U.S. Marines from the 2nd MEB, 1st Battalion 5th Marines, run out to assist after a helicopter dropped an emergency water resupply outside a compound in Afghanistan's Helmand province, on July 8, 2009. (AP)
It’s full battle time in Afghanistan. American troop levels surging. Daily firefights, roadside bombings, suicide attacks. Planes and helicopters going down. Poppy fields and opium stores ablaze.
Coalition forces are on the move, fighting, dying. Just three weeks in, this month, July, is already the deadliest for U.S. troops in nearly eight years of Afghan war.
A new top U.S. commander is armed with a new strategy: “clear, hold and build.” But the Taliban has strategies, too. And critics now call the war “Obama’s Vietnam.”
This hour, On Point: We’ll go to the heart of the fighting, and thinking, in Afghanistan.
You can join the conversation. Tell us what you think — here on this page, on Twitter, and on Facebook.
-Tom Ashbrook
Guests:
Joining us from Kabul, Afghanistan, is Laura King, reporter for The Los Angeles Times. She’s recently been in the country’s far eastern region, near the Pakistan border, at Forward Operating Base Salerno. Her piece in today’s LA Times reports on a new wave of coordinated Taliban attacks.
Also from Kabul we’re joined by Pamela Constable, reporter for The Washington Post. She’s just back from Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand Province, the focal point of the current coalition push. She’s also been in Faizabad recently, in the country’s remote northeast.
From Hardin, Montana, we’re joined by Gretchen Peters, a journalist who has covered the Afghanistan-Pakistan region for more than decade with the Associated Press and ABC News. She is author of the new book, “Seeds of Terror: How Heroin Is Bankrolling the Taliban and Al Qaeda.”
From Monterey, California, we’re joined by Kalev Sepp, professor of defense analysis at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. He is a retired Army lieutenant colonel and special forces officer. From 2007 to January 2009, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations Capabilities, helping to oversee global counterterrorism policy.
More links:
We’ve posted a roundup of videos and photo galleries on the recent fighting in Helmand and elsewhere in Afghanistan.
Tags: Afghanistan, Obama administration, pakistan, taliban, terrorism
We must discuss “Why we are in Afghanistan”.
There are legitimiate claims that Osama died in December 13 or 14, 2001.
We have no clue about what in the world has really happened on Sept 11, 2001.
There is not a single person in the Country of Afghanistan who is responsible for anything bad that has happened to any American.
Why in the world we label anybody who does not like to be invaded as “enemy” and “terrorist”.
We are feeding a group of (english speaking) corrupt elite who collaborate with occupiers in exchange with American dollars; while we are corrupting our own Military and Defense Contractors with the money we borrow from the Russians (ironic, eeeh) and the Chinese and the Japanese.
Enough is Enough!
Posted by Felipe, on July 22nd, 2009 at 7:59 am EDTAfghanis r being punished for the crimes of AlQaeda… aka Saudis.
Saudi Arabia is the country we should have invaded not Afghanistan but we didn’t do that that oil is more than justice.
Posted by Scott Kelley, on July 22nd, 2009 at 9:09 am EDTdon’t forget the oil pipeline that is supposed to be set up in southern afgan where majority of u.s. troops are based. or the same support for the the small northern part of the country who sided with the Russians, than sided with the U.S. in which the majority of the country do not support.
All Afgan as with Iraq is a P.R./propaganda campaign for corporate interest and future oil supplies, in the guise of freedom and democracy and the way the bush admin framed it so well it politically bad to withdraw now.
and by using reservist, it forces most of the country to follow lock-step , than using drones reduces u.s. deaths but increase afgans, but is good for propaganda since the U.S. can say the people die are all terrorist and troops deaths are low, and if found not to be get the case it is already out of the news cycle.
Dont forget the new News series wanted to catch a terrorist, war criminals living among us (Muslim of course) yet will never go after israel, and any western nation. Biggest infotainment ever.
Posted by Mike, on July 22nd, 2009 at 9:41 am EDTTwo things lately in the news:
Posted by Ellen DIbble, on July 22nd, 2009 at 9:58 am EDT(From some US official, military, top level, I think), something to this effect: We (Americans) can’t leave Afghanistan until we ensure the women there are safe. They are in greater danger there than anywhere else. We are responsible.
