In a recent article by Tom Engelhardt on truthout.org Mr. Engelhardt makes the case for immediate and hasty withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan. He puts forth comparisons to the Vietnam war, among others, stating that Vietnam is now a prosperous country and all the doomsday scenarios flying around before the withdraw from that country never played out. He feels that we could get away with the same thing here.
And unfortunately, as much as I would like to agree with him and as much as I want our troops to come home safely and as quick as possible. I just don't think it's as viable as he thinks. The Taliban are a much different enemy than the Vietcong were. The Taliban have connections in high places with some of our worst enemies. If the worst possible scenario played itself out and the Taliban took over Afghanistan after our withdraw from the country, it would not be good news for us. We stand a chance here to make a strong political ally for ourselves in the middle east. As long as that is still in the realm of possibility, and it is, it is in our best interest to stay.
Plus, as Mr. Engelhardt pointed out, a withdraw of our troops would not mean zero troop presence in the middle east. We will always have troops there, just like we still have troops stationed in Germany, Japan, Korea, even Vietnam. So if we're going to have troops there anyways, why not keep enough there to really get the job done? It seems to me that Mr. Engelhardt thinks we shouldn't have troops in any of the above listed countries. If he had it his way it'd be nothing but embassies and diplomacy. Which is all well and good, but when diplomacy fails, I think we'd all feel a lot better knowing that we have troops on the ground, ready to protect us and all of our liberties.
In the end, I think what Mr. Engelhardt is asking for is wonderful and would absolutely work, in a perfect world. Unfortunately, we don't live in that world. And in our world, in reality, we have a real chance here to make something of Afghanistan. Withdraw would only plunge the country into darkness, dooming it to be taken over by the Taliban, a group that hates us and would likely seek vengeance for the years of war we waged in their country. We have to leave that country with a government in place that likes us and is committed to being our ally. Even though the task is hard, it does not excuse us from trying.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Senate Wants Changes to Afghan Police Training Program
The State and Defense department recently tried to explain to a Senate subcommittee how they managed to spend six billion dollars since 2002 trying to train an Afghan Police force that is currently at less than %15 operating capacity. According to Gordon S. Haddell, the inspector general of the Department of Defense: "Everything that could go wrong here, has gone wrong." The program has faced numerous problems, ranging from corruption, to a lack of recruitment and retention to a lack of training time.
The Defense and State department agree that they need clearer guidelines for the military contractors doing the training. I for one, think we should just oust those guys and have our military do the training. It may not be as cost effective but it would damn sure get the job done a lot better than these guys. The other key issue is the way-to-short training time: 6 weeks. That is not nearly enough time to train these recruits, who are as green as can be, to protect their country. Clearly this is not something that can be accomplished in a matter of weeks or months. Real dedicated time needs to be spent in this area.
Clearly this is not an issue that will be cleaned up over night. We are going to have to spend several more years and possibly billions of more dollars to get these men properly trained. I think Senator Claire McCaskill was correct when she stated "It's obvious that Afghanistan is not going to be able to afford what we're building for them, [US Tax payers] have made a billion dollar commitment for years to come."
The Defense and State department agree that they need clearer guidelines for the military contractors doing the training. I for one, think we should just oust those guys and have our military do the training. It may not be as cost effective but it would damn sure get the job done a lot better than these guys. The other key issue is the way-to-short training time: 6 weeks. That is not nearly enough time to train these recruits, who are as green as can be, to protect their country. Clearly this is not something that can be accomplished in a matter of weeks or months. Real dedicated time needs to be spent in this area.
Clearly this is not an issue that will be cleaned up over night. We are going to have to spend several more years and possibly billions of more dollars to get these men properly trained. I think Senator Claire McCaskill was correct when she stated "It's obvious that Afghanistan is not going to be able to afford what we're building for them, [US Tax payers] have made a billion dollar commitment for years to come."
Veteran Unemployment at 21.6 Percent
In a poll of 60,000 households, unemployment among male Gulf War Era-II (Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan veterans) veterans aged between 18 and 24 was at 21.6%. The survey says that these young males were having a hard time adjusting to life at home, specifically when it comes to finding gainful employment. Unemployment among non-veteran men in the same age range was only 19.1%.
Since 2001, there have been 1.9 million veterans who are now in that Gulf War Era-II group. Many of them suffer from mental problems such as PTSD, traumatic brain injury and substance abuse. These issues are understandably huge roadblocks to finding good work. It's not all bad news though, according to John Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the nations oldest outplacement consulting organization, the young men who serve often display fantastic leadership qualities, something employers are looking for. In addition, these soldiers tend to be very mature individuals, as being in the war zone can age you. So in the end, these young veterans are mature, with good people skills and are very goal oriented. Sounds like an employers dream, so why are these young men having such trouble finding employment?
The key is matching a soldiers talents to the job. If a soldier has great social skills, put him in retail or customer service. A math wiz should obviously seek a job that is technology oriented. There are nine regional Veterans Employment Coordinators located throughout the country that help veterans find the work that would suit them best. However, it is obvious with unemployment rates as high as they are, that we could use some extra assistance in this area.
Since 2001, there have been 1.9 million veterans who are now in that Gulf War Era-II group. Many of them suffer from mental problems such as PTSD, traumatic brain injury and substance abuse. These issues are understandably huge roadblocks to finding good work. It's not all bad news though, according to John Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the nations oldest outplacement consulting organization, the young men who serve often display fantastic leadership qualities, something employers are looking for. In addition, these soldiers tend to be very mature individuals, as being in the war zone can age you. So in the end, these young veterans are mature, with good people skills and are very goal oriented. Sounds like an employers dream, so why are these young men having such trouble finding employment?
