Minerals In Afghanistan, Oh My!

I'm sure this shocks and surprises you as much as it did me. Suddenly it is big news (even though it's old) that Afghanistan has untold mineral resources valued by the Pentagon at a trillion dollars. Whether or not the price tag is a trillion d0llars even, the fact that the army is making a big deal shows that unfortunately, the U.S. government will facilitate multinational corporate interests to tap all that the Afghanis have. Of course, I have a feeling that the locals might have something to say about that....just ask the Russians, oh and yeah, ourselves.

Col. Rick Reyes Tells Congress Why We Should Leave Afghanistan

It is one thing for pundits and politicians to argue for and against about our presence in Afghanistan. It is quite another to hear how a soldier speaks from his experience on the ground in the war-torn country and how he came to believe that our military mission was not the answer to the Afghani people's problems.

The Debate Over What To Do In Afghanistan

Right after 9/11, a quick consensus was formed that we had to go into Afghanistan in order to get the terrorists that attacked us. So we went in and wiped the Taliban from power. Now more than seven years later, the Taliban is resurging and all we can do is send in more troops. Katrina vanden Heuvel is one of an increasing number that want to rethink Afghanistan, and she debated Center for American Progress fellow Lawrence Korb on what we should do in that troubled country.

Does Obama Get It With Afghanistan?

He looks good, he sounds good, but still, Obama just sent 4,000 troops over there in addition to the original 17,000 slated for duty this year. The only thing I find comforting is that at least he claims to understand that throwing more troops at a problem does not necessarily solve the crisis you are dealing with. Hopefully he means what he says.

The Time Is Now To Get Afghanistan Right

Two days ago a group of progressive bloggers got together to expound on one single message, to get Afghanistan right. The new Administration will take power in less than one week and we still do not have a good way of dealing with that country. Obama's ideas of escalation simply won't work. I trust that he means well, but looking at the history of Afghanistan and our current role in the world and that at home, it is time to be smart about what we are going to do in the coming years.

From Get Afghanistan Right:

Opinion Leaders Launch Week of Blogging, Jan. 12-18, Opposing Military Escalation

Washington, D.C.--A group of bloggers, writers and activists today launched "Get Afghanistan Right Week," the start of an ongoing campaign to oppose military escalation in Afghanistan. From January 12-18, they will post stories and relevant materials to publicize growing opposition to the idea that more troops will bring stability to Afghanistan or secure the United States. Participants argue that Afghanistan has become an un-winnable, deepening quagmire, and that escalation will drain resources needed for recovery efforts at home. The group will post their work on various high-traffic websites and aggregate their work on a new website, GetAfghanistanRight.com.

Participants include:
Brave New Films' Robert Greenwald
Katrina vanden Heuvel of The Nation
Alex Thurston and Jason Rosenbaum of The Seminal
Howie Klein of DownWithTyranny!

"With the economy continuing a severe decline and the international scene in turmoil, we absolutely cannot afford a hugely expensive troop increase in Afghanistan. The country desperately needs many of the reforms and programs proposed by the incoming Obama administration. But, an escalation in Afghanistan will cripple our ability to mitigate the effects of the recession while making that country less stable. The success of the President-elect's broader agenda depends on his ability to get us out of President Bush's wars," Robert Greenwald said.

Debate about the future of U.S. policy in Afghanistan intensified in recent weeks as the economic recession deepened and questions arose regarding several key aspects of the Afghanistan crisis:

• The New York Times' Thom Shanker and Christopher Drew revealed that an escalation in Afghanistan would be enormously expensive. "It is significantly more expensive to sustain each soldier in Afghanistan than in Iraq because of Afghanistan's landlocked location and primitive road network."
  
• The Times' Dexter Filkins reported that "the government of Afghanistan is shot through with corruption and graft. ...[T]he state built on the ruins of the Taliban government seven years ago now often seems to exist for little more than the enrichment of those who run it." Rampant corruption in Afghanistan's political apparatus could doom the counterinsurgency strategy that provides the impetus for a surge. According to The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual, when countering an insurgency, "legitimacy of the host nation government is a north star".
  