Is that for real? (Then I heard an Indian foreign minister defending that India is not somehow undermining Pakistan by India’s humanitarian presence in Afghanistan, as Pakistan, we read, insists. But if India is rebuilding the infrastructure — schools, clinics — why is the American/NATO effort crucial).
Second thing in the news. Probably a rerun from 60 Minutes: The U.S. effort to catch bin Laden was actually called off, a couple of times.
Is that for real? It seems so. The only reason would seem to be that we need a huge excuse for the War on Terror, a huge “target,” meaning an individual, not a culture that spawns a brand of criminal-mafia-type eruption. We need bin Laden as a focus and excuse. We must never actually catch him.
Mike up there must be right about the pipeline and an imperialist need to have a foothold in certain wildernesses and deserts.
Agree with the US Foreign Policy being corrupt. But how about the Military.
The top Commander in Afhganistan Stanley McChrystal
From Wikipedie:
>>>McChrystal was also criticized for his role in the aftermath of the 2004 death by friendly fire of Ranger and former professional football player Pat Tillman. The day after approving a posthumous Silver Star citation for Tillman that included the phrase “in the line of devastating enemy fire,” McChrystal sent an urgent memo warning senior government officials not to quote the citation in public speeches because it “might cause public embarrassment” if Tillman had in fact been killed by friendly fire, as McChrystal suspected. McChrystal was one of eight officers recommended for discipline by a subsequent Pentagon investigation but the Army declined to take action against him<<<
He "certainly" knew that it was a friendly fire, and knowingly and willingly "lied" about it, so that support for the illegal Occupation will not be hurt. That means he has a stake in our Occupation.
He is absolutely positively corrupt.
Posted by diana g, on July 22nd, 2009 at 10:17 am EDTWrong war, wrong country, wrong characters and no money.
End of the argument.
I was watching a program on the war in Afghanistan and for a brief moment they had a shot of marines spreading out through what looked very much like the rice fields of Vietnam. I thought that this is fast becoming very much like Vietnam. The call for more Afghan troops smacks of Vietnamization, or sounds very much like it.
While this is not Vietnam, the parallels are hard not think about. From a corrupt government to a very dedicated foe, the Taliban. The real victims here are the people of Afghanistan who are caught in middle of all this. They have nothing but war and destruction for the past 30+ years.
This might turn into Obama’s Vietnam. How ironic that Obama is trying to deal with a huge social issue. Health care. This is not dissimilar to what LBJ was trying to deal with, poverty. Vietnam derailed LBJ’s domestic agenda one wonders if Afghanistan will do the same to Obama?
Posted by Putney Swope, on July 22nd, 2009 at 10:35 am EDTIf I had a family member hurt in 9/11 I would go for the maximum investigation. I would follow that in the dark and the cold, like an Iditarod dogsled driver, till I had outed every lead. You go, girl.
Posted by Ellen Dibble, on July 22nd, 2009 at 10:55 am EDTI am hearing now that Afghans even in tribal regions do want improved governance. I don’t think it’s the responsibility of the U.S. (foreigners that we are) to do that. Pakistan and India (and Iran) are much better situated. In Iraq I remember crying in front of the TV when troops went in, crying because we would have to depend so much on the collaboration of a people who had been so distressed, for so long. I would cry the same if “my people” were locked up in prison, cry for the vulnerability, I think.
Before we talk about holding other nation’s leaders accountable for their ties to the drug trade, why don’t we hold our own leaders accountable. Iran-Contra was just the most famous case… and nobody’s head rolled. Former LA cocaine kingpin Ricky Ross also has a pretty interesting story, partially brought to light by congresswoman Maxine Waters, but it’s barely a peephole into the CIA’s global drug running intrigue.
Madcow is a site focused on narco-aviation news. Dig in..
Posted by Greg, on July 22nd, 2009 at 11:32 am EDThttp://www.madcowprod.com/
Tom, watch this!
