Trump OKs sending 4,000 more troops to Afghanistan - Fox News

[carbine1125]

1 hour ago, craigt3365 said:

You seem to have forgotten what started all this. Going through another terrorist attack like the WTC is unacceptable. Time to get tough on nations that support terrorists. Pakistan being one.

 

The troops know exactly what they are fighting for. Preventing a safe harbor for terrorists. Sadly, the current tactics don't seem to be working.

Sadly soldiers go where they are ordered to by the old men at the top. I don't think they do know what they are fighting for. You might say they are protecting their country. If that was true then they would be in Saudi where most of the worlds terrorism was and is financed from, including the WTC attack. Who selects and installs the radical clerics in Mosques financed by the Saudi government?  Get your young men out, get them home and secure your borders. Let the ragheads and Jews sort their own problems out.

[oldhippy]

2 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Right. Invading other countries mean they are clever? And having international sanctions that's crippling their economy? Far from clever.

I think that you might be confusing Poetin with Russia....

 

Poetin loves power and money. He invaded Ukraine and got away with it. Clever!

The Russian population suffers under the sanctions, but do you think Poetin cares? Probably he likes  having foreign enemies to distract the Russian people from his poor leadership.

 

That is - if he ever thinks at all. Good chance that he is just power crazy, he would not be the only world leader with that disease.

 

 

 

 

[Thaidream]

It's time for America to get out of the Middle East and stop spending untold Billions on Afghanistan; Pakistan; Israel and Egypt.  How can the US continue this folly while Americans go without universal healthcare; while American students go into debt for 20 years trying to payback University loans; and senior citizens receive no adjustment in their retirement.

 

The wealthy Arab Nations need to do all the fighting in the MIddle East and pay for it instead of using the American military as their mercenaries.The Russians can have Syria and die for it.  .

[craigt3365]

3 hours ago, simple1 said:

It is usually forgotten that at the time the people of Afghanistan generally despised the "Arab fighters". US had the opportunity and capability to wipe out the primary target in Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, but didn't do so due to some errors of judgement, mainly  by Rumsfeld. After Al Qaeda & Taliban senior leadership crossed over to Pakistan. matters in Afghanistan were successfully being stabilised. As you know the US switched focus to Iraq and all went downhill.  

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe the the Afghan Taliban have attacked Western interests outside of their home country. Thankfully Khorasan Daesh and Afghan Taliban view each other as enemies. It has been claimed Daesh are attracting fighters because they pay more than the Taliban.

 

It's been said for a number of years by military leadership, Afghanistan requires a political solution which to date does not seem to be a Trump strength. In addition, IMO, for Trump to state during his announcement concerning Afghanistan that he wants to build a stronger relationship with India wasn't the smartest approach - it's just so transparent, no sublimity.

A mess for sure. Bin Laden was offered by Afghanistan to be sent to a third party country. The US turned it down. Big mistake  IMHO. Then again, we were reeling from the WTC attack.

[dcpo]

So now the only thing separating Trump from mainstream tax-cuts-for-the-rich Republicanism is his patronage of white supremacists? And massive incompetence too I guess. 

[craigt3365]

2 hours ago, blazes said:

Well, now we know for certain what we already knew: the military/industrial complex is calling all the shots.

 

 

Only true if you subscribe to conspiracy theories.

[blazes]

3 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Only true if you subscribe to conspiracy theories.

Oh dear, we have to deal once more with your denial of Eisenhower's perceptive comment about who was really in charge in Washington.  

Ike was many things, but a conspiracy theorist?  I don't think he quite had the mental capacity to think that far.....

[craigt3365]

7 minutes ago, blazes said:

Oh dear, we have to deal once more with your denial of Eisenhower's perceptive comment about who was really in charge in Washington.  

Ike was many things, but a conspiracy theorist?  I don't think he quite had the mental capacity to think that far.....

A quote from over 50 years ago that's plastered all over conspiracy websites? I gave you a link showing it wasn't true. But still loved by conspiracy theorists.  LOL

[Jdiddy]

16 years and the US is so useless they cant deal with a bunch of hillbillies with AKs and not to mention the opium trade that has skyrocketed since 2001

 

Of course anyone with a working brain stem can figure out pretty easily whats going on

 

[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Right. Invading other countries mean they are clever? And having international sanctions that's crippling their economy? Far from clever.

