Leaving Afghanistan

November 22, 2011 By 17 Comments

Most of the night raids are conducted with Afghan security forces, but according to General Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of ISAF’s Joint Command, the fledgling Afghan security forces don’t yet have the capacity to execute such raids alone.

While the status of night raid operations may still be a resolvable issue, less so is the increasing belief that President Obama’s policy toward Afghanistan is being dictated squarely on how it affects his re-election prospects in November 2012.

After all, a lukewarm effort by Obama to negotiate an extension of US troops in Iraq beyond 2011 makes it seems unlikely that he will go the extra mile to extend an American presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014.

For starters, Obama has already planned to withdraw by September 2012 the 33,000 troops he sent to Afghanistan in 2009 as part of a surge in forces. That decision was met unfavorably by then-ISAF commander General David Petraeus, who had argued at the time to limit the initial withdrawal to 3,000 to 4,000 as to not risk undermining the war on the ground.

Now, reports are beginning to surface that American generals are beginning to worry that Obama is planning to accelerate the 2014 timetable by removing more than the 33,000 surge forces. As one NATO official has said, the chances of the remaining American force in 2012 staying at 68,000 are “marginal at best.”

To be fair, if Obama is indeed intent on hastening a withdrawal from Afghanistan, that view is increasingly being shared by growing widespread unhappiness at home over the ten year war. That discontent raised its head recently when a bi-partisan group of US Senators called on President Obama to accelerate the 2014 timetable.

As one of the Senators, Republican Rand Paul, explained, “We cannot continue endless nation-building efforts overseas while here at home we face expounding national debt, crumbling infrastructure and out-of-control spending in Washington.”

For his part, President Obama recently declared that it is still necessary to “see the job through in Afghanistan,” while US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker, has said, 2014 “is not the date when the United States and the international community just walks away from Afghanistan.”

Of course, many Afghans are understandably nervous of what will happen if the US walks away from Afghanistan. According to the UN, the number of Afghans killed by Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgents in 2011 was nearly 1,000.

In November alone, 11 people, including six children, died in a roadside bombing; 7 civilians were killed and 17 others wounded in a suicide attack at a mosque in Baghlan province; and seven children were killed by two roadside bombs in the southern province of Uruzgan.

Yet, according to ISAF commander, General John Allen, despite the insurgent terror attacks, coalition forces “have taken back key Taliban territory across Afghanistan in 2011 and are continuing to hold it, allowing security conditions to continue to improve.”

However, the absence of firm and specific American commitments beyond 2014 seem likely to make those security improvements at best temporary in nature, something nearly 3,000 American and Coalition soldiers have died trying to prevent.

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About

Frank Crimi is a San Diego-based writer and author of the book Raining Frogs and Heart Attacks. You can read more of Frank's work at his blog,www.politicallyunbalanced.com.

  • StephenD

    At this point we ought to treat it like a business investment. What is in it for us? The leadership there looks at it this way, why not us? I can't stand any of them. They all seem to act like cave dwelling warlords living along a camel trade route in the 7th century. We have spent far too much in blood and treasure not to demand recompense. We should want a FREE Military Base. We want natural resources at base rates and first dibs on commerce when they are done killing each other.

  • ObamaYoMoma

    We need to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan ASAP. Why? Because in essence we are propping up two Sharia states that for all intents and purposes are already our eternal enemies. Indeed, thanks to former US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, the respective constitutions of Afghanistan and Iraq have been enshrined with Sharia as the highest authority of law making both governments at the same time for all intents and purposes Sharia states, and if anyone believes that Sharia states aren't our enemies, then I have a bridge I need to sell them.

    In addition, the notion that if we leave too early both Afghanistan and Iraq will morph into terrorist states is ludicrous. First of all, terrorism is a product of Western civilization only and jihad, which is holy fighting in the cause of Allah against non-Muslim unbelievers to make Islam supreme, is a product of Islamic civilization only. Therefore, it is impossible for Afghanistan and Iraq to morph into terrorist havens, since in Islamic society terrorism is considered to be un-Islamic. Indeed, the entire notion that Afghanistan and Iraq can morph into terrorist havens is a false PC multicultural myth based on fear mongering.

    However, Afghanistan and Iraq are already Sharia states comprised of jihadists, as ALL MAINSTREAM ORTHODOX MUSLIMS are in reality jihadists. A few of them are violent jihadists, while most of them are non-violent stealth and deceptive jihadists, and the few that are not jihadists are not Muslims at all, but instead blasphemous apostates that per the dictates of Islam should be executed.

