Time to face facts In Afghanistan

By sharp contrast, I recently asked Karl Rove, President Bush’s former senior advisor, how the US could ever hope to win the war in Afghanistan. His eyes dancing with imperial hubris, Rove brightly replied, `More Predators (missile armed drones) and helicopters! Then we’ll go into Pakistan.’
Which reminded me of poet Hilaire Beloc’s wonderful line about 19th century British imperialism that I use in my new book, `American Raj:’ `Whatever happens/we have got/the Maxim gun* /and they have not.’
*Maxim gun – early machine gun
Though Karzai’s olive branch was rejected, the fact he made it public is very important. By doing so, both he and Gen. McKiernan broke the simple-minded Western taboo against negotiations with Taliban and its allies.
Let us remember that Taliban is not a `terrorist movement,’ as claimed by western war propaganda, but was founded as an Islamic religious movement dedicated to fighting Communism and the drug trade.
Taliban received US funding until May, 2001. In fact, CIA keep close contacts with Taliban, many of whose members were US-backed mujahidin from the anti-Soviet war of the 1980’s, for possible future use against the Communist regimes of Central Asia and against China. The 9/11 attacks made CIA immediately cut its links to Taliban and burn the associated files.
In recent years, Western war propaganda has so demonized Taliban that few politicians have the courage to propose the obvious and inevitable: a negotiated settlement to this pointless seven-year war. A noteworthy exception came last April when NATO’s secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who admitted the war could only be ended by negotiations, not military means.
The Karzai government cannot extend its authority beyond Kabul because that would mean overthrowing the very same Uzbek and Tajik drug-dealing warlords and Communists chiefs that are its base of power. There is no real Afghan national army, just a bunch of unenthusiastic mercenaries who pretend to fight.
The current war in Afghanistan is not really about al-Qaida and `terrorism,’ but about opening a secure corridor through Pashtun tribal territory to export the oil and gas riches of the Caspian Basin of Central Asia to the West. The US and NATO forces in Afghanistan are essentially pipeline protection troops fighting off the hostile natives..
Both Barack Obama and John McCain are wrong about Afghanistan. It is not a `good’ fight against `terrorism,’ but a classic, 19th century colonial war to advance western geopolitical power into resource-rich Central Asia. The Pashtun Afghans who live there are ready to fight for another 100 years. The western powers certainly are not.
As that great American founding father Benjamin Franklin said, `there is no good war, and no bad peace.’ Time for the West to face reality in Afghanistan.

Why aren't we invading Saudi Arabia? They have a good amount of oil, they have influence in Afghanistan, they recognize the Taliban as a government and not a terrorist group, thereby making themselves terrorist, and most importantly, they have a good amount of oil.

The Taliban are not terrorists, ChristmasAsen - they are Pathans, the largest Afghan tribe and the best warriors of Afghanistan. The Taliban's only concern is Afghanistan, ridding Afghanistan of all foreign military. The border between Afghanistan and the Northwestern Frontier Provinces is an artificial border which goes right through the Pathan country.

I was being sarcastic, which I thought would be more than apparent by the follow up statement declaring Saudi Arabia terrorist.

Sorry, I didn't realize you were being sarcastic. :)

The taliban have been at war for generations, and theres a reason they are alive. We cannot hope to invade them on their own teritory and win.

I cannot understand why the US dose not take a leaf out of the war in Vietnaam and drop napalm on the poppy fields which in turn would deprive the Taliban of a good income.

Maybe the US keep these operations going for some other purpose??

i don't think dropping napalm is a very good idea.

When will we realize this is the real war we should be fighting? I don't think the American public even realizes how horrible the situation in afghanistan is, they are too focused on this stupid election to think about it.

Crasstopher, not only were we lied to about Afghanistan just as we were lied to about Iraq, but that "war" (aggresssive occupation) in Afghanistan is unwinnable. We have no business being there just like we have no business being in Iraq.

The face of war has changed since Korea. The wars we face now are the type that Mao created when he fought the Japaneese in WWII. It's no longer armies facing each other over territory. Viet Nam, the Balkans, Mogodishu, South American conflicts, Iraq, Afganistan are all of a set. And not just ours; everybody's - the middle east, restive European countries,former Soviet Satelites. You can't win a guerilla war with troops - even if you posses the territory the fight doesn't end; that's not a win - that's a draw, and an expensive one, but only for the occupier. If your opponent has a safe haven to reconstitute, rearm & regroup then it goes however long they feel like doing it. I supported the Afgans fight against the USSR, and the Taliban were a part of that; but lost respect for them when they blew up the worlds oldest Buddah. This over aid that they didn't receive. I'm sorry, but I think the Taliban religious fanatics. I DON'T think they're going to give it up. If the war is going to stop, then you'll have to make an agreement with them. Diplomacy is the art of compromise. We may as well talk to them; shooting them hasn't done any good.

A waste---like trying to handcuff a boa constrictor.