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9/11 Wars more costly than Vietnam
U.S. military spending on the war in Iraq has nearly matched the cost of the war in Vietnam, according to a new Congressional Research Service analysis (pdf) of the financial costs of wars throughout U.S. history. And total post-9/11 U.S. military spending has exceeded the cost of Vietnam by a considerable margin.
The ongoing war in Iraq has incurred an estimated $648 billion to date, and total post-9/11 military spending including the Iraq War, Afghanistan and other terrorism-related military expenditures has reached $859 billion, the CRS reported.
The Vietnam War (1965-1975) cost an estimated $686 billion in 2008 dollars, the CRS said.
The total cost of the American Revolution (1775-1783) was $101 million, or about $1.8 billion in 2008 dollars.
The cost of World War II (1941-1945) was about $4.1 trillion in 2008 dollars, and consumed a massive 35.8% of gross domestic product. The Iraq war represents 1% of GDP today. U.S. military spending on the war in Iraq has nearly matched the cost of the war in Vietnam, according to a new Congressional Research... more -
Obama, The Prince Of Bait-And-Switch
John Pilger describes the denigration of the of civilian casualties in colonial wars, and the anointing of Barack Obama, as he tours the battlefields, sounding more and more like George W. Bush.
On 12 July, The Times devoted two pages to Afghanistan. It was mostly a complaint about the heat. The reporter, Magnus Linklater, described in detail his discomfort and how he had needed to be sprayed with iced water. He also described the "high drama" and "meticulously practised routine" of evacuating another overheated journalist. For her US Marine rescuers, wrote Linklater, "saving a life took precedence over [their] security". Alongside this was a report whose final paragraph offered the only mention that "47 civilians, most of them women and children, were killed when a US aircraft bombed a wedding party in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday".
Slaughters on this scale are common, and mostly unknown to the British public. I interviewed a woman who had lost eight members of her family, including six children. A 500lb US Mk82 bomb was dropped on her mud, stone and straw house. There was no "enemy" nearby. I interviewed a headmaster whose house disappeared in a fireball caused by another "precision" bomb. Inside were nine people – his wife, his four sons, his brother and his wife, and his sister and her husband. Neither of these mass murders was news. As Harold Pinter wrote of such crimes: "Nothing ever happened. Even while it was happening it wasn't happening. It didn't matter. It was of no interest."
A total of 64 civilians were bombed to death while The Times man was discomforted. Most were guests at the wedding party. Wedding parties are a "coalition" speciality. At least four of them have been obliterated – at Mazar and in Khost, Uruzgan and Nangarhar provinces. Many of the details, including the names of victims, have been compiled by a New Hampshire professor, Marc Herold, whose Afghan Victim Memorial Project is a meticulous work of journalism that shames those who are paid to keep the record straight and report almost everything about the Afghan War through the public relations facilities of the British and American military.
The US and its allies are dropping record numbers of bombs on Afghanistan. This is not news. In the first half of this year, 1,853 bombs were dropped: more than all the bombs of 2006 and most of 2007. "The most frequently used bombs," the Air Force Times reports, "are the 500lb and 2,000lb satellite-guided..." Without this one-sided onslaught, the resurgence of the Taliban, it is clear, might not have happened. Even Hamid Karzai, America's and Britain's puppet, has said so. The presence and the aggression of foreigners have all but united a resistance that now includes former warlords once on the CIA's payroll.
The scandal of this would be headline news, were it not for what George W Bush's former spokesman Scott McClellan has called "complicit enablers" – journalists who serve as little more than official amplifiers. Having declared Afghanistan a "good war", the complicit enablers are now anointing Barack Obama as he tours the bloodfests in Afghanistan and Iraq. What they never say is that Obama is a bomber.
