Posted on May 31, 2018
Why should the US stay in Afghanistan? Here’s what the top commander there said.
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"Agree or Disagree?"
I disagree. It's time to pull back militarily and continue our support from a political and humanitarian perspective. All we're doing now is trying to keep the democratically elected government from being overthrown by Taliban forces. If that is our true objective, we will be there forever.
I disagree. It's time to pull back militarily and continue our support from a political and humanitarian perspective. All we're doing now is trying to keep the democratically elected government from being overthrown by Taliban forces. If that is our true objective, we will be there forever.
Why should the US stay in Afghanistan? Here’s what the top commander there said.
Posted from militarytimes.comPosted in these groups: 
Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 2
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"Nicholson stressed that since U.S. forces first arrived in October 2001, “our country has not been attacked from Afghanistan.” There are still more than 20 designated terrorist organizations that operate in Afghanistan, including the Islamic State-Khorasan, which took root in Afghanistan around 2015."
Because bin Laden ran into Pakistan and hid out there for 10 years. That's why there aren't any attacks from Afghanistan and there weren't any "from" Afghanistan before. Yes bin Laden built up his group there and planned 9/11 but they just simply took advantage of all our gaps and vulnerabilities to conduct 9/11. Original KSM wanted to use 10 planes on both coasts.
We shouldn't have a military presence there. No matter when we leave, the Taliban is going to take back over. They can't keep people in their military. PLUS it's a tribal region. They don't care about a centralized national government. Their allegiances are to their tribes. That is why military presence is useless. We are just protecting the elected government and that's it.
Because bin Laden ran into Pakistan and hid out there for 10 years. That's why there aren't any attacks from Afghanistan and there weren't any "from" Afghanistan before. Yes bin Laden built up his group there and planned 9/11 but they just simply took advantage of all our gaps and vulnerabilities to conduct 9/11. Original KSM wanted to use 10 planes on both coasts.
We shouldn't have a military presence there. No matter when we leave, the Taliban is going to take back over. They can't keep people in their military. PLUS it's a tribal region. They don't care about a centralized national government. Their allegiances are to their tribes. That is why military presence is useless. We are just protecting the elected government and that's it.
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MAJ James Woods
Agree with you on the Tribal allegiances. All the more reason why a centralized government has to tap into those allegiances by making them part of the government. That has yet to happen most likely due to the extreme differences in ideology between the factions. Unlike in Iraq where Sunnis, Shi'a, and Kurds were all represented just not equally represented in government.
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
MAJ James Woods - But they won't because of all the ideological differences - just like Iraq. It's been this way for thousands and thousands of years. It's so egotistical and presumptuous of the US government to think they can change that. Not everyone wants to be like the US. Not everyone can be this way either especially with their ideologies so ingrained into their culture and politics. That's what the US government doesn't get or the public. They want a "win." But the "war on terror" is about as useless as the "war on drugs" and there is no "win" in either case.
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MAJ James Woods
You say just like Iraq but Iraq is clearly different and currently functioning as a government that has three religiously motivated political parties trying to influence policy. Iraqi people are defining their own government so lets not continue to compare Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Taliban and the Democratic factions of the Afghan people have to resolve their own differences. The US and NATO needs to butt out.
The Taliban and the Democratic factions of the Afghan people have to resolve their own differences. The US and NATO needs to butt out.
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We've been in Germany and Japan for 75 years or so and we've been in Korea for 70. Had we not done that the world would have a very different landscape. We completely withdrew from Iraq and look what happened there. Iranians and extremists moved in and started making a mess.
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MAJ James Woods
Think about that. What would've been the consequences behind each of your examples? Keep in mind, different countries, different cultures, different expectations, different desired outcomes.
Germany: Cold War initiative to prevent Soviet Union from turning it into a Communist nation. Thankfully, the Soviets lost their grip first otherwise it could have gone the other way.
Japan: US occupation since Japan is the real reason we entered the war in the first place. A bit of retribution behind the motivation as well as keeping Japan out of China's hands.
Korea: Same Cold War initiative as Germany except we're still at a state of war with that nation; unlike Soviet Union falling years after losing E. Germany to democratic unification, N. Korea still has a strong China as an ally.
Iraq: Still a democratic government trying to find balance between a democratic ideology and their religious cultures. Iranians are supporting the Shi'ites and the Saudis are supporting the Sunnis but as elections continue to happen, the people are deciding which side has the most influence in government. Sound familiar? It should as we see foreign influence in all democracies.
Thanks for trying to keep an open mind.
Germany: Cold War initiative to prevent Soviet Union from turning it into a Communist nation. Thankfully, the Soviets lost their grip first otherwise it could have gone the other way.
Japan: US occupation since Japan is the real reason we entered the war in the first place. A bit of retribution behind the motivation as well as keeping Japan out of China's hands.
Korea: Same Cold War initiative as Germany except we're still at a state of war with that nation; unlike Soviet Union falling years after losing E. Germany to democratic unification, N. Korea still has a strong China as an ally.
Iraq: Still a democratic government trying to find balance between a democratic ideology and their religious cultures. Iranians are supporting the Shi'ites and the Saudis are supporting the Sunnis but as elections continue to happen, the people are deciding which side has the most influence in government. Sound familiar? It should as we see foreign influence in all democracies.
Thanks for trying to keep an open mind.
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