Comments on: Time to think about Afghanistan end-game?

By: Claudius

Claudius — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:30:48 +0000

US democracy is a joke! The reasons the US started fighting the Taliban, or so we we told, is to bring democracy to the area, and right the wrongs of the Taliban. The persecution of women of girls, the killing of anyone not adhering to any and all forms of the so-called Muslim beliefs of the Taliban. Human rights to the Taliban to not exist, only their demonic ways. The US cares nothing for people only big business and politics that benefit them. It is disgraceful.

By: Andrew, UK

Andrew, UK — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:28:12 +0000

Western governments should either commit themselves to a total occupation of Afghanistan to eradicate opposition or should pull their troops out. The current half-hearted approach is achieving nothing and never will.

The Taliban are no threat to the West and Western governments have no business wasting their taxpayers’ money and the lives of their soldiers in fighting them.
The way the Afghans choose to run their country, whether by tyranny or liberalism, is a matter for them to resolve amongst themselves.

The country should be kept under close electronic and satellite surveillance by the West and IF it does again become a credible threat by providing training camps for terrorists, the camps should be blitzed by high level bombing as was done before, as often and for as many years as is necessary to suppress the threat. Innocent people will inevitably be caught under the bombs on occasion, but that is the responsibility of the Afghans who allow the camps to be set up.

Whatever the financial and political cost to the West, it is better than wasting the lives of Western soldiers.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:14:47 +0000

Afghanistan war has always been about the illegal drug trade that is controlled by the CIA. The Taliban was not producing enough poppy. They were against it. Osama Bin Laden is not wanted for 911. If you do not believe that, just check with the FBI. There is no evidence against him for it and thus he is not wanted for it. Check out this video if you do not believe me:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid= 8797525979024486145

By: Leonardo Starling

Leonardo Starling — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:37:39 +0000

let’s do what ONU decide!

By: tag jon

tag jon — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:25:17 +0000

This is a step that should have been considered a long time ago, when the Taliban’s excesses were still fresh. Now after all this time and clumsy policy towards Afghan rebuilding, a lot of people regard NATO presence as an invasion and no efforts are visible to rebuild the country and so more and more are joining the Taliban, something that never would have happened if instead years ago efforts were put more into reconstruction and providing support to a responsible independent government…As it is, the alliance still concentrates on military ops and support of a puppet Karzai and a corrupt regime while Afghans still lead lives as hard as ever. It’s no wonder Taliban regained strength and popular support for Karzai and the alliance is waning. The US misreads European reluctance to commit more troops as cowardice, but thats not the case, it’s because European members recognize the fact that the role of war in Afghanistan has long expired and there’s no point in turning this into a slugging match with the Taliban that spans into years and years. If Afghans see their country being rebuilt into something better with the help of the outside world and the country run in safe responsible hands of all various factions, then the existence of the Taliban will no longer be justified and it will die out by itself. It will not matter anymore.

By: Will

Will — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 22:11:52 +0000

“The Taliban are not terrorists…”

Yeah, tell that to the women who were beaten and stoned to death for such grievous crimes as exposing their hair, and walking in public without their husband, brother, or father as an escort.

By: Pakistani President: India not a Threat | Life Goes by Fast

Pakistani President: India not a Threat | Life Goes by Fast — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:36:55 +0000

[...] Time to think about Afghanistan end-game? [...]

By: Jeffrey Tischler

Jeffrey Tischler — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:31:23 +0000

There might be a case for disengaging and leaving the Afgan government in a position to contain the Taliban.

It is delusional to talk of achieving peace through negotiation. A little look at recent history would shed some light. What came of Andres Pastrana Arango’s attempts to appease the FARC in Columbia ? What of Zapatero’s negotiations with ETA ?

These people want to dominate and don’t mind killing innocents. Their only interest in negotiation is to buy time and get concessions. They will honor accords only when convenient to the end goal - total domination of their part of the world.