• Escalation proponents often cite the cause of Afghan women as a reason to put more troops in their country, but the Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) recently denounced the Karzai regime and U.S. policy: "...[T]he country has been turned to a mafia state and self-immolation, rape and abduction of women and children has no parallel in the history of Afghanistan....RAWA strongly believes that there should be no expectation of either the U.S. or any other country to present us with democracy, peace and prosperity."
  

"An escalation would drain resources that are vital to President-elect Obama's goals for an economic recovery, health care, and social justice at home, while impeding other critical international initiatives such as the Middle East Peace process and a regional diplomacy in South Asia. On national security grounds, a U.S. occupation would be counterproductive to the stated goal of defeating Al Qaeda. This week, I and others will blog on this issue to raise awareness about the need to oppose an escalation and to get Afghanistan right," Katrina vanden Heuvel said.

Concerned citizens, members of the press and writers seeking to join the week of blogging can learn more at GetAfghanistanRight.com.

What are you waiting for? Sign up now and be a part of the solution.

Fighting Terror With....Viagra?

When it comes to Afghanistan, Western intelligence operatives have come to realize that carpet-bombing innocent civilians does not provide the best information. Now, making friends with the locals is great, but it seems that giving key elders that little blue pill made by Pfizer is even better.

What The Army Doesn't Want You To Know

Change and transparency have been promised to be delivered by Barack Obama when he takes office two months from today, but that is a long time a way when it comes to cover-ups and the low level of trust Americans should have in their nation's military. The scandal surrounding the death of Pat Tillman was a sad story, but unfortunately this "friendly-fire" occurrence was not an isolated incident. In fact, it was one of the better ones because at least his mother could piece the details together, unlike what the army is doing with the similar tragedies that befell other troops.

From RawStory:

In late 2006, two American soldiers from Fort Carson died in Iraq. The army said the privates were killed by enemy action. But in October of this year, Salon revealed that the two men had in fact been killed by friendly tank fire.

Now, Salon has found that the documents related to the men's deaths were shredded just hours after the story was published.

"Three soldiers at Fort Carson, Colo. -- including two who were present in Ramadi during the friendly fire incident, one of them just feet from where Nelson and Suarez died -- were ordered to shred two boxes full of documents about [Albert] Nelson and [Roger] Suarez," reporter Mark Benjamin writes. "One of the soldiers preserved some of the documents as proof that the shredding occurred and provided them to Salon. All three soldiers, with the assistance of a U.S. senator's office, have since been relocated for their safety."

The night the Salon story ran, Oct. 14, 2008, a staff sergeant told three soldiers to shred two boxes of documents relating to the privates' deaths.

That is exactly the type of accountability (or lack there of) that needs to be quashed. If someone screws up, they must face the consequences of their actions. If it was a mistake by another soldier, then it should be dealt with out in the open, not hidden, not lied about and not leading to a situation that desecrates those that die from friendly fire. The families of our brave men and women need to be told the truth, even if it embarrasses the Pentagon.

Palin Hits Obama For Decrying War Crimes

Lindsay Graham says that the McCain campaign needs to unleash Sarah Palin quickly or else they're stupid. I wholeheartedly agree with the first part of that statement. We need more Sarah Palin out there on the campaign so we can hear about what a tremendous idiot she is. In Sarah's head, George Bush has done a heckuva job in Iraq and Afghanistan. Anyone that says otherwise hates America and for Barack Obama, isn't qualified to be Commander-in-Chief. That goes double if you don't like war crimes and carpet-bombing innocent civilians.

From RawStory:

In a remark that is sure to be controversial, Palin also told Cameron that Barack Obama's statements "about the war" should "disqualify someone from consideration as the next commander in chief," because "some of his comments about Afghanistan and what we're doing there -- supposedly just air-raiding villages and killing civilians -- that's reckless."

Time Magazine's Mark Halperin found Palin's implication that Obama ought to be "disqualified" as a candidate for his criticism of Bush administration policy unusual enough to be worth quoting at "The Page," though he did so without comment.

Palin's statement about Obama came in the course of some negative remarks about her earlier interviews with Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric. She confessed to Cameron that "the Sarah Palin in those interviews was a little bit annoyed," because the "media elite" expected her to answer the questions they asked instead of saying what she thought "Americans want to hear."