The key is matching a soldiers talents to the job. If a soldier has great social skills, put him in retail or customer service. A math wiz should obviously seek a job that is technology oriented. There are nine regional Veterans Employment Coordinators located throughout the country that help veterans find the work that would suit them best. However, it is obvious with unemployment rates as high as they are, that we could use some extra assistance in this area.
In Other News... War Tears Families Apart.
Despite my cheeky title, this is going to be a serious entry. I read an interesting article on the Washington Post website today. It seems it is not uncommon for families to be split right down the middle, with some supporting the Taliban and Insurgency while the others support the war and the local government.
The article tells the story of Yar Dad Khan, a tribal leader in Mohmand who is strictly Pro-Government and his Taliban Leader cousin, Raheel Khan. According to Yar Dad: "There are some good people in the Taliban, who actually want to bring an Islamic system to Pakistan. But very few. Most of them are bad people, like my cousin."
Unlike many Taliban, Raheel was not the model Islam before joining. He was a grade school drop out who drank heavily and was generally not a religious man. His motivation for joining the Taliban was purely selfish. He was cut out of his father's inheritance and decided to go play Terrorist. Since then one family member has been killed, others have joined Raheel in the Taliban and the others live every day in fear of the man they once called family.
Not long after the emergence of the Taliban in the tribal lands that the Malik family held, they revealed their intentions to overthrow Tribal rule by assassinating the Maliks. They could be spared by vowing fealty to the Taliban but hundreds were killed anyways. The Maliks had plenty of enemies who were willing to help the Taliban in their crusade against the family. Plenty of lesser and rival tribesman where all to happy to grow a beard, join the Taliban and fight the righteous family. This is what enticed Raheel to join, since his father was a Malik.
After a Taliban raid of the Red Mosque in Islamabad, the Pakistan Army arrested Raheel's father and uncle, who would be held responsible for Raheel's actions as a Taliban fighter. His family begged Raheel to abandon his ways and return home. He gave a resounding No by crashing a family wedding with 25 of his Taliban buddies and kidnapped the groom. The man was eventually shot dead for no apparent reason. The man was Raheel's cousin.
Stories like this just go to show how deep and complex the Taliban issue really is. Although it appears to be just religious extremists, the groups radical ways attract other, non-religious extremists, who will use the groups resources to wage their own wars, sometimes, on their own families. How do you fight a group of men with morals such as this?
The article tells the story of Yar Dad Khan, a tribal leader in Mohmand who is strictly Pro-Government and his Taliban Leader cousin, Raheel Khan. According to Yar Dad: "There are some good people in the Taliban, who actually want to bring an Islamic system to Pakistan. But very few. Most of them are bad people, like my cousin."
Unlike many Taliban, Raheel was not the model Islam before joining. He was a grade school drop out who drank heavily and was generally not a religious man. His motivation for joining the Taliban was purely selfish. He was cut out of his father's inheritance and decided to go play Terrorist. Since then one family member has been killed, others have joined Raheel in the Taliban and the others live every day in fear of the man they once called family.
Not long after the emergence of the Taliban in the tribal lands that the Malik family held, they revealed their intentions to overthrow Tribal rule by assassinating the Maliks. They could be spared by vowing fealty to the Taliban but hundreds were killed anyways. The Maliks had plenty of enemies who were willing to help the Taliban in their crusade against the family. Plenty of lesser and rival tribesman where all to happy to grow a beard, join the Taliban and fight the righteous family. This is what enticed Raheel to join, since his father was a Malik.
After a Taliban raid of the Red Mosque in Islamabad, the Pakistan Army arrested Raheel's father and uncle, who would be held responsible for Raheel's actions as a Taliban fighter. His family begged Raheel to abandon his ways and return home. He gave a resounding No by crashing a family wedding with 25 of his Taliban buddies and kidnapped the groom. The man was eventually shot dead for no apparent reason. The man was Raheel's cousin.
Stories like this just go to show how deep and complex the Taliban issue really is. Although it appears to be just religious extremists, the groups radical ways attract other, non-religious extremists, who will use the groups resources to wage their own wars, sometimes, on their own families. How do you fight a group of men with morals such as this?
Pakistani Equivalent of Guantanamo Holds Thousands
The Pakistan Military is holding thousands of suspected insurgents in detention. The insurgents have been held for over a year and have not been allowed to contact friends, family, human rights organizations or legal representation. The military feels this is necessary because they cannot trust their own countries legal system to properly try and convict those guilty. The fear is that top names in the insurgency will use their power to pull the right strings and get out of jail time. While it is a noble endeavor to keep insurgents off the streets of Pakistan, how many innocent lives have been swept up in this mess? I fear that this is no better than what the US has been doing in Guantanamo these last few years.
Possibly worse than the detainees is the alleged 300 extrajudicial killings committed by the Pakistan military. They have no right to declare themselves Judge Jury and Executioner. It was their job to get them off the streets and they did that. If it's true that they went ahead and killed a vast number of them, then we have a bigger problem on our hands than we thought. 300 deaths isn't a little thing, it's a war crime.
There is no public record of who has been detained and until that record is made, more people, guilty and innocent, are at risk of being killed. Estimates put the number of prisoners being held at around 2,500, though some believe that to be a conservative guess. The prisoners are being held at various locations throughout the country, although exactly where these detention centers are is not public knowledge either.
