What should happen in Afghanistan?

[Sanguine]

There is a lot of discussion as to what we should be doing in Afghanistan.  What do you think?  Are you a Rand Paul or a John Bolton, or something else entirely?

[Cyber Liberty]

Other.

We need to leave, and decide the logistics (so not "tomorrow").  Consider, for example, our hardware we brought.  I understand Afghan wants to charge us $$$ to remove our stuff, so we need to gather it into big piles, destroy them and then leave.  No sense in leaving the Taliban military equipment they can use against us.

This "exit charge" was discussed years ago, maybe back when Bush 43 was still President.

[Sanguine]

Other.

We need to leave, and decide the logistics (so not "tomorrow").  Consider, for example, our hardware we brought.  I understand Afghan wants to charge us $$$ to remove our stuff, so we need to gather it into big piles, destroy them and then leave.  No sense in leaving the Taliban military equipment they can use against us.

This "exit charge" was discussed years ago, maybe back when Bush 43 was still President.

Good point.  I'm going to add that option.

[mystery-ak]

Do a "Shock and Awe" and win the war.

I'm a Bolton fan...nuff said

[Cyber Liberty]

Do a "Shock and Awe" and win the war.

I'm a Bolton fan...nuff said

Ouch!  Tough day...I liked him too, but disagreed with many of his ideas.

[XenaLee]

Ok, I voted to pull out tomorrow (why are we making the same dumb mistake by being there that Russia did for years?).  But, I'm open to someone convincing me  (or to try) as to why that would be a bad idea. 

[Bigun]

I voted for the "Exit in a controlled manner" option fully realizing that the "Leaving noting for the Taliban to exploit" part carries MANY implications I doubt many have thought about.

[roamer_1]

Do a "Shock and Awe" and win the war.

I'm a Bolton fan...nuff said

Me too. A penultimate DEFCON from the foreign policy side... I would trust him to care about what the military needs there.

But a win was never in the cards. Afghanistan has broken the back of every army to ever attempt it.
Leaving is inevitable, but on our terms, without tucking tail.

[XenaLee]

Me too. A penultimate DEFCON from the foreign policy side... I would trust him to care about what the military needs there.

But a win was never in the cards. Afghanistan has broken the back of every army to ever attempt it.
Leaving is inevitable, but on our terms, without tucking tail.

I agree with that.   And no, never with "tucking tail".   Always with "making wisest decision for America".

[roamer_1]

I agree with that.   And no, never with "tucking tail".   Always with "making wisest decision for America".

 

[Right_in_Virginia]

Get out now … do a shock and awe on the way home. 

And burn every poppy field to white ash.

 

[EdJames]

Ok, I voted to pull out tomorrow (why are we making the same dumb mistake by being there that Russia did for years?).  But, I'm open to someone convincing me  (or to try) as to why that would be a bad idea.

Here, I made this desk for you:

[Cyber Liberty]

Here, I made this desk for you:

Pull out tomorrow, or risk the Birth of a Nation in 9 months or so....

 

[Ghost Bear]

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

[austingirl]

I regret the billions if not trillions spent on building infrastructure which the seventh-century savages promptly blew up. I do not think the war was worth a single life, limb, or eye. We should have ended it early and decisively from the air.

[corbe]

   'Shock and Awe' had the USSR, Churchill and Alex the Great had our resources, they would have done the same (early in the campaign), and we wouldn't be having this conversation today.

[XenaLee]

Here, I made this desk for you:

Uhhh.......

[bigheadfred]

This was always a CIA war. Including the Russian period.

[corbe]

[mystery-ak]

Get out now … do a shock and awe on the way home. 

And burn every poppy field to white ash.

 

I will change my mind if they do it this way...

[truth_seeker]

This was always a CIA war. Including the Russian period.

Why not ask that paragon of integrity, character and virtue, John Brennan, Mr. CIA

Then go and rummage around in the basement of the Deep State, for the "career" diplomates that have been working for decades, to do exactly what?

I am sure you will find many who disagree with Eisenhower's warning to avoid "millitary, industrial, Congressionaal complex, neverending situations.

The next time he muslim hordes attack us by air, it will likely be with drones they learned to build and fly, while studying in our universities.

"Islam is a religion of peace?  GW Bush

"Hearts and minds" Gen. Petreas, PhD. 

[bigheadfred]

"Our" job in that place was to restore the opium production. Do some shock and awe on the way out. Mostly as self-defense as we go.

Don't you people remember? The Taliban was killing EVERY person who even thought of growing a poppy. They had pretty much stopped it. Production was very low if not zero.

Here we come along and put it to right. We made them the number one opium-producing country in the world. Year after year after year...

We don't need to try to "burn every poppy field to white ash".

Production soared after the Taliban took control of most of the country in 1996. But it banned the crop in 2000, leading to a 75% drop in the global supply of heroin but leaving farmers destitute, as no alternative to poppy cultivation was provided.

Cultivation was at a historic low in 2001, when the US and its coalition partners invaded.

The Taliban will do it.

[EdJames]

Uhhh.......

 

[EdJames]

This was always a CIA war. Including the Russian period.

You got it buddy.... your subsequent post also tells a part of the story....

@bigheadfred

[jmyrlefuller]

Nuke them.