If Sarah Palin actually cared to read anything about what goes on outside of Wasilla, she'd know what happens in Afghanistan. Of course she doesn't and blindly attacks Obama without having a clue about war and what that means to the people that live in a war zone. Most Americans however, are opposed to war and especially war crimes. We want to get the hell out of Iraq, get the terrorists that got us and then get the f*&k out of there, so we can focus on what really matters, improving the quality of life here at home.

Mrs. Palin however, wants to talk to the public without anyone criticizing her or filtering through her lies. Americans can hear what she thinks she wants them to hear during the debate or in a 30 second ad. Otherwise, I think I'll take that filter, even if it is Katie Couric. Though I must say, Couric did a great job in showing just how "annoyed" Palin is with answering questions that might cause some concern for people choosing a President and a Vice-President. If you don't read newspapers, that is a problem. If you don't know of a Supreme Court case other than Roe v. Wade, that is a problem. If you want to make it illegal for a 15 year old child to have an abortion after being raped by her father, that is a problem.

Sarah Palin, I think we'll continue to get your statements with a strong filter, dontcha know?

The Case Of Mohammad Ahktiar And The Failure Of Our Gov't

Before McClatchy Newspapers investigated the case of Mohammad Ahktiar, barely anyone knew his name in the American or even international public. Ahktiar has been imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay for years now and for no good reason other than that terrorist groups passed false information to the United States. He has been attacked in prison for helping the Afghan government, not fighting it, U.S. forces or anyone of the kind.

From McClatchy:

GARDEZ, Afghanistan — The militants crept up behind Mohammed Akhtiar as he squatted at the spigot to wash his hands before evening prayers at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

They shouted "Allahu Akbar" — God is great — as one of them hefted a metal mop squeezer into the air, slammed it into Akhtiar's head and sent thick streams of blood running down his face.

Akhtiar was among the more than 770 terrorism suspects imprisoned at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. They are the men the Bush administration described as "the worst of the worst."

But Akhtiar was no terrorist. American troops had dragged him out of his Afghanistan home in 2003 and held him in Guantanamo for three years in the belief that he was an insurgent involved in rocket attacks on U.S. forces. The Islamic radicals in Guantanamo's Camp Four who hissed "infidel" and spat at Akhtiar, however, knew something his captors didn't: The U.S. government had the wrong guy.

The worst thing is that they knew Ahktiar and many others were wrongly imprisoned and did nothing to help them with their situation. On top of that troops beat the prisoners often and without regard for presumed guilt or innocence. The Bush Administration helped to form this culture of snatching up people who were completely innocent or had little intelligence value. Instead of trying to make things right and send the wrongly accused back home to their families, secrets and lies were added to the mix from the lowly prison guards all the way on up to the President himself.

The whole article is a damning account of what has and does go on at Guantanamo Bay. McClatchy has been investigating the prison for months and has interviewed dozens. Check their site for continuing stories on Guantanamo throughout the week.

Hillary Lied About MoveOn, Which Was Formed To Help Her Hubby

If Barack Obama has the "Audacity to Hope," then Hillary Clinton has the audacity to think she can win. As if bashing San Francisco wasn't bad enough, it turns out she criticized and lied about MoveOn, the very organization that was formed to help her husband during his impeachment crisis.

MoveOn, as in "Bill was a bad boy but now we need to Move On" got its start ten years ago in the wake of the Republican frenzy to remove Bill Clinton from office over sex and now has grown into a dominating force of 3.2 million people that only want to see Democrats win in office and protect the progressive values they hold dear. Two months ago they weighed their options between Barack and Hillary and an online democratic vote was held that determined they would endorse Barack Obama. Since all Hillary cares about is winning, she went from applauding MoveOn to bashing and lying about them to a closed door meeting with her donors. Now the audio tape is out for all to see.

