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<div>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:"</div>
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<div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,,2249826,00.html">http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,,2249826,00.html</a></div>
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<div>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:"</div>
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<div><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/15/AR2008011501381.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/15/AR2008011501381.html</a></div>
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<div>The invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq has not decreased overall terror attacks worldwide:</div>
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<div><a href="http://www.comw.org/pda/0609bm38.html">http://www.comw.org/pda/0609bm38.html</a></div>
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<p>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.<sup><a href="http://www.comw.org/pda/0609bm38.html#footnote1" name="footref1">1</a></sup> </p>
<p>Subsequently, both the Central Intelligence Agency and the State Department concluded in classified assessments that Iraq had become a prime training ground for terrorists.<sup><a href="http://www.comw.org/pda/0609bm38.html#footnote2" name="footref2">2</a></sup> 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. </p>
<p>Most recently, the classified 2006 National Intelligence Estimate, <i>Trends in Global Terrorism: Implications for the United States</i>, 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. <sup><a href="http://www.comw.org/pda/0609bm38.html#footnote3" name="footref3">3</a></sup> </p>
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<p>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. </p>
<p>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:</p>
<p>Info on John McCain's "100 years in Iraq" comment:</p>
<p><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2008/01/04/mccain-100-years/">http://thinkprogress.org/2008/01/04/mccain-100-years/</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS183560+07-Jan-2008+BW20080107">http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS183560+07-Jan-2008+BW20080107</a></p>
<p>Info on US military death and injury rates:</p></div>
<div><a href="http://icasualties.org/oif/">http://icasualties.org/oif/</a></div>
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<div><a href="http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraq_casualties.htm">http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraq_casualties.htm</a></div>
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<div>Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett</div>
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