Posted by Greg, on July 22nd, 2009 at 11:55 am EDThttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kIDD1euFXI
Richard Holbrook, is a disgraceful pick for Foreign Policy in Afghanistan,pushed the pakistan government to attack the swat vally, leaving 2million displace crops burned,(of course that not going to make it easier to recuit more taliban against U.S. interest) than Holbrook went there refused to deal with any of displace people, refused to deal with local reporters, only international reports to have the sound bite of the day.
A associate of mine who was in the reserves with me who went to iraq, and worked with blackwater told me when he return he was getting hired by them at 60k for 6months working with blackwater saying we should stay in iraq and help the people while on the other hand happy about all money he was going to be making working for blackwater.
Come on people there is more involved then simply proctecting afgans and spreading democracy. Even look at the die hard supports, who could not give a hoot if the same issues of poor, education happens in the U.S. or look when the afgan prez started critizing the u.s. and nato forces, all the attacks they came back at him(strong) and blamed him.
though AEI has less power a equally troublesome group was created something along the same lines . A neoliberal group that promotes the same goals that are advising obama and falls more in line with clinton.
Posted by Mike, on July 22nd, 2009 at 1:16 pm EDTGreat insight Mike. You are 100% right.
The “Neo-” crowd are aware of the fact that Republicans will never see a day of light purely due to the reality of Democraphics. They are corrupting Democratic Party from the inside.
The wave of loaded rich guys is coming from California (Hollywood) and New York (bankers).
I don’t think there hope fore our foreign policy, until we focus on American Constitution rather than Likud’s Party Charter.
Posted by dianna g, on July 22nd, 2009 at 1:37 pm EDTAll we do is to bribe the elite and selected few to work with the Occupiers. This fuels ethnic tensions.
The moment the money dries up, both Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt (price subsidy kingdom), Jordan will be worse than they were twenty years ago.
The alternative, is that we keep borrowing and bribing until hell freezes.
Since we are so hopeless, we should pressure China, Russia and Japan to force the US Government to convert the Department of Offense back to the Department of Defense.
Posted by carlos, on July 22nd, 2009 at 1:44 pm EDTgreat piece on npr if u can listen to it
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106890670
Posted by Mike, on July 22nd, 2009 at 3:59 pm EDT“Is that for real? (Then I heard an Indian foreign minister defending that India is not somehow undermining Pakistan by India’s humanitarian presence in Afghanistan, as Pakistan, we read, insists. But if India is rebuilding the infrastructure — schools, clinics — why is the American/NATO effort crucial).”
Ellen, do you have anything against India – a country that has maintained democracy for 60+ years when others predicted its collapse within a few years of gaining independence in 1947, and while there have been some hiccups, people of different religions and customs and traditions, for the most part, do live peacefully, and the Constitution guarantees equal rights for all? Compare that to Pakistan where minorities suffer (look up persecution of Ahmaddiyas which is encouraged by the Islamic state), dictatorships and nurturing of terrorism by the Pakistani State. Seems to me that this theme of distrusting India and being an Indiaphobe is a regular feature of your comments, ignoring the facts and history.
Why? I don’t know. Ignorance or malice? You tell me.
Posted by Amrit, on July 22nd, 2009 at 5:40 pm EDTAmrit, I was trying to advance the idea that India has been putting forth on the TV that I’ve been seeing that they are playing a very constructive role in Afthanistan. And I’m fishing around for help in this forum because I’ve been hearing (also on TV but in news magazines and probably NPR as well) that Pakistan views India as playing a very destructive role in Afghanistan. Are they blaming India? I know the situation is very complicated between the two nations.
Posted by Ellen Dibble, on July 22nd, 2009 at 6:30 pm EDTBut just in Afghanistan, it seems to me with India, credit where credit is due, India is probably doing a whole lot better than the U.S. is. And I believe I heard that confirmed on NPR today. I am trying to get more specifics, to understand why I’m getting two very different pictures. I thought India’s role was all positive, so why the mistrust?
