More U.S. Troops to Avoid Afghan Failure

General Calls for More U.S. Troops to Avoid Afghan Failure By ERIC SCHMITT and THOM SHANKER

"WASHINGTON — The top military commander in Afghanistan warns in a confidential assessment of the war there that he needs additional troops within the next year or else the conflict “will likely result in failure.”

It seems that either the General is a pawn in a game he can't see, or he's simply a warmonger by nature and he'll leave the rationale to his bosses ("mine is not to reason why")

What's really happening? Nobody in his/her right mind thinks Americans are willing to spend the resources it would take to transform that country militarily - so why are we even trying?

My assessment is that the gang who suckered and duped America into a military invasion of the Middle East decided to move public attention away from the chronic failures in Iraq, and they just happened to have a war on the backburner that would serve the purpose: Afghanistan. So they shifted the TV "news" (that Great American Information Supply) away from Iraq and over to Afghanistan.

From this standpoint, it doesn't matter what happens in Afghanistan next, because it's already served a strategic purpose as attention-diverter. The war there will continue for some time until it's settled (with our troops leaving - the best we can hope for), and then we can expect that Iraq will be given the "that's old news" treatment, minimized on TV, and replaced by some new crisis. It is also very true that this whole thing can get out of hand and become much, much, much uglier, but I'm hoping for the best possible outcome: the bringing to justice of the people who made the invasion of Iraq happen with their lies, distortions and media manipulation. If we can do this, we stand a chance to recover from the damage their reign has wrought.

If we don't or can't do this, then the best of outcomes we can hope for is that Iraq and Afghanistan will join Vietnam as more stripes of disgrace across the American spirit.

Robert Fisk’s World: Everyone seems to be agreeing with Bin Laden these days by Robert Fisk

Columnist: Lobbyists thwarting Obama's Middle East peace drive by Daniel Tencer


Bill