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More at link. John Pilger describes the denigration of the of civilian casualties in colonial wars, and the anointing of Barack Obama, as he tours t... more -
Obama's excellent adventure
Senator Barack Obama's Middle East/Central Asia leg of his whirlwind world tour was as smooth as the three-pointer he shot in front of US troops. Military historian Gareth Porter explains what's left unsaid behind the triumphal profusion of meetings and photo opportunities.
Gareth Porter is a historian and investigative journalist on US foreign and military policy analyst. He writes regularly for Inter Press Service on US policy towards Iraq and Iran. Author of four books, the latest of which is "Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam". Senator Barack Obama's Middle East/Central Asia leg of his whirlwind world tour was as smooth as the three-pointer he shot in front of... more -
Obama's overseas success sends McCain scrambling
For months, McCain asked for it. On its website, the GOP set up a counter to track how long it had been since the last time it happened. McCain's supporters called for Barack Obama to halt all criticism of the War in Iraq until it took place. But now that Obama has begun his overseas tour, McCain is scrambling. For months, McCain asked for it. On its website, the GOP set up a counter to track how long it had been since the last time it happene... more
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Obama is saying the wrong things about Afghanistan
July 23, 2008 - Barack Obama's Afghanistan and Iraq policies are mirror images of each other. Obama wants to send 10,000 extra U.S. troops to Afghanistan, but wants to withdraw all American soldiers and Marines from Iraq on a short timetable. In contrast to the kid gloves with which he treated the Iraqi government, Obama repeated his threat to hit at al-Qaida in neighboring Pakistan unilaterally, drawing howls of outrage from Islamabad.
But Obama's pledge to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan will not be easy to fulfill. While coalition troop deaths have declined significantly in Iraq, NATO casualties in Afghanistan are way up. By shifting emphasis from Iraq to Afghanistan, would a President Obama be jumping from the frying pan into the fire?
During the Baghdad stop of his ongoing overseas tour, the convergence between the worldview of the presumptive Democratic nominee and that of his Iraqi hosts provided some embarrassing moments for the Bush administration. Obama and his traveling companions, Senate colleagues Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., issued a statement Tuesday after a day of consultations with Iraqi politicians and U.S. military commanders, affirming the need to respect Iraqi aspirations for a "timeline, with a clear date, for the redeployment of American combat forces." By then, in an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had already expressed support for Obama's proposal to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq within 16 months of his inauguration next January.
Although al-Maliki's spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, attempted to soothe ruffled GOP feathers by suggesting the Der Spiegel interview was mistranslated, al-Dabbagh came clean while Obama was in Baghdad on Monday. He confirmed that the Iraqi government hoped U.S. troops would be withdrawn within two years. Obama was thus able, in his joint statement with Reed and Hagel, to cite Iraqi attitudes for his own stance: "The prime minister ... stated his hope that U.S. combat forces could be out of Iraq in 2010."
In general, Obama's policies toward Iraq synchronize neatly with the aspirations of the Shiite-dominated elected Iraqi government, with an affirmation of the need to gain the consent of the Iraqis for any status-of-forces agreement with the U.S., and with a far greater emphasis on addressing the humanitarian crisis provoked by the U.S. invasion. On leaving al-Maliki's office, Obama was able to call his consultations with the prime minister "very constructive."
By comparison, Obama's criticisms of Bush administration policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan, and his determination to make those countries the centerpiece of his foreign policy, are more problematic. Obama's determination to put down the tribal insurgencies in northwestern Pakistan and in southern Afghanistan reveals basic contradictions in his announced policies. His plans certainly have the potential to ruffle Afghan and Pakistani feathers, and have already done so in Pakistan.
more by Juan Cole@url July 23, 2008 - Barack Obama's Afghanistan and Iraq policies are mirror images of each other. Obama wants to send 10,000 extra U.S. tr... more -
Unbelievable story of bravery: "grenade hero" wins George cross
A British Royal Marine who, in an extraordinary display of courage, threw himself on top of a grenade to protect his comrades, is to receive the George Cross.
Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, 24, triggered a trip wire which released a live grenade, when on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in February. He "immediately dropped to the ground and lay across the grenade, being blown into their air as it went off"!
In the split second it took for him to make the decision, he undoubtedly protected the rest of his patrol from serious injury, and probably death: Lt Croucher's bag cushioned him from the blast, leaving him with just "a nose bleed and a headache", while his comrades escaped with only "cuts and bruises."
The George cross is almost the equivalent of the extremely pretigious Victoria cross, and is essentially the same, except that is for actions which are not directly in the face of the enemy.
I've got to say though, how many people would have the initial reaction to jump ONTO the grenade: that's some SERIOUS guts.
A British Royal Marine who, in an extraordinary display of courage, threw himself on top of a grenade to protect his comrades, is to r... more -
British soldier killed in Afghanistan
The death of the 111th British soldier in Afghansitan since 2001 has been announced by the MoD.
The soldier is reported to have died on Tuesday, at the scene of a roadside bomb in Helmand Province, after sustaining "serious injuries". The death of the 111th British soldier in Afghansitan since 2001 has been announced by the MoD. ... more -
UK soldier killed in Afghanistan
According to reports, a British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan after the vehicle he was travelling in was hit by an explosive device, the Ministry of Defence has said. Another two were reportedly injured although their injuries aren't thought to be life threatening.
The injured soldiers, are serving with the Parachute Regiment's 2nd Battalion, and came under fire whilst on patrol in Southern Afghanistan. The solldier who died was with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, attached to the Parachute Regiment.
According to reports, a British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan after the vehicle he was travelling in was hit by an explosive ... more -
Warlords gang-rape 12-year-old girl, family threatens to commit mass suicide if j...
Uncle of the victim accuses the police chief to have links with the gunmen responsible for such crimes.
A 12-year old schoolgirl was gang-raped by five gunmen in Sarpul province in Northern Afghanistan.
The girl and her family asked Hamid Karzai to prosecute the rapists and take their case seriously. They threatened that if they are not provided justice, the whole family will commit mass suicide to get rid of such life. They say, the local authorities keep silence on such cases and did not act to arrest those responsible.
While crying, the rape victim told journalists that she was raped in a village called Baghabi in Sarpul province. She says five gunmen poured into their house in mid-night and after beating and abusing the family members, gang-raped her.
Ali Khan, uncle of the girl told Ariana TV that he has reported the case to the police and visited the police chief a number of times to ask for justice, but they do not pay attention to the issue and even abused and threatened him to be silent otherwise he will be jailed. He accuses the police chief to have links with the gunmen responsible for such crimes. But General Abdul Khaliq Samimi, police chief says they have arrested three people connected to the issue.
On February 18, 2008 a fourteen-year old girl named Bashira was gang-raped by three men in the same province. One of the rapists is Najibullah, the son of Haji Payinda, a member of parliament from Sar-e-Pul.
Sayed Noorullah, father of Bashira told Tolo TV on July 19, 2008 that the case against the rapist has not been followed property by the court, because the rapist is son of a member of parliament and they bribed the Forensic Medical Investigation department to show the 22-year-old rapist as being less than 18 to escape the charges based on law.
Sayed Noorullah threatened that if the rapists are not punished, he will become “a dangerous suicide bomber” and take revenge himself.
Gang-rape of young girls in the Northern provinces of Afghanistan by local warlords is very common but only few cases are reported by media, because it is usually risky for the journalists who report such issues. Uncle of the victim accuses the police chief to have links with the gunmen responsible for such crimes. ... more -
Former Osama Bin Laden Driver, A Connection to 9/11?
According to Msnbc.com/ the Associative Press, the prosecutor against Salim Hamdan, former Osama Bin Laden driver, said that the prisoner knew the target of the 4th hijacked plane on 9/11. He says that Hamdan heard Bin Laden say that the plane was heading for 'the dome' which was a reference to the nation's capitol. That plane had eventually crashed in a Pennslyvania field due to the passengers attacking the hijackers.
