[Vision2020] US Afghanistan Troop Increase:McCain:100 Year US Iraq Occupation?

[Ted Moffett]

All-

The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001, and overthrew the Taliban government in
the name of fighting terror and capturing Osama Bin Laden, who was called
the master mind behind the 9/11 attacks. Yet this nation has since
increased opium production, is run greatly by brutal war lords involved in
the drug trade, despite Karzai's so called central government, still has a
large contingent of Islamic militants operating in or near its borders, Bin
Laden remains at large (if he is still alive), while a new report indicates
Afghanistan could become a "failed state:"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,,2249826,00.html

It seems it was not a "successful" state under the Taliban, nor before when
the Soviets were trying to impose their rule, nor at any time since the US
invaded.  There are definite plans to increase the US troop presence in
Afghanistan next Spring, six years since we "won" that war, if pounding a
primitive rag tag group of poor fighters armed with third world weapons into
the ground with Daisy Cutters, laser guided bombs, and high tech satellite
surveillance, is "war:"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/15/AR2008011501381.html

The invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq has not decreased
overall terror attacks worldwide:

http://www.comw.org/pda/0609bm38.html

Among British and American intelligence agencies there is little question
that the post-9/11 wars -- and the Iraq war, especially -- have contributed
significantly to post-9/11 terrorist activity and capabilities -- not only
inside Iraq, but outside as well. In early 2005 the directors of both the
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Defense Intelligence Agency
testified to this effect before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence,
saying that the Iraq war was serving to recruit
terrorists.1<http://www.comw.org/pda/0609bm38.html#footnote1>


Subsequently, both the Central Intelligence Agency and the State Department
concluded in classified assessments that Iraq had become a prime training
ground for terrorists.2 <http://www.comw.org/pda/0609bm38.html#footnote2>  A
principal concern of these assessments was the problem of terrorist
dispersal or "bleed out" to other countries. In this regard, it is
noteworthy that the incidence of tactical activity most typical of small
terrorist cells is much higher in Iraq than was the case in Afghanistan
during the 1990s. These tactics include assassination, kidnapping,
suicide-bombing of various types, and the use of remote-control bombs.

Most recently, the classified 2006 National Intelligence Estimate, *Trends
in Global Terrorism: Implications for the United States*, has been reported
to conclude that terrorism is on the rise globally, partly driven by the
Iraq war. The significance of this document is that it represents the
consensus view of America's 16 intelligence organizations.
3<http://www.comw.org/pda/0609bm38.html#footnote3>


--------------------

And for those defending the Bush administration "War on Terror" strategy by
pointing out the USA has not suffered a domestic terror attack since 9/11,
as the confirmed US military death toll in Iraq approaches 4000, with the
military wounded total over 28,000, the "terror" attacks are coming home
anyway, with horribly tragic consequences, as the US occupation of two
Islamic nations fuels a new generation of Islamic militants who oppose these
US occupations, as the US's own intelligence gathering experts quoted above
indicate.  As the Iraq death toll has dropped, now the US must send more
troops to Afghanistan as attacks there are increasing.

John McCain is probably right in asserting the US might be occupying Iraq in
100 years.  I don't agree with his support for the continued long term
occupation of Iraq, but given the assumptions of the "War On Terror," and
the opposition it will likely inspire in the Islamic world, the fight could
go on for another 100 years:

Info on John McCain's "100 years in Iraq" comment:

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/01/04/mccain-100-years/

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS183560+07-Jan-2008+BW20080107

Info on US military death and injury rates:
http://icasualties.org/oif/

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraq_casualties.htm

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Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
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