    Indeed, President Hamid Karsai announced the other day that in the event the US goes to war with Pakistan, the country that created and still harbors the Taliban today, that Afghanistan would fight on the side of Pakistan against the US. Of course, that bit of news, although shocking to most Americans, was quickly swept under the rug lest the American people hear it and demand we pull out of Afghanistan ASAP.

    Thus, the news that the Afghanis were burning effigies of Obama the other day and demanding an end to the American presence in Afghanistan isn't a surprise to me. It may be embarrassing and a surprise to US military commanders in the Pentagon and on the ground in Afghanistan that have been rendered blind by PC multiculturalism, but it isn't a surprise to me, as fortunately I don't suffer from that same affliction.

    Indeed, every time I hear Herman Cain or another candidate for President say Obama should rely on the commanders on the ground to make decisions, I cringe in befuddled amazement. It is safe to say that both political parties, unfortunately, are severely ill informed when it comes to understanding the threats emanating from Islam.

    The reality is both nation-building missions in Afghanistan and Iraq couldn't have been more fantasy based and counterproductive and the only reason we are still over there to this day, is because politicians and military commanders are still attempting to coverup their gross incompetence. However, if there were any real justice in this world, all politicians and commanders responsible for those two monstrosities, which are in effect the two biggest strategic blunders ever in US history, would be held accountable and made to pay for their humongous dereliction of duty which resulted in over 4,000 dead American troops, thousands of other troops maimed for life, and the needless waste of trillions of dollars of US taxpayer money all for nothing. Indeed, the last thing they want to happen is for the American people to learn the truth about Afghanistan and Iraq.

    Meanwhile, on the other hand, the ruling Mullahs of Iran are on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons with impunity and with the help of Saudi petro-dollars the Pakistanis have astronomically increased their nuclear weapons stockpile in anticipation of becoming the nuclear weapons supplier for the Sunni Islamic world as soon as Iran acquires nukes and at the same time renders the NPT not worth the paper it is printed on.

    Indeed, the US needs to scrap its totally misguided “War on Terror,” which is based on a false PC multicultural myth to begin with, and transition ASAP to a new realistic strategy of containing the growth and expansion of Islam. At the same time, it also needs to drop Colin Powell's insane “you break it, you own it” defense policy and revert back to Reagan's “peace through strength” defense policy.

    • mlcblog

      I disagree. We needed to stay just to have a presence in that part of the world.

      • ObamaYoMoma

        I disagree. We needed to stay just to have a presence in that part of the world.

        We can transition to a Lilly Pad strategy and maintain a sufficient military presence in that part of the world for a small fraction of the cost we are expending today for nothing. The last thing we need to do is put our troops in harms way.

        Uhm…do we also continue propping up those two Sharia states that are also our eternal enemies? And how is propping up our enemies not counterproductive? Not to mention that if you believe Sharia states are our loyal friends and allies, then I have a bridge I need to sell you. By the way, how do you win the hearts and minds of people that are obligated to hate your unbeliever guts per Islam no matter what? Indeed, I believe you are as blinded by PC multiculturalism as much as our federal government is as well.

        Not to mention that both nation-building missions are incredibly fantasy based and counterproductive, and because they are both incredibly fantasy based they were also preordained to fail even before they were ever implemented. Indeed, to maintain a presence in that part of the world would require us to maintain the same level of funding and support. Meanwhile, at the same time we would still be sacrificing American troops for nothing, while bankrupting our country at the same time.

        What we need to do first of all is clean house in the State Department and the Pentagon, because the current personnel are blinded by PC multiculturalism and don't have the first clue, sort of like you. Then once we accomplish that, we need to scrap the totally misguided “War on Terror” ASAP, because it is based on false PC multicultural myths and assumptions about Islam and thus counterproductive, and transition to a more sane policy of containing the growth and expansion of Islam.

        Moreover, we also need to scrap the Powell, “you break it, you own it” defense policy because it is literally insane, and revert back to the Reagan “peace through strength” defense policy, because nation-building is a recipe for failure, while peace through strength is the only sane defense policy.

  • Adam

    Well I guess it is official. Thanks to the undermining of the efforts by the Progressive left in this country, we have officially lost the War on Terrorism. Once we withdraw from Afghanistan the Taliban will surely regain power and start an aggressive anti West campaign. And once we withdraw from Iraq, I fear Iran will simply move in and take them over with relative ease. Add to that the whole Arab Spring where terrorist jihadists have taken over whole countries and we can say good bye to Israel, and most of Europe. These events will certainly go down in history. The only question will be weather it is recorded as the biggest mistake by the Western Nations or the greatest triumph of the Caliphate.