From The Huffington Post:

"Moveon.org endorsed [Sen. Barack Obama] -- which is like a gusher of money that never seems to slow down," Clinton said to a meeting of donors. "We have been less successful in caucuses because it brings out the activist base of the Democratic Party. MoveOn didn't even want us to go into Afghanistan. I mean, that's what we're dealing with. And you know they turn out in great numbers. And they are very driven by their view of our positions, and it's primarily national security and foreign policy that drives them. I don't agree with them. They know I don't agree with them. So they flood into these caucuses and dominate them and really intimidate people who actually show up to support me."[...]

The comments also contradict Clinton's previous statements praising this year's elevated Democratic turnout in primaries and caucuses, and appear to blame her caucus defeats on newly energized grassroots voter groups that she has lauded in the past as "lively participants" in American democracy.

"You've been asking the tough questions," Clinton said in April of last year at a MoveOn-sponsored town hall event. "You've been refusing to back down when any of us who are in political leadership are not living up to the standards that we should set for ourselves... I think you have helped to change the face of American politics for the better... both online, and in the corridors of power."

All that matters to her is to win at all costs, even if it means fracturing the party wherever she sees fit. And of course that comment about Afghanistan is completely untrue, a lie that was started by none other than the vile Karl Rove. Now Hillary is parroting his remarks so again, we must correct her divisive rhetoric with a high dose of truth.

In a statement to The Huffington Post, MoveOn's Executive Director Eli Pariser reacted strongly to Clinton's remarks: "Senator Clinton has her facts wrong again. MoveOn never opposed the war in Afghanistan, and we set the record straight years ago when Karl Rove made the same claim. Senator Clinton's attack on our members is divisive at a time when Democrats will soon need to unify to beat Senator McCain. MoveOn is 3.2 million reliable voters and volunteers who are an important part of any winning Democratic coalition in November. They deserve better than to be dismissed using Republican talking points."

Reduced to Republican talking points, what a shame.

Bush Is Looking For Romance In Afghanistan

I think that as his time to be President dwindles and drags along until next January, his callous statements and disdain for anything not like him will increase. He'll say anything, do anything and even dance to absolutely nothing.

Now President Bush says a lot of things, but you know, sometimes, he actually does listen:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush got an earful on Thursday about problems and progress in Afghanistan where a war has dragged on for more than six years but been largely eclipsed by Iraq.

In a videoconference, Bush heard from U.S. military and civilian personnel about the challenges ranging from fighting local government and police corruption to persuading farmers to abandon a lucrative poppy drug trade for other crops.

Bush heard tales of all-night tea drinking sessions to coax local residents into cooperating, and of tribesmen crossing mountains to attend government meetings seen as building blocks for the country's democracy-in-the-making.

So the war drags on in forgotten (by the media) Afghanistan, troops are dying, civilians are dying, the government doesn't control much outside of Kabul and things are generally in FUBAR mode. Though to be fair, not as FUBAR as Iraq. And after hearing about those problems of corruption, insurrection and not-mentioned-by-Reuters the presence of Al Qaeda, what will our glorious leader do to ensure we can achieve democracy in the country? Will he promise more aid, actually start rebuilding projects that can be held accountable and perhaps, even, maybe, find Osama bin Laden?

Um, I guess not:

"I must say, I'm a little envious," Bush said. "If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed."

"It must be exciting for you ... in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know, confronting danger. You're really making history, and thanks," Bush said.

He's jealous? Yeah right. Who in their right minds would want to willingly go to Afghanistan to fight in a war that is severely underfunded with an objective that is as murky as a lake in Baghdad. I understand soldiers that are duty bound and want to help their fellow troops, but come on. That mission is a joke. Nothing has happened of any great measure in six years, if anything things have gotten worse thanks to the resurgence of the Taliban.

Oh and Mr. President, if you are so envious and wish to be romanticized in Afghanistan, then why not go next January when you no longer have to rough it at the White House. Now that would be a reality show I'd watch.

George Bush Can Still Scare Me

You would think that after seven long, terrible years, all of Bush's antics would eventually numb me so that even when he violates the law (again) I'll just sit, shrug and say "whats new?" Well you'd be wrong, because some of the crap that comes out of that man's mouth is truly horrific. George truly is nuts, and he showed it when he gave a speech to a bunch of Christian broadcasters two days ago.