I guess you’re asking the same question.
the new neo liberal group Center for a New American Security. since listening to them on npr there continue to promote staying in iraq , and afgan and with some of same policies AEI promotes
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106894651
Posted by Mike, on July 22nd, 2009 at 6:43 pm EDTObama is at least saying he is pulling the troops out of Iraq. What that means in reality, we shall see.
Afghanistan has history on it’s side for bringing down governments who try to occupy the country. As I have commented on before I think if Obama is not real careful this will be his Vietnam. He should think about getting out soon, real soon. As far as containing the Taliban, well terrorism is best fought as a police problem and not through invading countries.
We can’t completly stop it. I read somewhere statistic that your more likely to be struck by lightning and killed than being killed in a terrorist attack. Something all Americans should really think about instead of running around like chicken little screaming the “the sky is falling”.
Posted by Putney Swope, on July 22nd, 2009 at 6:52 pm EDTCoalition Troops? What Coalition Troops?
God knows what kind of bribery has been going on with other countries … so that they can send a few soldiers so that we can say N number of Coalision Countries.
This whole thing is a scam and a feeding frenzy at Afghani Suffering and Division with our Dollars fueled by the Neo-Zions who bought our Government.
Let’s talk about the reason, Why we are in Afghanistan.
Osama, Who?
Posted by Lilya Lopekha, on July 22nd, 2009 at 7:17 pm EDTI listened to the USSR fight the Afgani’s while we were there supporting the Muja Hadeen which included Osamma Bin Laden. We didn’t finish our mission then and we won’t do it this time. The Russians left when they realized they couldn’t win. When will we realize we are in the same place? Our values are not theirs.
Posted by Greg, on July 22nd, 2009 at 7:40 pm EDTThese are new kinds of Wars
We (The Congress) starts wars like drunken sailors.
Who does not want to be involved in “wars” which promised “jobs” at the beginning against the poorest countries. Not much objection, other than millions of people in the street protesting, while the Media is in deep sleep.
Imagine… the firing power ratio:
800 to 1 in Iraq and 5600 to 1 in Afghanistan
The moment an insurgent comes out to the open against American Firing Power, they get vaporized.
Therefore, the only way the insurgents/the occupied can win against us is how fast and how violently they can kill each other, so that we will say… ok, we cannot maintain security, so we are getting the hell out.
Are we really Brave?
Posted by brianna, on July 22nd, 2009 at 8:15 pm EDTAmrit, I was trying to advance the idea that India has been putting forth on the TV that I’ve been seeing that they are playing a very constructive role in Afthanistan. And I’m fishing around for help in this forum because I’ve been hearing (also on TV but in news magazines and probably NPR as well) that Pakistan views India as playing a very destructive role in Afghanistan. Are they blaming India? I know the situation is very complicated between the two nations.
Ellen, so you have the facts in front of you, yet you mistrust India and are eager to believe what Pakistan says, knowing their history of supporting terrorism??? Guess that tells me more about your thinking and your misplaced values than anything else.
Posted by Amrit, on July 22nd, 2009 at 8:35 pm EDTEllen, here’s a link for you to read and educate yourself on Pakistan’s actions: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/whats-the-point-in-talking-to-pakistan/491218/0
Posted by Amrit, on July 22nd, 2009 at 9:05 pm EDTAmrit, that’s a great link. It’s more about Pakistan (which I think the media has informed us about here ad nauseam, PBS TV at least, Charlie Rose, Wide Angle, that sort of thing), but the Indian perspective of your link is not tainted by the US “propaganda.” I look forward to printing out a bunch of the articles in the morning. Tonight my neck has got all twisted from watching all the videos this forum’s producer posted in the sidebar.
Posted by Ellen Dibble, on July 22nd, 2009 at 10:40 pm EDTThe reason for posting my curiosity about India’s role in Afghanistan is partly ignorance but partly because the people who post here (like yourself) can often offer up very useful points of view and info. I would not say I distrust India. I can see why the U.S. got awfully cozy with a Pakistani dictator when bin Laden was hiding in their mountains. After 9/11 Colin Powell must have made phone calls to Musharef (right?) that Americans would rather not have to make.