    • randy

      Afghanistan and iraq should never have been invaded.

      • ObamaYoMoma

        Afghanistan and iraq should never have been invaded.

        Dude, you are right for what will probably be the only time in your miserable life.

    • ObamaYoMoma

      Well I guess it is official. Thanks to the undermining of the efforts by the Progressive left in this country, we have officially lost the War on Terrorism.

      Not really. Although I agree with you that the progressive left is incredibly mentally bankrupt and totally incompetent, we nevertheless inevitably lost the totally misguided “War on Terror” because it was incredibly fantasy based, as it was based on false PC multicultural myths and assumptions about Islam. I guess you missed it, but GWB practically morphed the Republican Party into the second coming of the Dhimmicrat Party.

      Nevertheless, the sooner we drop the fantasy-based “War on Terror” and transition to a more sane policy of containing the growth and expansion of Islam, the sooner we will all be better off. In the meantime, please study the texts and tenets of Islam as you still have a lot to learn and a long way to go.

      • mlcblog

        You are actually making sense though I don't quite agree with you on the history. Let's move forward instead, though.

        • ObamaYoMoma

          You are actually making sense though I don't quite agree with you on the history. Let's move forward instead, though.

          I always make sense. I may be about 10 steps ahead of you, but I nevertheless always make sense. In any event, you seem to be a RINO Republican like GWB, John McCain, and Lindsey Graham who altogether helped morph the Republican Party into the second-coming of the Dhimmicrat Party.

          • mlcblog

            Far from it.

            I can't stand those RINO's but I don't think if I disagree with you, or don't see it the way you do means I am a RINO or anything else. What about thinking and having ideas, some that agree and some which do not? I think there's plenty of room in these discussions. I don't like the idea of putting people in a box. I hope you will allow me to express myself without being neatly categorized.

            and, Yes, I do agree that an American presence overseas is a good thing, which does happen to agree with many of the disliked RINOs. I do not adapt my thinking to fit in with any group or to be acceptable to anyone.

            If you are so good at logic and "ten steps ahead of us" then you won't be generalizing quite so quickly.

          • ObamaYoMoma

            If you are so good at logic and "ten steps ahead of us" then you won't be generalizing quite so quickly.

            Dude…this is your third post already and you have yet to justify your reasoning behind continuing to waste two billion dollars a day for maintaining a US presence is a hostile Islamic Sharia state that is our eternal enemy. If you want to stop generalizing, then quit generalizing, and if you want me to stop labeling you as a RINO, then demonstrate that you are otherwise. Until then I will assume you are a RINO even if you don't like the label.

  • mrbean

    To all of you Cut-And-Run advocates who want to pull out of Afghanistan and Iraq completely, you need to learn from history. Now Cut-And Run advocates, what do you think is going to happen to the Sunnis and those who cooperated with the Americans when Iran and the Shiites take over Iraq, and when the Taliban and al Qaeda move back into Afghanistan to any of the people that cooperated with the Americans. I would not want to be a woman in Afghanistan then. 58,500 KIAs and 200,000 wounded in Vietnam and approaching 6000 KIAs with 20,000 wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq. That is what happems when you elect Liberals who love to lose wars. ____

    • ObamaYoMoma

      Dude, we are in effect propping up what are in essence two Sharia states in Afghanistan and Iraq that already for all intents and purposes are our eternal enemies. Indeed, I hate to rain on your clueless parade dude, but both nation-building missions in Afghanistan and Iraq couldn't have been more fantasy based and counterproductive, and, as a matter of fact, they were both preordained and doomed to fail even before they were ever implemented.

      I'm not advocating that we should exit both Islamic hellholes ASAP because I'm a self-hating leftwing pacifist or because I'm a non-interventionist Ron Paul anarcho-kook that thinks the 9/11 jihad attacks were America's chickens coming home to roost. Indeed, I advocate pulling out of both Islamic hellholes ASAP because both of those fantasy based nation-building missions were based on false PC multicultural myths and assumptions about Islam and as a result are both incredibly counterproductive.

      Instead, I propose that we scrap the terribly misguided “War on Terror” ASAP and propose in its stead that we transition to a new strategy of containing the growth and expansion of Islam. Otherwise, we will end up all losing our freedom if we don't end up broke first spinning our wheels for nothing in Afghanistan and Iraq.