The Pakistani government claims that its actions are law enforcement and not military, thus excusing their poor treatment of the prisoners. The US and our allies worry that this will not help gain favor from the Pakistan people, something we are in great need of right now. Without the Pakistani Public on our side, we risk creating even more insurgents. We need to make the Pakistani Military understand how crucial this is to stopping the insurgency.
Possibly worse than the detainees is the alleged 300 extrajudicial killings committed by the Pakistan military. They have no right to declare themselves Judge Jury and Executioner. It was their job to get them off the streets and they did that. If it's true that they went ahead and killed a vast number of them, then we have a bigger problem on our hands than we thought. 300 deaths isn't a little thing, it's a war crime.
There is no public record of who has been detained and until that record is made, more people, guilty and innocent, are at risk of being killed. Estimates put the number of prisoners being held at around 2,500, though some believe that to be a conservative guess. The prisoners are being held at various locations throughout the country, although exactly where these detention centers are is not public knowledge either.
The Pakistani government claims that its actions are law enforcement and not military, thus excusing their poor treatment of the prisoners. The US and our allies worry that this will not help gain favor from the Pakistan people, something we are in great need of right now. Without the Pakistani Public on our side, we risk creating even more insurgents. We need to make the Pakistani Military understand how crucial this is to stopping the insurgency.
The Real World vs the Game World
I was linked to an eye opening video by my professor recently. In comparison to previous wars our country has fought in, such as vietnam, the amount and type of footage being aired in our media is vastly different. Television viewers in the Vietnam era were treated to ghastly real images of war, something our government has shielded us from during this current conflict. However, every now and again, footage like this leaks out, where we see real soldiers battling real insurgents and at least in this case, the insurgents can shoot.
According to popular belief, the insurgents are not very good shots. I say popular belief because I can only say what I've heard, I'm not a soldier and have never been to the middle east. However, the insurgent or insurgents in this video from the New York Times definitely knew what he was doing with his gun, at least enough to catch a marine in the soldier with his bullet. I'll be honest, this is the first time I've seen such footage and it is unsettling.
As a life long video gamer my only experience with war has been the digital variety. An experience much softer than real life, filled with health kits and bonus lives, things that real soldiers don't have the privilege of using. Out there in the field it is actual life and death, something I think is lost on a lot of us back home. These soldiers are risking it all and sometimes losing it, all in the name of freedom.
But at some point we have to ask what we're fighting for. Is it the high score? No, of course not, this is no game. Then what is it? Bin Laden? Is he still our prime goal? Or is it to rebuild a country we helped tear apart? When it comes right down to it, I'm not sure exactly what we're there for.
According to popular belief, the insurgents are not very good shots. I say popular belief because I can only say what I've heard, I'm not a soldier and have never been to the middle east. However, the insurgent or insurgents in this video from the New York Times definitely knew what he was doing with his gun, at least enough to catch a marine in the soldier with his bullet. I'll be honest, this is the first time I've seen such footage and it is unsettling.
As a life long video gamer my only experience with war has been the digital variety. An experience much softer than real life, filled with health kits and bonus lives, things that real soldiers don't have the privilege of using. Out there in the field it is actual life and death, something I think is lost on a lot of us back home. These soldiers are risking it all and sometimes losing it, all in the name of freedom.
But at some point we have to ask what we're fighting for. Is it the high score? No, of course not, this is no game. Then what is it? Bin Laden? Is he still our prime goal? Or is it to rebuild a country we helped tear apart? When it comes right down to it, I'm not sure exactly what we're there for.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Majority of Guantanamo Prisoners were Innocent
Lawrence Wilkerson, an aide to the former Republican Secretary of State Colin Powell, recently accused George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donal Rumsfield of covering up the innocence of the vast majority of Guantanamo Bay prisoners. According to Wilkerson, the Bush administration was aware that the prisoners were innocent but felt that it was justifiable to lock them up, so long as some of the prisoners actually were terrorists. According to the Bush Administration it was "politically impossible" to release them, as it might do harm to the war efforts. A direct quote reads as follows "The detention efforts would be revealed as the incredibly confused operation that they were...this was not acceptable to the administration and would have been severely detrimental to the leadership at the Department of Defense"
I'm sorry but I fail to see how keeping innocent men against their will is helping anybody. On top of that, these men were regularly tortured as if they were honest to god terrorists. Adel Hassan Hamad, a Sudanese man, was held from March 2003 to December 2007 and claims that he was repeatedly tortured by the US agents in charge at Guantanamo. What reason would they have to torture a man which they have no hard evidence against? Even if he does admit to being a terrorist under such torture, it's probably only to get the pain to stop. A real terrorist would more than likely die before talking.
None of this makes any sense to me. I honestly believe that Cheney, Rumsfield and maybe even Bush ought to be charged as War Criminals. This senselessness should not be associated with the United States of America and the good people who live there. I said in my last blog that I would stop at very little to prevent another 9/11, however, the torture and detention of people that are known to be innocent is not something I can abide by. I don't care if the administration thinks we will look weak by releasing prisoners from Guantanamo, the fact is, as a freedom loving nation, we look like nothing but a bunch of hypocrites because of this whole situation.
I'm sorry but I fail to see how keeping innocent men against their will is helping anybody. On top of that, these men were regularly tortured as if they were honest to god terrorists. Adel Hassan Hamad, a Sudanese man, was held from March 2003 to December 2007 and claims that he was repeatedly tortured by the US agents in charge at Guantanamo. What reason would they have to torture a man which they have no hard evidence against? Even if he does admit to being a terrorist under such torture, it's probably only to get the pain to stop. A real terrorist would more than likely die before talking.