Salim Hamdan is the first prisoner to be tried to war crimes against the U.S since World War 2.
Harry Schneider, Hamdan's one of a few civil defense attorneys told the jury, that "The evidence is that he worked for wages, he didn't wage attacks on America," "He had a job because he had to earn a living, not because he had a jihad against America."
Prosecutors claim the the prisoner helped the Al-Qaida leader after 9/11 and also transported weapons from Afghanistan to the Taliban. A U.S special forces soldier said on the witness stand that he found two suface to air missiles in the Hamdan's car when Afghan forces captured him back in 2000 in November.
If convicted, Salim Hamdan faces a maxium life sentence. According to Msnbc.com/ the Associative Press, the prosecutor against Salim Hamdan, former Osama Bin Laden driver, said that the priso... more -
One Soldier's Suicide: James Jenkins
Suicides among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are reaching epidemic proportions.
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B-52 bomber Crashes in Guam kills at least 2
HONOLULU (AP) — The Air Force says at least two crew members are dead after the crash of a B-52 bomber off Guam.
Rescue teams are searching a vast area of the Pacific Ocean on Monday for the remaining four airmen.
The Coast Guard says six vessels, three helicopters, two F-15 fighter jets and a B-52 bomber are involved in the search.
The military says the B-52 was en route to a flyover in a parade when it crashed about 9:45 a.m. about 30 miles northwest of Apra Harbor. The plane was based at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
HONOLULU (AP) — Rescue crews were searching a vast area of floating debris and a sheen of oil Monday for crew members of an Air Force B-52 bomber that crashed off the island of Guam, officials said.
At least two people from the bomber's six-man crew were recovered from the waters, but their condition was not immediately available, the Coast Guard said.
Maj. Stuart Upton, a Pentagon spokesman, said the aircraft was unarmed.
Six vessels, three helicopters, two F-15 fighter jets and a B-52 bomber were involved in the search, which had covered about 70 square miles of ocean, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Lt. Elizabeth Buendia.
"We have an active search that's going to go on throughout the night," she said Monday. The Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force and local fire and police departments were involved.
The B-52 bomber based at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana was en route to conduct a flyover in a parade when it crashed around 9:45 a.m. Monday about 30 miles northwest of Apra Harbor, the Air Force said.
The Liberation Day parade celebrates the day when the U.S. military arrived on Guam to retake control of the island from Japan.
The Air Force said a board of officers will investigate the accident.
The accident is the second for the Air Force this year on Guam, a U.S. territory 3,700 miles southwest of Hawaii.
In February, a B-2 crashed at Andersen Air Force Base shortly after takeoff in the first-ever crash of a stealth bomber. Both pilots ejected safely. The military estimated the cost of the loss of the aircraft at $1.4 billion.
The B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that can refuel in mid air. Since the 159 foot-long bomber was first placed into service in 1955, it has been used for a wide range of missions from attacks to ocean surveillance. Two B-52s, in two hours, can monitor 140,000 square miles of ocean surface.
According to the Air Force's Web site, the B-52 Stratofortress has been the backbone of the manned strategic bomber force for the United States for more than four decades. It is capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory, including cluster bombs and precision guided missiles. HONOLULU (AP) — The Air Force says at least two crew members are dead after the crash of a B-52 bomber off Guam. ... more -
McCain owns first foreign policy gaffe during Obama's Iraq trip
As Barack Obama began his trip to the Middle East and Europe, the media was already speculating about the possibility of a gaffe. Obama's travel "carries political risk," the New York Times reported, "particularly if Mr. Obama makes a mistake."
But the only foreign policy error made in the last few days came this morning on ABC's Good Morning America, when John McCain made ANOTHER geography gaffe while trying to criticize Obama's visit to Iraq. (Just last week, McCain repeatedly referred to Czechoslovakia, a country that hasn't existed since 1993.)