From The NY Times:

In a 42-minute speech to the National Religious Broadcasters convention, Mr. Bush called upon European allies to step up their efforts in Afghanistan, and conceded that recent security gains in Iraq “are tenuous, they’re reversible and they’re fragile.” Still, he insisted his troop buildup there is succeeding.

“The decision to remove Saddam Hussein was the right decision early in my presidency,” Mr. Bush said, to a standing ovation. “It is the right decision at this point in my presidency, and it will forever be the right decision.”[...]

“The effects of a free Iraq and a free Afghanistan will reach beyond the borders of those two countries,” Mr. Bush said. “It will show others what’s possible. And we undertake this work because we believe that every human being bears the image of our maker. That’s why we’re doing this. No one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave.”[...]

Mr. Bush often talks about his belief in “the universality of freedom,” as he did last year to a conference of political dissidents in Prague. But rarely has the president mixed the language of faith and God so closely with talk of war and terrorism, as he did Tuesday at the Opryland hotel here.

Calling freedom a “precious gift,” Mr. Bush said: “The liberty we value is not ours alone. Freedom is not America’s gift to the world; it is God’s gift to all humanity.” His words were punctuated by shouts of “Amen.”

I'll be "amening" on January 20th of next year, when he is expelled from the White House. Amen. Amen. Aaaaaaaamen!

Morning Show Hosts Say The Dumbest Things

How do people like Chris Cuomo get jobs that allow them to come into the homes of millions every weekday morning?

Future Idaho Cops Belittle Our Veterans

Supposedly the Idaho Police Officer Standards and Training Academy produces the state's finest in law enforcement for the next generation. They graduated 43 cops this year and their class president got the slogan "Don't suffer from PTSD, go out and cause it," to be their motto. That is just so wrong on so many levels.

From Yahoo News:

Each class at the Idaho Police Officer Standards and Training Academy is allowed to choose a slogan that is printed on its graduation programs, and the class of 43 graduates came up with "Don't suffer from PTSD, go out and cause it."

According to the Veterans Association, tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers suffer from PTSD, which causes nightmares, flashbacks and physical symptoms that make sufferers feel as if they are reliving trauma, even many years later. Crime, accidents and other trauma can cause it in civilians.

Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney, who attended the Dec. 14 graduation, pointed out the slogan to the academy's director, Jeff Black, minutes before the ceremony began, Raney said. A photograph of the program was e-mailed anonymously to news outlets throughout the state.

While the director dismissed the comment and said he does not condone it, he refused to release the name of the graduate that brought it up. So much for holding those that enforce the law to be accountable for their actions. So much for caring about the tens of thousands of soldiers being damaged by PTSD from their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan on an ongoing basis or the hundreds of thousands of veterans that have come before them.

So much for Idaho's police force 'protecting and serving,' it sounds more like they are ready to inflict terror on citizens instead of being trusted servants of the law. So much for respect. So much for dignity. So much for honor.

Didn't We Win This One Already?

Not since 2001 have we lost six soldiers in a single day in the land of Afghanistan. Insurgents attacked them with rocket propelled grenades and arms fire, killing nine in all. Wasn't this supposed to be a part of the 'Mission Accomplished' banner President Bush stood in front of so many years ago?

Japan Says Sayonara To Bush

Bush's vaunted coalition of the willing lost another member today. This time Japan is ordering its ships back home instead of helping to refuel coalition warships. Various news outlets are beginning to report the news, though you won't see it here in America unless you read that terribly liberal New York Times. We wouldn't want to hear the truth or anything like that, now would we?

So here it is from the Japan Times:

Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba ordered ships operating in the Indian Ocean in support of U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan to return home Thursday after opposition lawmakers refused to support an extension of the mission, saying it violated the Constitution.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda meanwhile issued a statement stressing that the Maritime Self-Defense Force activities in the Indian Ocean have been highly praised by other countries.

Resuming the supply of fuel and water to multinational naval ships in the Indian Ocean is necessary, Fukuda said in the statement, and promised to do everything in his power to restart the mission as soon as possible.

Violating the constitution eh? Don't we have one of those documents here somewhere?

