklyn_fugheddaboudit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 319px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qLjpZZyVzE60adq2IpX7apcFs2_vr6mrxB4PiSEbuoTQi2dJ9-wc9aqVYuoCJR8DeAslV6qIKxOQlUy01kOsAjQloDDykzLwyCKITODoPJbjkPH1kRqef_0kO63MHEIuWaXmhnVN85Hd/s320/brooklyn_fugheddaboudit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416050477549654914" border="0" /></a><br />Today the House of Representatives held a perfunctory final vote on the 2010 Defense Budget. However, 24 Congresspersons voted against the bill due to the $130 billion it allocated for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. <br /><br />During the 1970s, progressive leaders like Senator Frank Church (D-Idaho, yes, Idaho) helped bring the Vietnam war and its illegal spawn wars to an end by choking Congressional funding for the wars. <br /><br />It is unlikely that Congress would ever vote down a complete defense bill such as the one voted on today, but those who voted against it loudly demonstrated their dissent. Reps need constant affirming when they are swimming against the tide, particularly against a president from their own party.<br /><br />What I am proud to say is that four of the twenty four votes came from Brooklyn representatives (there are six reps who cover different parts of the borough). Those votes were from Representatives Nydia Velazquez (North Brooklyn and Queens), Ed Towns (North and East Brooklyn), Jerry Nadler (South Brooklyn and Manhattan) and Yvette Clark (Central Brooklyn).<br /><br />Part of the reason for their vote can be attributed to Brooklyn for Peace, which lobbied these reps heavily, and generally keeps its reps very informed of its anti-war activities. Another reason is that each of these Congresspersons represents some hard hit neighborhoods that need financial help from the government that is going to wars overseas. Finally, their votes are a testament to the strong progressive roots in Brooklyn as a whole, beyond just the anti-war movement. Though our state politics are a mess, we New Yorkers demand that our federal officials properly represent our views in Congress. If you don't, we'll primary you. <br /><br />Anyways, this is a moment of congratulations. Thank you to Congresswoman Velazquez, Congressman Towns, Congressman Nadler and Congresswoman Clark for your support in ending these wars.rovingstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14244074608053546932noreply@blogger.com0