Lately I have been appalled about the displacement of the millions of Pakistanis from their farms in high farming season, and don’t know whom to trust for news there about why, who, how, what $$. Maybe I’ll trust you, Amrit. Even about Pakistan, though it’s India you stand up for.
Amrit,
Posted by Syed, on July 22nd, 2009 at 11:45 pm EDTThe link you provided is an op-ed written by Tavleen Singh. For people here in US let me tell you that she is Bill O’Rielly of India.
“Amrit,
The link you provided is an op-ed written by Tavleen Singh. For people here in US let me tell you that she is Bill O’Rielly of India.”
Thanks for the laughs, Syed. Want to counter any of her facts in her op-ed instead of making unsubstantiated mis-characterizations? If according to you, she’s equivalent of Bill O’Reilly, I wonder what would Pakistan and its rulers who have supported terrorism, be? Two times Cheney and neo-cons??
Posted by Amrit, on July 23rd, 2009 at 12:15 pm EDT“I can see why the U.S. got awfully cozy with a Pakistani dictator when bin Laden was hiding in their mountains.”
Ellen, US has been cozy with Pakistan and its numerous dictators right after Pakistan was formed in 1947, to prevent it from falling under the influence of then-USSR. India decided to stay neutral, though it had friendlier relationships with USSR/Russia than the US.
Posted by Amrit, on July 23rd, 2009 at 12:48 pm EDTAmrit, I heard last night that the Bush administration had advanced a positive relationship with India (a Republican think tank person, I presume, offered that as a major contribution of George W. Bush), and so now Hillary Clinton goes to India, and says, “I’m back,” which this think-tanker suggests that in Obama’s 6 months, this admininstration has stepped back from India. What do you think of that?
Posted by Ellen Dibble, on July 23rd, 2009 at 1:11 pm EDTI can well believe the US during the Cold War would cozy up to any country seen as a shield/buffer against the USSR without regard to the sort of morality of their government. I am hoping this country gets beyond that to a foreign policy that does not see countries black and white like that.
It squares with my sense of things that the US saw India as more friendly with the USSR than the US, and sort of suspect that way. I don’t think any of that is left. I hope not.
We should begin to withdraw from Afghanistan. The local government and people are too corrupt and backwards for us to help any longer. I’m tired of watching our people die in a far off land like the British did. It’s time to leave.
Posted by Amy Kastin, on July 23rd, 2009 at 6:09 pm EDTAmrit,
Here is the link to an article called ‘Calling Tavleen Singh’s Bluff’…go educate yourself.
http://www.expressindia.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=39119
Posted by Syed, on July 23rd, 2009 at 6:56 pm EDTSyed, is this Teesta Setalvad the same person – a journalist – who made up macabre stories about atrocities in Gujarat to influence public opinion? BTW, Tavleen Singh’s article that I linked to is about Pakistan, not about NGOs or Communalism Combat.
Posted by Amrit, on July 23rd, 2009 at 10:35 pm EDT[...] http://www.onpointradio.org/2009/07/the-new-fight-in-afghanistan Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)How A Modest Hero Saved His Band of BrothersDeadliest Day for U.S. Forces in Afghanistan in Year as Attacks Kill 7 TroopsMarines Push Deeper into S. Afghan Towns [...]
Posted by Afghanistan Today-The GWOT Hot Spot-7-24-09-Friday « Orangekite1’s Weblog, on July 24th, 2009 at 1:19 am EDTWhy is BUR removing comments?
Lyila for your information there are not coalition troops in Afghanistan, they are NATO. Do a little research before you make you absurd comments.
Also Zionism has nothing to do with any of this. Again your trying to use language that points to some kind “Jewish Zionist” conspiracy to control the world.
This is a clear form of Antisemitism.
Posted by Putney Swope, on July 26th, 2009 at 10:49 am EDTWhy is BUR removing comments like mine which called someones comment Antisemitism while leaving the offending comment?
Is BUR in congress with this kind of ideology? Do they support this kind of statement?
This whole thing is a scam and a feeding frenzy at Afghani Suffering and Division with our Dollars fueled by the Neo-Zions who bought our Government.
Posted by Putney Swope, on July 26th, 2009 at 10:52 am EDT