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Politics : Foreign Policy Discussion Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (9360)	11/24/2009 6:05:15 AM
From: Chas.	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 15992

IMO, the Pakistan, Afghanistan, Taliban issue is bigger than USA can handle. There is too much political favoritism between Pakistan and Taliban...they need each other in their thinking ie India and the Kasmir...etc.. Our only chance in that part of the world is too pay them off and I'm not sure who "them" is anymore.... regards

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (9360)	11/27/2009 9:55:25 AM
From: Peter Dierks	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 15992

"President Bush left Afghanistan in good shape. It was stable and Nato troops were making gains all over the country. It was getting safer and more secure in fits and starts all the time." Not sure I agree with that assessment. I think Bush focused more upon nation building in Iraq than he did in Afghanistan. Afghanistan was treated as a "sideshow" with the Iraq effort was at it's height. However the surge troops had already been mostly drawn down when Obama took over. To use your words, the height had passed previously. More troops had already been deployed to Afghanistan. I think the Taliban smell hesitance in Obama's policies. ... Thus, anything they can do to make Americans believe that the war is un-winnable is what they will do. Which is an offshoot of what I wrote: "Obama is indeed dithering and appears poised to lose the war." Whether Obama is still caught up in the glow of his meaningless Nobel Prize or if he is just trying to lose the war the effect is the same. I agree that President Bush never tried to win Afghanistan by overwhelming force. He may also have used history as a guide. Conquerers have always failed in Afghanistan. We need to be an ally of a legitimate government and help them succeed. Dithering does not make us a good ally. I think it's even more important that we're not seen as being defeated in Afghanistan since their leaders will immediately use their victory as a recruiting tool to declare that "allah is with them". I think the more defeats we hand the Taliban, the more the perception will grow that, were "allah" with them, they would be undefeatable. Nor would Allah bless their killing and oppression of other Muslims. I agree with that assessment. When President Bush turned over their plans I think that momentum was on our side. Now it appears that momentum has shifted.