Asked by Diane Sawyer whether the "the situation in Afghanistan in precarious and urgent," McCain responded: "I think it's serious. . . . It's a serious situation, but there's a lot of things we need to do. We have a lot of work to do and I'm afraid it's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border."
But as ABC's Rick Klein noted: "Iraq and Pakistan do not share a border. Afghanistan and Pakistan do."
As Barack Obama began his trip to the Middle East and Europe, the media was already speculating about the possibility of a gaffe. Obam... more -
Obama Arrives in Iraq after Talks with Afghan President
On Sunday, the second day of Barack Obama ’s foreign trip, he met with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan. Later, Obama flew to Iraq, where he will be meeting with U.S. Gen. Petraeus, as well as with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
A photograph and the video of Obama's first television interview on his foreign tour are included in the article. On Sunday, the second day of Barack Obama ’s foreign trip, he met with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan. Later, Obama flew to Ir... more -
SECOND GUANTANAMO
KABUL:: The US plans to build a vast 'second Guantanamo' were condemned yesterday. Human rights lawyers said they will attack America's use of its main Afghan base in Bagram as a legal black hole, as a place "where no laws apply".
Rights lawyers also accused Washington of targeting journalists to cover up its practices in Afghanistan and Iraq. "I think it is very clear that the reason the US chose to build it inside the base is that they did not like the independent decisions that would have come out of the Afghan judiciary," said lawyer Barbara J Olshansky.
The Pentagon has announced plans for a 40-acre, $60 million (BD22.6m) detention centre at the base.
The new center is intended to accommodate up to 1,100 prisoners.
The Bagram base, where 625 people are held without charges in wire mesh cages, has a notorious reputation of torture of humiliation of detainees.
Last month, the Afghan Human Rights Organisation said 10 children, aged 9-13, were being held there.
Hundreds of prisoners have also passed through Bagram on their way to Guantanamo Bay since the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan.
"Many people in Afghanistan and in Iraq that have been targeted for detention are local journalists covering the conflict in their own country," said Olshansky. KABUL:: The US plans to build a vast 'second Guantanamo' were condemned yesterday. Human rights lawyers said they will attack America'... more -
Tour of oldest oil paintings in the world
Cave paintings in Afghanistan have been declared to be the first oil paintings in the world, by Japanese experts.
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Obama would move troops from Iraq to Afghanistan
As part of his plan to renew America's war on terrorism presidential nominee Barack Obama has repeated a call for more US troops and greater funding for Afghanistan.
"The situation is precarious and urgent here in Afghanistan, and I believe this has to be our central focus, the central front in our battle against terrorism," said Obama.
"That global network is centered in this area, and I think one of the biggest mistakes we [the United States] have made, strategically, after 9/11 was to fail to finish the job here," he said. "We got distracted by Iraq. And now we have a chance to correct some of those errors."
As part of his plan to renew America's war on terrorism presidential nominee Barack Obama has repeated a call for more US troops and g... more -
Obama meets with Karzai, a leader he's criticized
Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama met Sunday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, a man Obama has chided for not doing enough to rebuild his war-torn country.
Obama and Karzai held talks and lunched together at the presidential palace in Kabul. Karzai's office released video showing the two men seated in front of a marble fireplace, chatting and smiling. They made no public comment.
Obama has made Afghanistan, where Taliban and al-Qaida-linked militants are resurgent, a centerpiece of his proposed strategy for dealing with terror threats. The candidate has said the war in Afghanistan deserves more troops and more attention as opposed to the conflict in Iraq.
Earlier in the day during breakfast with soldiers at Camp Eggers, a heavily fortified military base in the city, Obama praised the U.S. troops.
"To see young people like this who are doing such excellent work, with so much dedication ... it makes you feel good about the country," Obama said.