" Right. Invading other countries mean they are clever? "    

 

Are you for real or just an American who agree's with what your country is doing. 

[DoneTravelling]

14 minutes ago, Jdiddy said:

16 years and the US is so useless they cant deal with a bunch of hillbillies with AKs and not to mention the opium trade that has skyrocketed since 2001

 

Of course anyone with a working brain stem can figure out pretty easily whats going on

 

Hillbillies with AK47, and just how do you have such detailed knowledge of Afghanistan, how long have you spent in the country?

[oldhippy]

I just read that there are 8.000 US soldiers in Afganistan. Trump will send another 4.000 - that is an increase with 50%???

Is this correct? 50% increase by the man who promised a withdrawl during his election campagne?

[DoneTravelling]

7 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

I just read that there are 8.000 US soldiers in Afganistan. Trump will send another 4.000 - that is an increase with 50%???

Is this correct? 50% increase by the man who promised a withdrawl during his election campagne?

Bush declared the war in Iraq was over with his Mission Accomplished speech 2003.

Obama declared end of combat in Afghanistan 28 Dec 2014.

March 2016 Trump stated we have to stay in Afghanistan until the country was stable.

 

There is no way the west can leave Afghanistan after the mess it has created there

 

 

[craigt3365]

34 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

" Right. Invading other countries mean they are clever? "    

 

Are you for real or just an American who agree's with what your country is doing. 

You didn't answer my question.

 

And no, I don't always agree with what the US does.

[Kwasaki]

3 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

You didn't answer my question.

What was it Russia wasn't needed in WWII. 

[simple1]

7 minutes ago, DoneTravelling said:

Bush declared the war in Iraq was over with his Mission Accomplished speech 2003.

Obama declared end of combat in Afghanistan 28 Dec 2014.

March 2016 Trump stated we have to stay in Afghanistan until the country was stable.

 

There is no way the west can leave Afghanistan after the mess it has created there

 

 

What Trump said in 03/2016 was...

 

"I think you have to stay in Afghanistan for awhile, because of the fact that you're right next to Pakistan, which has nuclear weapons, and we have to protect that. Nuclear weapons change the game," he told moderator Megyn Kelly.

[iReason]

Trump’s ‘America First’ Base Unhappy with Flip-Flop Afghanistan Speech

 

"President Trump’s “America First” base was the biggest loser of Trump’s speech on Afghanistan Monday night, and many quickly expressed their disappointment at the business-as-usual address from the president who had once promised to limit American intervention abroad and focus on nation-building at home."

 

"Using many of the same vague promises that previous presidents had used, including a repeat of Obama’s promise not to give a “blank check” to Afghanistan and a pledge to finally get tough on Pakistan, it was a far cry from the “America First” foreign policy he laid out in the months before election day."

 

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/08/21/trumps-america-first-base-unhappy-with-flip-flop-afghanistan-speech/

 

[lometogo]

If his daily blunders weren't so damaging to the world, this clown would be the best show on TV.

[StraightTalk]

3 hours ago, Thaidream said:

It's time for America to get out of the Middle East and stop spending untold Billions on Afghanistan; Pakistan; Israel and Egypt.  How can the US continue this folly while Americans go without universal healthcare; while American students go into debt for 20 years trying to payback University loans; and senior citizens receive no adjustment in their retirement.

 

The wealthy Arab Nations need to do all the fighting in the MIddle East and pay for it instead of using the American military as their mercenaries.The Russians can have Syria and die for it.  .

There is no reason for any Arab nations to fight each other; The Americans are there on their own volition in the name of 'democracy'. And they will continue until the balance of world power is restored.

[craigt3365]

13 minutes ago, SouthernDelight said:

There is no reason for any Arab nations to fight each other; The Americans are there on their own volition in the name of 'democracy'. And they will continue until the balance of world power is restored.

You need to research the issues in the middle East a bit more. LOL it's got nothing to do with America's balance of world power. They are already the only super power. LOL

 

Please research the issues between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Please.

[dunroaming]

Just more of the Trump lunacy.  Another distraction.  The real question is whether Trump will resign before he is impeached?  By doing so it will prevent him being dragged through the mud and he can claim that everything against him was fake news!

 

This exercise in increasing troops in Afghanistan just shows how off the ball the POTUS is with reality.