None of this makes any sense to me. I honestly believe that Cheney, Rumsfield and maybe even Bush ought to be charged as War Criminals. This senselessness should not be associated with the United States of America and the good people who live there. I said in my last blog that I would stop at very little to prevent another 9/11, however, the torture and detention of people that are known to be innocent is not something I can abide by. I don't care if the administration thinks we will look weak by releasing prisoners from Guantanamo, the fact is, as a freedom loving nation, we look like nothing but a bunch of hypocrites because of this whole situation.
Possibility of an Afghan Police Force Not Looking so Good
The Afghan lead police force that I've called for many times in this very blog seems more and more like a pipe dream every day. According to an article by Newsweek, the trainees have been up to no good.
Among other things, they can't shoot, they peddle ammunition to the Taliban and generally show no interest in doing things that a National Police Force should be doing. They will even stage fake gunfights in order to cover up for the missing ammunition that they've sold to our enemies. We've spent $6 billion since 2002 in an effort to train these men to protect their country. And thus far they're wasting it. Less than 12% of the police units can act on their own. Twelve percent, after 8 years, that is simply unacceptable.
And I simply don't know what to do about it. Getting a stable Police Force together is key to victory in Afghanistan and now that it's looking like that just won't happen, what do we do? Do we simply withdraw our troops and let the country crumble only to be taken over by a ruthless and bloodthirsty warlord who will more than likely grow in power and eventually threaten us? I just don't know what options we have any more.
Among other things, they can't shoot, they peddle ammunition to the Taliban and generally show no interest in doing things that a National Police Force should be doing. They will even stage fake gunfights in order to cover up for the missing ammunition that they've sold to our enemies. We've spent $6 billion since 2002 in an effort to train these men to protect their country. And thus far they're wasting it. Less than 12% of the police units can act on their own. Twelve percent, after 8 years, that is simply unacceptable.
And I simply don't know what to do about it. Getting a stable Police Force together is key to victory in Afghanistan and now that it's looking like that just won't happen, what do we do? Do we simply withdraw our troops and let the country crumble only to be taken over by a ruthless and bloodthirsty warlord who will more than likely grow in power and eventually threaten us? I just don't know what options we have any more.
Warrantless Wire Tapping
One of the number one hot button issues since the beginning of the century has been warrantless wiretapping. First exposed by the New York Times in 2005, the subject has been thrust into the spotlight again after US District Judge Vaugn R. Walker recently ruled against the US government and in favor of the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation. His ruling stated that the rights of the foundation had been violated by illegal electronic surveillance.
My opinion on warrantless wiretapping is thus; whatever it takes to keep this country safe. I am not excited by the threat of big brother any more than I am the threat of terrorism, but I can tell you which one I'd rather have. I am of the believe that as long as the government only acts on information that they were seeking, then we'll all be ok. For example, if they suspect someone of being a terrorist only to find out he is merely a petty thief, they should leave well enough alone and let local law enforcement figure it out and nab the guy. Any information not relating to the war on terror should be strictly ignored.
Maybe it's because September 11th really affected me. My uncle worked in the north building until August 11th 2001, one month before the terrorist attack that changed our nation forever. I just don't want that to happen again and if it means we have to spy on our own citizens to prevent it, than so be it.
My opinion on warrantless wiretapping is thus; whatever it takes to keep this country safe. I am not excited by the threat of big brother any more than I am the threat of terrorism, but I can tell you which one I'd rather have. I am of the believe that as long as the government only acts on information that they were seeking, then we'll all be ok. For example, if they suspect someone of being a terrorist only to find out he is merely a petty thief, they should leave well enough alone and let local law enforcement figure it out and nab the guy. Any information not relating to the war on terror should be strictly ignored.
Maybe it's because September 11th really affected me. My uncle worked in the north building until August 11th 2001, one month before the terrorist attack that changed our nation forever. I just don't want that to happen again and if it means we have to spy on our own citizens to prevent it, than so be it.
Newspapers More Useful Than American Spies
Major General Micheal Flynn criticized his own intelligence gatherers recently, saying that the information found in Afghanistan Newspapers is more useful than the information they provide. The so called spies spend a great deal of their time finding Taliban insurgents to attack and very little time getting to know the needs of ordinary Afghan citizens. It is those citizens that are key to beating the insurgency, installing a proper police state and ending this war.
A direct quote from the report says that intelligence officers are "...ignorant of local economics and landowners, hazy about who the power-brokers are and how they might be influenced, incurious about the correlations between various development projects and the levels of co-operation among villagers...[they] acquire more information that is helpful by reading US newspapers than through reviewing regional command intelligence summaries."
Flynn feels his soldiers should act more like "roving foreign corespondents" who move across the land collecting valuable information up to headquarters. To facilitate this change Flynn has established the "Stability Operations Information Center" which will help to store and disseminate knowledge about the area.
I for one am very happy to see this report being published. They acknowledge that killing insurgents doesn't necessarily subtract from their number. When one man is killed, his brothers and father will rise up to avenge him, so killing Taliban only serves to create more. The key to victory in the middle east is gaining the local's trust. In the article as reported by The Guardian it is mentioned that military leaders seem to think that building wells in local communities is a sure fire way to gain their trust. And that's all well and good but I think it needs to go further than that, much further.
We need to make this people understand that we're there only to help them. We don't want violence, even though we are prepared for it. We need to convince them of out pure intentions. They seem to think we're there to destroy their society, when really, we only want to provide them with a better one. A society free of war and terror, that's all we want as Americans, and it's all we want for our friends in the east as well. The key is to make them believe as we do.
