Flexible Afghanistan War Objectives: And the Agony Grinds On (Ramzy Baroud)

[Tace]

Ramzy Baroud -- World News Trust

Mar. 3, 2010 -- Washington and its willing mouthpieces in the media have for years been trying to sell us the preposterous war in Afghanistan. While they attempt to convince us that the war is predicated on a faultless military logic and moral wisdom, it remains in fact a tragic adventure with no decipherable objectives, and involving several countries, private contractors, and all sorts of firms seeking to make a quick buck.

The intellectual cowardice of some should not blind the majority to the fact that the war in Afghanistan is morally indefensible and militarily unwinnable.

The decision of the United States to continue with its brutal military adventurism in Afghanistan can only be understood in terms of its limited and highly selfish political logic.

Let us start by ruling out some of the ridiculous assumptions that have permeated this war since it began in 2001. First, we were told that the war was aimed at eliminating al-Qaida. However, a retied CIA Station Chief who has served in the Middle East and as Chief of the Counterterrorism Staff, has claimed that, “al-Qaida is finished in Afghanistan.” He further argued that, “the Obama administration, like its predecessor, claims we are fighting terrorism there. That is simply not true. It is a pure counterinsurgency issue.”

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[unhappycamper]

1. IMO, the United States is in Afghanistan for the following reasons:

1. to show that GWB was tough on something
2. the now defunct oil pipeline
3. to rev up defense spending expenditures
4. to get the really big bucks to Halliburton, KBR, Triple Canopy, Blackwater, Bechtel, L3, etc.etc.
5. to suck all the money out of the treasury so we can drown the government in a bathtub