What Happened To Ciara Durkin?

Until last week, Ciara Durkin was a finance specialist serving in the Massachusetts National Guard, stationed at Bagram AFB in Afghanistan. Then she was shot in the head and found dead outside the Air Force Base. This story would usually just be another casualty report from the Afghani front of the "war on terrorism" except for the fact of what she told her family when she was home last month in Quincy, MA.

From The Patriot Ledger:

Fiona Canavan, Durkin’s older sister, said today that when her sister was home three weeks ago, she told family members that she had come across some things that concerned her and had raised objections to others at the base.

‘‘She was in the finance unit and she said, ‘I discovered some things I don’t like and I made some enemies because of it.’ Then she said, in her light-hearted way, ‘If anything happens to me, you guys make sure it gets investigated,’’’ Canavan said. ‘‘But at the time we thought it was said more as a joke.’’

(snip)

Her family was initially told that Durkin was killed in action on Friday. But on Monday, the family learned that she died about 6:30 p.m. of a single gunshot wound to the head in a non-combat situation.

Durkin had been assigned to a finance unit at the base since February. Her tour of duty had been scheduled to end in February.

Her younger brother, Pierce Durkin, said that because of the nature of the wound and the fact that the shooting happened under ‘‘curious’’ circumstances, the family decided to contact legislators.

So far those legislators, Senators Kerry and Kennedy and Representative Delahunt have not been able to find out anything from the Pentagon. So far they have lied to her family and the question is, why? What did Ciara know and who didn't want her to know that information? Durkin's death is eerily similar to the death of Pat Tillman, another soldier who was killed in Afghanistan where the army sought to cover up the true story of his death.

This case deserves an independent investigation and no more BS from the Pentagon.

Couric Needs A Mentor Like Lara Logan

Katie's performance in Iraq was down right miserable and a pathetic attempt at shillery for the President. CBS is losing money on her at an incredible rate. However, all is not lost at CBS. They still have reporters like Lara Logan.

Lara does not hide behind bodyguards and show up at staged events like the al-Shorja market that is in Indiana central Baghdad. She does not parrot Bush's talking points on the evening news, that is what his interruptions during Prime Time are for. Let him remind the public why they hate the President for his miserable war.

Lara knows how to get it done and her reporting is hard-hitting and makes a difference, like this article about how billions in our taxpayer dollars is wasted in Afghanistan. Unfortunately the link shows Katie's face at the top of the screen, but the powerful words below are from Ms. Logan. If anything, Logan should be introducing Katie to how things get done, not how to fake the news.

$12 Billion A Month Is Too Much

CNN takes a look at what we are spending on all of our wars, with $10 million going into Iraq:

White House Hides Tillman Records

You would think that hiding, lying and distorting dozens of different stories might be hard for the White House, but they just keep on doing it. Bush is using that good ol' Executive privilege to deny Pat Tillman's family and the American people the truth about what happened with his death and the following cover-up. Congressmen Waxman (D-CA) and Davis (R-VA) from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform are on the case yet again.

From The Huffington Post:

The committee made public a letter last month in which Fielding said the White House was holding back certain papers "because they implicate executive branch confidentiality interests." He added the White House had blacked out portions of "purely internal e-mails between White House personnel."

The White House's argument for withholding some papers is the same one it used last month as it rejected congressional subpoenas for documents in the firings of eight U.S. attorneys. Executive "confidentiality" is a lesser claim than "executive privilege" _ more a polite way of declining than a firm refusal _ and thus still leaves room for negotiation, congressional staffers involved in the matter said.

Fielding added the White House had blacked out portions of "purely internal e-mails between White House personnel."

Waxman and Davis fired back that "these are not appropriate reasons for withholding the documents from the committee." And they charged that the White House had simply held other papers back.

Basically in my mind, I believe the President wants to look perfect and innocent on this. If he can cover-up the fact that he knew Tillman died of friendly fire yet use his death for political bonus points, thats the name of the game. Rumsfeld and everyone below him knew, they just hid the information for Bush. Now that things are still ugly, George is using his new Presidential powers that the Congress allows him to have to give the finger to the legislative branch.