A direct quote from the report says that intelligence officers are "...ignorant of local economics and landowners, hazy about who the power-brokers are and how they might be influenced, incurious about the correlations between various development projects and the levels of co-operation among villagers...[they] acquire more information that is helpful by reading US newspapers than through reviewing regional command intelligence summaries."
Flynn feels his soldiers should act more like "roving foreign corespondents" who move across the land collecting valuable information up to headquarters. To facilitate this change Flynn has established the "Stability Operations Information Center" which will help to store and disseminate knowledge about the area.
I for one am very happy to see this report being published. They acknowledge that killing insurgents doesn't necessarily subtract from their number. When one man is killed, his brothers and father will rise up to avenge him, so killing Taliban only serves to create more. The key to victory in the middle east is gaining the local's trust. In the article as reported by The Guardian it is mentioned that military leaders seem to think that building wells in local communities is a sure fire way to gain their trust. And that's all well and good but I think it needs to go further than that, much further.
We need to make this people understand that we're there only to help them. We don't want violence, even though we are prepared for it. We need to convince them of out pure intentions. They seem to think we're there to destroy their society, when really, we only want to provide them with a better one. A society free of war and terror, that's all we want as Americans, and it's all we want for our friends in the east as well. The key is to make them believe as we do.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Iranians Allegedly Training Taliban
In not so shocking news, it has been revealed that Iranians have allegedly been training Taliban in the use of roadside bombs and ambush tactics. The training has specifically centered around killing Nato troops in Afghanistan. One specific lesson was how to plant IEDs so that when rescuers came to help victims of one IED, they would roll over the second IED, causing even more devastation.
Some people seem to think that the extra military presence in Pakistan has inspired the Taliban Leaders to look elsewhere for help. Officially, the President of Iran backs Afghanistan and our war on terror there, however, one has to wonder how far up this debacle goes. It seems that despite the fact that the Taliban are Sunnis and Iran is Shi'ite, they have been able to unite because of their mutual hatred of America. One Taliban commander had this to say: "Our religions and our histories are different but our target is the same. We both want to kill Americans." Chilling words, to be sure.
Some people seem to think that the extra military presence in Pakistan has inspired the Taliban Leaders to look elsewhere for help. Officially, the President of Iran backs Afghanistan and our war on terror there, however, one has to wonder how far up this debacle goes. It seems that despite the fact that the Taliban are Sunnis and Iran is Shi'ite, they have been able to unite because of their mutual hatred of America. One Taliban commander had this to say: "Our religions and our histories are different but our target is the same. We both want to kill Americans." Chilling words, to be sure.
House Plans to Stick it out in Afghanistan
The House of Representatives has rejected a plan to withdraw all American Troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2010. Backing President Obama's policies on Afghanistan, the House voted 356 to 65 to reject the withdrawal proposal after a three hour debate.
Honestly, this is not the route I would have taken. I full support the full withdrawal of our troops as soon as it is viable. And by viable I mean, as soon as we can leave with Afghanistan falling into civil war. I understand that that may be awhile, so I can also understand the House's decision. What I wonder is this, what would be the plan for withdrawal if we were to do it by years end? According to the NY Times the plan would be to invoke the War Powers Act to force a withdrawal. It seems none of them have a plan for what they call a "Corrupt Government" that has been "siphoning scarce resources" from us. Still, I think leaving the country in the state its in simply because we have better things to do would be a moral travesty.
Honestly, this is not the route I would have taken. I full support the full withdrawal of our troops as soon as it is viable. And by viable I mean, as soon as we can leave with Afghanistan falling into civil war. I understand that that may be awhile, so I can also understand the House's decision. What I wonder is this, what would be the plan for withdrawal if we were to do it by years end? According to the NY Times the plan would be to invoke the War Powers Act to force a withdrawal. It seems none of them have a plan for what they call a "Corrupt Government" that has been "siphoning scarce resources" from us. Still, I think leaving the country in the state its in simply because we have better things to do would be a moral travesty.
Trainer Shortage in Afghanistan
In my last blog I talked about how we need to fire the defense contractors and hire more soldiers to train Afghan citizens. Well it seems like that idea might not be entirely bullet proof. It seems the US is running into a shortage of training personal and have already turned to contractors to pick up the slack. Of the approximately 4,000 trainers they have in the middle east, about half of them are contractors. This really makes my plan seem not so feasible.
I'm not sure how recruitment works for our military, outside of the experiences I had after high school with the marines trying to recruit me. But I think if we put more funding into that, we could easily make up for the lack of military personal to send to the middle east. We should never have started relying on these defense contractors in the first place. I bet we could even hire some of those contractors right out from under the noses of Blackwater and other companies. There is just no reason for us to keep paying these companies for the lousy job they've been doing.
I'm not sure how recruitment works for our military, outside of the experiences I had after high school with the marines trying to recruit me. But I think if we put more funding into that, we could easily make up for the lack of military personal to send to the middle east. We should never have started relying on these defense contractors in the first place. I bet we could even hire some of those contractors right out from under the noses of Blackwater and other companies. There is just no reason for us to keep paying these companies for the lousy job they've been doing.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Solving the Security Contractor Problem.
Blackwater security company has been the subject of a couple of my blogs here and I thought it was time I further elaborated on what I think we can do to solve this problem. What I will be proposing is an expulsion of all defense contractors from the middle east and a temporary rise in troops. The general idea is that we handle all of the work that Blackwater and other security contractors were doing, while at the same time training Afghanistan citizens in security so that they can eventually take over and our troops can go home.