  • crackerjack

    Luring the US into Afghanistan was exactly what Bin Laden intended with his 9:11attacks. That the US would also bog themselves down in Iraq and destroy Al Quaidas mortal foe, the Iraq Baath, was the cream on his cake.

    • mlcblog

      interesting conjecture

  • ObamaYoMoma

    I watched the Republican Party debate last night and I was very disappointed. Those that believe and support the Patriot Act also support big, powerful, and overriding government and all of those things are in direct opposition to the values of conservatism.

    Terrorism and Jihad are mutually exclusive and two entirely different things altogether. We don't need a humongous Department of Homeland Security, extremely intrusive TSA, and gargantuan National Intelligence Directorate to protect us from terrorism because terrorist attacks like the Oklahoma City Bombing are few and far between, and we also don't need them to protect the homeland from jihad, which in stark contrast to terrorism not only can be both violent and non-violent, but is holy fighting in the cause of Allah against non-Muslim unbelievers to make Islam supreme.

    The way to protect the homeland from jihad is not to grow government because that never works for anything much less for protecting the homeland. What we need to do instead is outlaw Islam and ban and reverse mass Muslim immigration with all of its excess baggage ASAP. Indeed, if we do that, not only can we scrap the Patriot Act, but we can also get rid of those massive federal boondoggles that have done nothing other than create a false sense of security, while bankrupting the country at the same time. Indeed, zero Muslims living in America translates into zero jihad attacks. It's not rocket science; it's common sense. Did we allow Communists to flood the US during the height of the Cold War too?

    Indeed, anyone that doesn't back outlawing Islam and banning and reversing mass Muslim immigration with all of its excess baggage ASAP, should be asked to explain why in country after country and anywhere and everywhere mass Muslim immigration is taking place today in the world, why just like clockwork do the vast overwhelming majority of Muslim immigrants flat out refuse to assimilate and integrate and instead form segregated Muslim only enclaves that eventually morph into Muslim no-go zones ruled by Sharia as fifth columns and in direct contravention to the laws of the states in which they reside. They should also be asked to point to all the countries in the world that have had a successful outcome from mass Muslim immigration. Finally, they also need to explain what Muslims have to contribute to America that we don't already have other than Sharia, FGM, honor killings, discrimination against females, polygamy, both violent and non-violent stealth and deceptive jihad, backwardness, barbarity, bigotry against Jews and all other non-Muslim unbelievers, Muslim no-go zones ruled by Sharia, subversive fifth columns, Islamic supremacism, refusal to assimilate and integrate, increases in the crime rates, especially the crime of rape, false victimhood via false accusations of discrimination, false allegations of Islamophobia, violent threats and intimidation to shut down free speech, etc., etc., etc. ad nauseum.

    In fact, one of the biggest objections I hear today against leaving Afghanistan and Iraq is that those two countries will both inevitably morph into terrorist havens. Which is absurd to say the least, because first and foremost terrorism and jihad are mutually exclusive and two entirely different things altogether. As terrorism, which is always violent as its name implies, is a product of Western civilization only, while jihad, on the other hand, which is holy fighting in the cause of Allah against non-Muslim unbelievers to make Islam supreme and in stark contrast to terrorism can be both violent and non-violent, is a product of Islamic civilization only.

    As a matter of fact, terrorism, which is a Western manifestation only, is un-Islamic. Hence, the notion that Afghanistan and Iraq will somehow morph into terrorist havens is ludicrous and absurd to say the least, because again terrorism is un-Islamic. Now, of course, they will morph into jihadist havens, but all Islamic countries in the world are also already jihadists havens as well.

    Not only that but the only reason we remain vulnerable to jihad attacks today is because we have allowed millions of jihadists to migrate to the USA. Indeed, if we outlaw Islam and ban and reverse mass Muslim immigration with all of its excess baggage ASAP, the threat of jihad attacks on the homeland will be virtually completely eliminated. Thus, the hundreds of billions of dollars we are currently wasting today to protect the homeland by providing a false sense of security could be eliminated altogether and used instead to get our financial house in order. Indeed, it is common sense.

    Thus, I would like to see the Republican candidates currently running for the Republican Party nomination to stop scaring Americans to justify Patriot Acts. big government leftwing solutions that never work, and fantasy based nation-building missions, and instead explain to the American people exactly how we can not only virtually eliminate the threat of jihad attacks on the homeland altogether, but also how we can scale back dramatically those false big government solutions by outlawing Islam and banning and reversing mass Muslim immigration with all of its excess baggage.