"I want to make sure that everybody back home understands how much pride people take in their work here and how much sacrifice people are making. It is outstanding," he said in video footage from the military obtained by The Associated Press.
Lt. Col. Dave Johnson, a U.S. military spokesman, said Obama and other visiting senators met with many soldiers and sailors from their respective constituencies.
While officially a part of a congressional delegation on a fact-finding tour also expected to take him to Iraq, Obama was traveling in Afghanistan amid the publicity and scrutiny accorded a likely Democratic nominee for president rather than a senator from Illinois. Security was tight and media access to Obama was limited by his campaign.
Traveling with Obama were Sens. Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican, and Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island. Both are military veterans and have been mentioned as potential Obama vice presidential running mates, although Reed has said he is not interested in the job and Hagel would be an unlikely cross-party choice.
Obama and others in the delegation received a briefing Saturday inside the U.S. base in Jalalabad from the Afghan provincial governor of Nangarhar, Gul Agha Sherzai, a no-nonsense, bullish former warlord. Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama met Sunday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, a man Obama has chided for not doing eno... more -
Coalition bombs kill 13 Afghan police
At least 13 Afghan police and civilians have died in two incidents involving international forces, officials say.
Four Afghan police and five civilians died in an apparently mistaken air strike by international coalition forces in Farah province.
Separately, the Nato-led Isaf said it had "accidentally" killed at least four civilians in Paktika province.
The incidents are the latest in a series of controversial clashes involving foreign troops.
They come as US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is in Afghanistan as part of an overseas tour.
Mr Obama, who wants to increase US troop levels in Afghanistan, was due to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday.
Mr Karzai has said no civilian casualty is acceptable.
The BBC's Martin Patience, in Kabul, says there was darkness and much confusion when the Farah province fighting took place in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The police had opened fire on a joint convoy of Afghan national army and foreign troops believing - incorrectly - that they were Taleban fighters.
The deputy governor of Farah province, Younus Rasuli, said the foreign troops had not informed police they were coming.
On hearing the gunfire, a number of locals had rushed to support the police, our correspondent says.
Nato and US coalition officials are investigating the reports.
In Paktika province, Isaf said at least four and possibly as many as seven civilians had been killed when one of its units fired two mortar rounds which landed about 1km from their intended target.
"ISAF deeply regrets this accident, and an investigation as to the exact circumstances of this tragic event is now underway," it said in a statement. At least 13 Afghan police and civilians have died in two incidents involving international forces, officials say. ... more -
Obama eats with troops before Karzai meeting
Sen. Barack Obama dined with U.S. troops at an American base in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday before an expected meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
"This is my favorite thing to do," Obama said, as he sat with about two dozen soldiers, sailors and airmen in a military mess hall in Kabul.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was visiting Afghanistan before he embarks on a tour of the Middle East and Europe, a trip aimed at boosting his foreign policy credentials.
The trip, which comes four months ahead of the presidential election, marks Obama's first visit to Afghanistan.
"The food is excellent, but the company's even better," Obama said. His loaded his plate with bacon and scrambled eggs, but he sidestepped the grits, saying "I'm going to try to be healthy."
Obama spoke briefly to a military reporter covering the event.
"To see young people like this, who are doing such excellent work with so much dedication and pride, it makes you feel good about the country," he said. "You want to make sure that everybody back home understands how much pride people take in their work here and how much sacrifice people are making. It's outstanding." Video Watch analyst discuss Obama's visit in Afghanistan »
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Anthony Lewis, a Houston, Texas, native who sat near Obama, said he was impressed with the senator's knowledge of football "and he also was in tune with what's going on."
"He's in tune with the people and the great part is he took time out of his schedule to come over and visit us not just at this camp but other surrounding camps in Afghanistan," Lewis said. "That says a lot about his trying to get in touch with the military, and that's great." Sen. Barack Obama dined with U.S. troops at an American base in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday before an expected meeting with Afghan P... more
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