According to this blog the average Blackwater employee is paid $445,891 every year. That is quite a lot of money. Money that could very easily be paid to new troops that we can send over to replace these guys. Even if the troops end up being more expensive to employee than the contractors, there is also less chance that they will damage our reputation. That is also money we can spend on training the locals to do their own security. Eventually we will have to pull out of the middle east completely and unless we have sufficiently trained the Afghanistan people how to defend themselves, they will fall to the first warlord who sets his sights on the country. Not only that, but training the Afghans would also help cover the work that Blackwater used to do.
So my point is, we pay these defense contractors a whole lot of money but they don't do the all the jobs that are asked of them. Therefore I think it would be wise to fire them and do what we need to do to secure the freedom and trust of the Afghanistan people.
According to this blog the average Blackwater employee is paid $445,891 every year. That is quite a lot of money. Money that could very easily be paid to new troops that we can send over to replace these guys. Even if the troops end up being more expensive to employee than the contractors, there is also less chance that they will damage our reputation. That is also money we can spend on training the locals to do their own security. Eventually we will have to pull out of the middle east completely and unless we have sufficiently trained the Afghanistan people how to defend themselves, they will fall to the first warlord who sets his sights on the country. Not only that, but training the Afghans would also help cover the work that Blackwater used to do.
So my point is, we pay these defense contractors a whole lot of money but they don't do the all the jobs that are asked of them. Therefore I think it would be wise to fire them and do what we need to do to secure the freedom and trust of the Afghanistan people.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Air Strikes to be Authorized with Limited Conditions
In an effort to stem the tide of Taliban propaganda proclaiming the inordinate amount of civilian deaths tied to US air strikes, Gen. McChrystal issued a new directive stating that air strikes would only be used under prescribed conditions. This will cut down on civilian deaths and hopefully help endear us to the Afghan people.
As someone who will always preach diplomacy over war, I am conflicted about this new directive. While I applaud anything that will lessen the amount of civilian casualties, I have to wonder how our troops will adapt to this new rule. Surely air strikes are an indispensable part of their tool kit and it will undoubtedly be much harder to fight this war without them. However, nobody ever said war was easy. If it comes down to it though, I would rather a couple of Afghan civilians died in a an air strike than have a squad of our troops get overrun by insurgents because they were waiting for one, as terrible as that is to say. It is truly a very delicate situation.
As someone who will always preach diplomacy over war, I am conflicted about this new directive. While I applaud anything that will lessen the amount of civilian casualties, I have to wonder how our troops will adapt to this new rule. Surely air strikes are an indispensable part of their tool kit and it will undoubtedly be much harder to fight this war without them. However, nobody ever said war was easy. If it comes down to it though, I would rather a couple of Afghan civilians died in a an air strike than have a squad of our troops get overrun by insurgents because they were waiting for one, as terrible as that is to say. It is truly a very delicate situation.
New Legislation Announced Aimed at Wartime Contractors.
Representative Jan Schakowsky and Senator Bernie Sanders announced new legislation that would potentially phase out the use of military contractors such as the infamous Blackwater group. I've complained about Blackwater a couple of times on this blog before and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Apparently they've finally got the attention of the lawmakers. The "Stop Outsourcing Security Act" will "restore the responsibility of the American Military to train troops and police, guard convoys, repair weapons, administer military prisons and perform military intelligence." So basically, everything the military should have been doing in the first place.
This sounds like everything that myself and many other citizens of this fine country have been calling for and more. I personally couldn't be happier with this news. Blackwater has been sullying our reputations for far too long and it's about time somebody moved to put a stop to it.
This sounds like everything that myself and many other citizens of this fine country have been calling for and more. I personally couldn't be happier with this news. Blackwater has been sullying our reputations for far too long and it's about time somebody moved to put a stop to it.
Current Campaign in Marja Designed to Shape Opinions on War
The Washington Post and latter commondreams.org are reporting that the U.S. and British campaign in the Afghanistan town of Marja is primarily being fought to influence domestic opinion on the war. Apparently, Marja wouldn't have been chosen if it was just due to military significance. Does that sound like a waste of resources to anybody else?
Honestly, if they want to affect my opinion of the war, just end it. It's been going on for so long that it is absolutely ludicrous that they think capturing a town of such little importance will do anything to sway the opinions of those like me, who are desperately tired of this war. What is it that capturing this town will prove to me? Why is this town of 50,000 important enough to send 15,000 of our sons and daughters there? Possibly the worst part about this revelation is that the Washington Post buried it on the 9th page of their newspaper, suggesting that it was of very little importance. Well it's important to me, why didn't I hear about this sooner?
The second reason for capturing Marja is apparently to prove to the Afghan people that we are capable of protecting them. Again I ask, why would this prove anything to them? Wouldn't taking Kandahar be a much more significant victory? Wouldn't that prove everything to both the American and Afghan people? Why would anyone think this was a good idea?
Honestly, if they want to affect my opinion of the war, just end it. It's been going on for so long that it is absolutely ludicrous that they think capturing a town of such little importance will do anything to sway the opinions of those like me, who are desperately tired of this war. What is it that capturing this town will prove to me? Why is this town of 50,000 important enough to send 15,000 of our sons and daughters there? Possibly the worst part about this revelation is that the Washington Post buried it on the 9th page of their newspaper, suggesting that it was of very little importance. Well it's important to me, why didn't I hear about this sooner?
The second reason for capturing Marja is apparently to prove to the Afghan people that we are capable of protecting them. Again I ask, why would this prove anything to them? Wouldn't taking Kandahar be a much more significant victory? Wouldn't that prove everything to both the American and Afghan people? Why would anyone think this was a good idea?
