Afghan "surge" ends.Future of Afghanistan uncertain

[Papay]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/22/wo...ref=world&_r=0

What is certain is that the war will continue the years to come.20 years of war, the gift of foreign intervention in Afghanistan

[MathiasOfAthens]

A surge was never meant to be for-ever, hence the name surge.

[Panzerbear]

who is to blame though?

the foreign interventions, or uneducated rabble who likes to slice each other's throats instead of debating in parlament?

Afghanistan is one backward hell hole, always was, and will always be. I don't feel like we owe it to them to nation-build and micro manage their society.

[mrmouth]

For what it is worth the surge actually met all goals but one - in truly securing certain southern border areas. It just wasn't feasible given Pakistan's reluctance to play nice on that issue.

[Heinz Guderian]

what were the goals of the surge Barnaby?

[YuriVII]

Afghanistan is the way it is because it has been used as a battlefield for proxy wars during the Cold War between the two superpowers. Before the Daud Revolution Afghanistan was an isolated tribal kingdom with some enclaves of modernity.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Kabul 1960s

Kabul woman wearing mini-skirt 1970s

Afghan Woman countryside-1970s
Hydro-electric dam built with assistance of the Soviet Union circa 1960s.
These pictures almost illustrate a paradise lost. In rural areas I am sure it wasn't this nice or modern, but you can imagine they must have been much better of than they are today.
You know, my grandfather was a Soviet Army Doctor. Soviet Union sent him to Afghanistan to help build hospitals as a gesture of goodwill. My father as a child went with him and had fond memories from this trip. 20 years later he was sent to blow up those hospitals his father built. Irony is a cruel .

Hmmm, I wonder where Afghanistan would be today if the two superpowers didn't decide to open up a massive Pandora's Box? Its too bad, Afghanistan's fate is to be used as a warzone. They are a small country stuck in between too many large powers. Pakistani/Indians to the South, Iranians to the West, Chinese to the East, and Russians to the North. You think Harlem is a dangerous neighborhood, they've got nothing on the Afghans. Somewhat unfortunate attitude as well that Russians and Westerners both feel that the Afghans owe us something for invading their country and blowing it up.

As for surge, ISAF options are limited. Stay in Afghanistan and bleed for an unclear reason (bin Laden was killed in Pakistan) or move on and risk an undesirable regime like the taliban taking hold again. You know ISAF cant stay there forever. The war has to end sometime. It looks to me they might be preparing to withdraw the rhetoric points that way, Russia and Central Asian countries seem to also be positioning themselves in anticipation of the after effects.

[Heinz Guderian]

I reckon two towers and part of the pentagon is a fair exchange for all the meddling. Lets call it evens.

[s.rwitt]

I reckon two towers and part of the pentagon is a fair exchange for all the meddling. Lets call it evens.

Is this you admitting brown terrorists carried out 9/11 or have I been roofied (again)?

[Poet]

One thing is funny about every thread on Afghanistan, you won't have to wait for next page for blames on Pakistan, most often 5th or 6th post would change the course of discussion. We did not invite you to come here, none of 19 attackers was Pakistan. *Sigh* But after 9/11 war is peace, freedom is slavery and ignorance is strength.

[YuriVII]

If you are referring to my post, I wasn't blaming your country. Just pointed out bin Laden was found in Pakistan. If you read it I blame my country (both of them) more than anyone else since they were the REAL puppet-masters in this whole thing. And don't act like Pakistan was a neutral player in this either.

@Heinz
Well when are the Saudis gonna pay USA back?

[Heinz Guderian]

They trade oil in dollars and dont accept any other payment (even if it was to their benefit) and have therefore kept to the agreement Abdul Aziz and Nixon signed in the 60s. America provides the security so the House of Saud can enjoy the opulence and occasional blonde American woman, and the Saudis sell in dollars 4ever.

Are you gonna google "Saudi American Nxion oil agreement" or shall I?

[YuriVII]

It was rhetorical. We all know why USA doesn't touch the House of Saud.

[Humble Warrior]

Pakistan is still annoyed that the Americans walked into their territory with no permission at all to get Bin laden. Everyone knew that there would be a diplomatic penalty for that action.

As for Afghanistan: any sane person who read up on even a little history were pretty astonished when they heard the Allies were going into Afghanistan. Everyone knows the history and Sun tzu would most defintely have said `no`.

But y`see, men are strange. When they get that blood red revenge thing going, nothing will stop them making a mistake. We are lucky that half the world isn`t an irradiated crater.