Tag: afghanistan

Early End to US Combat Role in Afghanistan Draws Cheers, Jeers, Confusion

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s surprise announcement Wednesday that US troops will phase out their combat role in Afghanistan by mid-2013 is drawing mixed reactions, as well as a fair bit of confusion, from both critics and supporters of the 11-year-old war here. The frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, Mitt Romney, called the decision … Continue reading “Early End to US Combat Role in Afghanistan Draws Cheers, Jeers, Confusion”

Democratization: Indigenous Beats Imported

Despite George W. Bush’s and Barack Obama’s efforts to topple foreign dictators and use military power to forcefully impose democracy from without, democracy usually works better if it bubbles up from below by popular desire. In Iraq, even before U.S. forces had withdrawn, Shi’ite President Nouri al-Maliki was taking the country back toward dictatorship. Now … Continue reading “Democratization: Indigenous Beats Imported”

Another Reason Not to Go to War So Often

By now, everyone has either seen or knows about the video of U.S. Marines urinating on the corpses of dead Taliban fighters. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said that “the conduct depicted in the footage is utterly deplorable.” According to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the actions of the Marines in the video are “absolutely … Continue reading “Another Reason Not to Go to War So Often”

How Two Wars in the Greater Middle East Revealed the Weakness of the Global Superpower

It was to be the war that would establish empire as an American fact. It would result in a thousand-year Pax Americana. It was to be “mission accomplished” all the way. And then, of course, it wasn’t. And then, almost nine dismal years later, it was over (sorta). It was the Iraq War, and we … Continue reading “How Two Wars in the Greater Middle East Revealed the Weakness of the Global Superpower”

Sometimes, Bad-Tasting Medicine Needs to Be Swallowed

Like a mother forcing her children to take bad-tasting medicine for their own good, disgruntled American “allies” have recently compelled the financially ailing U.S. superpower to scale back meddling abroad that it can no longer afford. The United States — always reluctant to remove troops from any overseas location, even if the situation on the … Continue reading “Sometimes, Bad-Tasting Medicine Needs to Be Swallowed”

Let’s Do 1989 All Over Again

How many times have we heard that the United States cannot abandon Afghanistan to the mercy of armed militias and thugs like we did in 1989? So, why, pray tell, are we doing it? After the U.S. helped to fund the Afghan mujahideen that led to the Soviets’ legendary defeat and withdrawal of its forces … Continue reading “Let’s Do 1989 All Over Again”

Don’t Be a Tool This Christmas

Early Friday morning, shots rang out to herald the first days of the holiday season. Men were shot in Walmart parking lots in California and Missouri, and gunfire was reported outside of a Fayetteville, N.C., mall as shoppers were gathering to enter. Newscasters were almost giddy in their reaction to the wave of “shocking” stories … Continue reading “Don’t Be a Tool This Christmas”

This Is What Defeat Looks Like

How about a moment of silence for the passing of the American Dream? M.R.I.C. (May it rest in carnage.) No, I’m not talking about the old dream of opportunity that involved home ownership, a better job than your parents had, a decent pension, and all the rest of the package that’s so yesterday, so underwater, … Continue reading “This Is What Defeat Looks Like”

ISAF Data: Night Raids Killed Over 1,500 Afghan Civilians

U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) killed well over 1,500 civilians in night raids in less than 10 months in 2010 and early 2011, analysis of official statistics on the raids released by the U.S.-NATO command reveals. That number would make U.S. night raids by far the largest cause of civilian casualties in the war in … Continue reading “ISAF Data: Night Raids Killed Over 1,500 Afghan Civilians”