Blackwater Stiring Up Trouble in New Assualt Rifle Controversy.
This isn't the first time I've mentioned Blackwater in my blog and if this trend continues it probably won't be the last. Blackwater is the notorious paramilitary group currently overseas with our troops. Infamous for killing civilians, now they're in trouble for allegedly stealing over 500 Assault Rifles that were due to the Afghan Police Force. This is on top of allegations that Blackwater employees also habitually carry weapons without proper permissions.
Senator Carl Levin has a stern warning for Blackwater (AKA Xe, AKA Paravant) and any other military contractors working in the middle east. He warned that afghan civilians do not make a distinction between US troops and US contractors and when the contractors break the rules, it reflects poorly on our country as a whole. This is turn makes the Taliban argument that much stronger.
I think that we as a country need to stand up and say enough is enough. We've hired these guys to not only do a job, but represent our country while doing it. I say, as soon as they start representing us poorly, we fire them and put the money to good use. Right now, Blackwater is making us look like nothing but common thieves, until they get their act together, I think they should be hauled out of the middle east as soon as possible.
Senator Carl Levin has a stern warning for Blackwater (AKA Xe, AKA Paravant) and any other military contractors working in the middle east. He warned that afghan civilians do not make a distinction between US troops and US contractors and when the contractors break the rules, it reflects poorly on our country as a whole. This is turn makes the Taliban argument that much stronger.
I think that we as a country need to stand up and say enough is enough. We've hired these guys to not only do a job, but represent our country while doing it. I say, as soon as they start representing us poorly, we fire them and put the money to good use. Right now, Blackwater is making us look like nothing but common thieves, until they get their act together, I think they should be hauled out of the middle east as soon as possible.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
American-Born Spokesman for al-Qaida Arrested!
Adam Gadahn was arrested by Pakistani intelligence agents in the city of Karachi. This is a huge victory for the good guys in this war, Gadahn was known by several aliases and held a high position in al-Qaida, which is especially rare given that he was born in California.
Ghadan has been in Pakistan since 1998, attended al-Qaida training camps there and has been on the FBI most wanted list since 2004. Ghadan has served as a translator and consultant for al-Qaida in his time there. In 2006 Ghadan became the first American in over 50 years to be charged with treason.
By arresting Ghadan, the Pakistani government has shown that it is willing to cooperate fully with the United States government and our allies. This is a very good thing as it is crucial in this war against the insurgents.
Ghadan has been in Pakistan since 1998, attended al-Qaida training camps there and has been on the FBI most wanted list since 2004. Ghadan has served as a translator and consultant for al-Qaida in his time there. In 2006 Ghadan became the first American in over 50 years to be charged with treason.
By arresting Ghadan, the Pakistani government has shown that it is willing to cooperate fully with the United States government and our allies. This is a very good thing as it is crucial in this war against the insurgents.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Response to Mr. Engelhardt
This blog is written in response to Tom Engelhardt who recently asked on alternet.org what makes us think we can help govern Afghanistan? And his point is this, our government and economy are basically in shambles, how can we possibly hope to teach another country how to run their own program?
And my answer is this, we are the United States of America, even when we are at our lowest, with our economy a mess and mistrust of the governement at an all time high, we are still one of the greatest countries in the world. We still follow a model that if followed by other countries, will lead to wealth and prosperity. Just because we have a few kinks to work out in our own country, doesn't mean we can't help other countries. Because as bad as we are, we're still much better off than Afghanistan ever has been. If we help them to build a proper democratic government, we could be helping to create the next world power.
And my answer is this, we are the United States of America, even when we are at our lowest, with our economy a mess and mistrust of the governement at an all time high, we are still one of the greatest countries in the world. We still follow a model that if followed by other countries, will lead to wealth and prosperity. Just because we have a few kinks to work out in our own country, doesn't mean we can't help other countries. Because as bad as we are, we're still much better off than Afghanistan ever has been. If we help them to build a proper democratic government, we could be helping to create the next world power.
War on Drugs Extends Over Seas
According to readersupportednews.org, America's War on Drugs is being combined with it's War on Terror. The U.S. Led offensive in the Helmand province of southern Afghanistan will not only be a fight against the local Taliban, but all against the narcotics trade which is backed by insurgents. This particular region of Afghanistan is responsible for over half of the worlds opium supply and with opium becoming ever more potent due to global warming, business is good for the residents of Helmand.
According to residents, the Taliban, allied with local Drug Lords, force the locals to grow poppy plants for their opium trade. "Most of the population are forced by the smugglers and the Taliban to grow poppy... The Taliban pressure people to grow only poppy." Said Juma Gul, the tribal leader from a town called Marjah.
If this operation is succesful in convincing the local residents to stand up to the Taliban and drug smugglers and grow something other than poppy then it could be a huge win for the US. It would cut off a significant portion of the Taliban's income and more or less cripple them in the area. The only problem is who are the locals going to listen too? They fear these Taliban and Drug Lords and with good reason.
According to residents, the Taliban, allied with local Drug Lords, force the locals to grow poppy plants for their opium trade. "Most of the population are forced by the smugglers and the Taliban to grow poppy... The Taliban pressure people to grow only poppy." Said Juma Gul, the tribal leader from a town called Marjah.