[StraightTalk]

17 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

You need to research the issues in the middle East a bit more. LOL it's got nothing to do with America's balance of world power. They are already the only super power. LOL

 

Please research the issues between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Please.

Regrettably, you misinterpreted my post in its entirety - oh well.

[Srikcir]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

President Donald Trump opened the door on Monday night to an increase in U.S. troops in Afghanistan as part of a retooled strategy for the region

That "strategy" was purely a  military strategy developed with the generals.

But what is the political strategy? It doesn't appear that Secretary of State responsible for diplomacy was involved in the new Afghanistan strategy.

 

Defeating terrorists (apart from the Taliban there are about four other groups in Afghanistan) is a great goal. But the Afghan government is very corrupt, nation very divided by Afghan tribes led by warlords, lacks sufficient wealth to develop vital infrastructure to secure economic security and professional security forces.

How will the US deal with Pakistan and other countries support for terrorist groups in Afghanistan? How will the US get Pakistan's nemesis India to support Afghan's security? 

 

Without a political strategy, Trump's military strategy will simply further waste US resources and lives.

[Silurian]

Afghanistan will be the albatross around Donny John's neck.  There is absolutely no good solution to this difficult war. Afghanistan is just a mess of at least 9 tribes that try to co-exist as one country. In fact, a number of middle-east countries are in the same boat with multiple tribes being forced to act as one country. It tends to take a hard nosed leader (or strict religious leaders) to force peace in the region but such leaders go against the USA ideals of democracy. 

 

Now with Russia funding the Taliban in Afghanistan, we have the opposite war of the 1980's where the US was funding the resistance against the Russian invasion. The proxy war with Russia continues.

 

I keep hearing that the US military doesn't want to pull troops out of Afghanistan since it might cause a repeat of a similar rise of the Taliban or the such (as it was with ISIS in Iraq when the USA pulled out all the troops). I am not too sure of this as China has a bigger stake in Afghanistan than they ever had in Iraq. I tend to believe that if the USA pulls out of Afghanistan that China will fill the void in order to keep the mineral wealth flowing. If not, I would think tribal warfare would cause much in-fighting until the country stabilizes itself or at least keeps them occupied with internal strife. But I guess more American lives will be lost in this never ending war as it doesn't seem to be "winnable". 

[craigt3365]

37 minutes ago, SouthernDelight said:

Regrettably, you misinterpreted my post in its entirety - oh well.

That's a good possibility! It's happened before. If so, I sincerely apologize!

[Kwasaki]

58 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

You need to research the issues in the middle East a bit more. LOL it's got nothing to do with America's balance of world power. They are already the only super power. LOL

Oh for fling sake stop defending the US Governments total disasters since the 2nd world war. 

[craigt3365]

17 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Oh for fling sake stop defending the US Governments total disasters since the 2nd world war. 

Never said the US was perfect. They've made some big mistakes. Afghanistan is turning out to be one of them.

 

I worked in the World Trade Center. Had a meeting across the street at 10am. Delayed by an hour due to an associate coming in late from Boston. It's an event that changed my life.

 

I was one of the first back to ground zero when the area was reopened. Had to work. No sympathy for terrorists or those who support them.

[Mansell]

It seems President Flip Flop has done it again. The Brits couldn't tame the country, nor the Russians, now we are trying again....does nobody read history? Why doesn't anybody in the US and British military know a losing situation when they see it?

It took long enough in Vietnam to face the fact it was a losing situation....all they had to do was look at the French and how they were defeated.

[dunroaming]

4 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

I was one of the first back to ground zero when the area was reopened. Had to work. No sympathy for terrorists or those who support them.

Terrorism is a cancer that is invading the whole world.  It is not like traditional warfare and will not be wiped out completely, ever!  It must be tackled by different means than soldiers on the ground because the terrorists live amongst ordinary people.  It is a secretive type of warfare with no uniforms to identify the enemy within.

 

The Taliban is different and so was Isis in Syria because there they are/were identifiable factions.  However it is still very different to attacking an enemy country and by using traditional warfare many innocent people get killed. 

[maximillian]

2 hours ago, SouthernDelight said:

There is no reason for any Arab nations to fight each other; The Americans are there on their own volition in the name of 'democracy'. And they will continue until the balance of world power is restored.

Balance of power restored ?  Wake up man, it's all about geostrategic interest, oil, gas or other resources.