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.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
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.
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