If this operation is succesful in convincing the local residents to stand up to the Taliban and drug smugglers and grow something other than poppy then it could be a huge win for the US. It would cut off a significant portion of the Taliban's income and more or less cripple them in the area. The only problem is who are the locals going to listen too? They fear these Taliban and Drug Lords and with good reason.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Defense Contractors
Before this past Friday's lecture in War in Afghanistan, I had no idea that Defense Contractors such as Blackwater Worldwide (now know as XE services but still commonly refereed to as Blackwater) even existed. I thought mercenaries such as these only existed in video games, movies and books and only because being mercenaries allows them to blow stuff up more casually and realistically than US soldiers could. It turns out the way they act in real life isn't too far off from how they are portrayed in fictional media.
Honestly, I'm still not sure why these guns for hire exist. Do we not have enough troops on the ground between us and our allies? Do we really need to hire more guns, especially from groups such as these? According to one soldier in my class who has been to the middle east, these Blackwater guys are total cowboys. They are allegedly pumped up on steroids and alcohol 24/7 and have a total disregard for rules of engagement.
I'm not sure how I missed this story but apparently the Blackwater guys were in some hot water for the deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians. According to our soldier friend from class, these guys couldn't care less about their actions, mostly because their superiors do nothing to punish them. How does something like that go unpunished? Why do we allow these guys to act like this and why oh why are we paying them for it? This is all rather ridiculous to me and I cannot fathom why we would pay these guys when we could just as easily pay to recruit new soldiers.
Honestly, I'm still not sure why these guns for hire exist. Do we not have enough troops on the ground between us and our allies? Do we really need to hire more guns, especially from groups such as these? According to one soldier in my class who has been to the middle east, these Blackwater guys are total cowboys. They are allegedly pumped up on steroids and alcohol 24/7 and have a total disregard for rules of engagement.
I'm not sure how I missed this story but apparently the Blackwater guys were in some hot water for the deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians. According to our soldier friend from class, these guys couldn't care less about their actions, mostly because their superiors do nothing to punish them. How does something like that go unpunished? Why do we allow these guys to act like this and why oh why are we paying them for it? This is all rather ridiculous to me and I cannot fathom why we would pay these guys when we could just as easily pay to recruit new soldiers.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Bloody History
Before this semester I really had no idea of Afghanistan history. To say that the last couple of weeks have been eye opening is an understatement. Afghan history is unlike any other country whose history I’m familiar with. For the most part, Afghanistan has been a loose collection of tribal families for the majority of its history. Succession of leadership is often a bloody and violent affair for Afghans, something that makes me very glad to live in the country I that do. In addition to that, Afghans have had to deal with the fact that their country basically lies in the middle of everything. They’re like the one house standing in the way of the local government building a highway and it has to be tough for them. They way the Russians and the British battled over them in the so called “great game” was especially brutal.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Reintegrating Terrorists Using Video Games
As my blog title states, I am a gamer, that is, someone who enjoys video and board games in his spare time. As such I thought it would be appropriate to start my blog with a news story that ties into my favorite hobby. As reported by the Telegraph, Saudi Arabia has launched a new program to reintegrate terrorists using video games. This is in addition to "positive thinking classes" and art therapy, so it's not just a bunch of terrorists playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 all day. Now, I find this interesting because most of the time when the media reports on video games, it is because someone was murdered and the police (or someone else along the way) tied it into video games.
The report claims that the new integration program hasn't been entirely successful. One former Guantanamo bay inmate went through the program, apparently quit and is now deputy leader of Al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula, the group supposedly behind the attempted Christmas day bombing in 2009. Unfortunately he is among a dozen others who have since rejoined Al-Qaeda since going through the controversial new program. Still General Mansur al-Turki remains hopeful that the program is working, stating that: "We are confident in our system, part of that is the rehabilitation programme, and when we say that we are considering one thing - the results we are getting. We are not giving up because a few people decided to go back and share al-Qaeda activities."
I think the program is a good thing and can be very successful. It will never have 100% success rate, but even if it manages to rehabilitate and reintegrate one terrorist back into normal society, it will have been worth it.The senior psychologist, Dr Turki al-Otayan, had this to say about his program: "People say we are spoiling them. They say they are terrorists yet we are giving them all this. But we say it's our responsibility. If we don't do it, someone else will. Al-Qaeda is waiting. They will say they will take care of you, take care of your family." And he is absolutely right. I would imagine a lot of these terrorist only joined Al-Qaeda to gain a sense of security they wouldn't have had otherwise. If we can give them that security outside of Al-Qaeda, what reason would they have to go back?
The report claims that the new integration program hasn't been entirely successful. One former Guantanamo bay inmate went through the program, apparently quit and is now deputy leader of Al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula, the group supposedly behind the attempted Christmas day bombing in 2009. Unfortunately he is among a dozen others who have since rejoined Al-Qaeda since going through the controversial new program. Still General Mansur al-Turki remains hopeful that the program is working, stating that: "We are confident in our system, part of that is the rehabilitation programme, and when we say that we are considering one thing - the results we are getting. We are not giving up because a few people decided to go back and share al-Qaeda activities."
I think the program is a good thing and can be very successful. It will never have 100% success rate, but even if it manages to rehabilitate and reintegrate one terrorist back into normal society, it will have been worth it.The senior psychologist, Dr Turki al-Otayan, had this to say about his program: "People say we are spoiling them. They say they are terrorists yet we are giving them all this. But we say it's our responsibility. If we don't do it, someone else will. Al-Qaeda is waiting. They will say they will take care of you, take care of your family." And he is absolutely right. I would imagine a lot of these terrorist only joined Al-Qaeda to gain a sense of security they wouldn't have had otherwise. If we can give them that security outside of Al-Qaeda, what reason would they have to go back?
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