tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post2285030799906620862..comments2024-03-22T05:20:44.167-07:00Comments on The Disaffected Lib: The Afghanistan Ottawa Won't Tell You About - the Afghanistan We're Being Asked to Fight to DefendThe Mound of Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-29708398721910639472008-02-23T17:53:00.000-08:002008-02-23T17:53:00.000-08:00I haven't read "Ghost Wars" Mike but I'll try to t...I haven't read "Ghost Wars" Mike but I'll try to take a look at it soon. You're right about the Taliban and the ISI. It all plays into the greater Pakistan/India/Kashmir intrigue.<BR/><BR/>Like you, I'm no more optimistic about this week's debate than the one that got rammed through the Commons two years ago.<BR/><BR/>Cheers.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-22406700668867619262008-02-23T17:48:00.000-08:002008-02-23T17:48:00.000-08:00If you have read "Ghost Wars" by Steve Coll (it wo...If you have read "Ghost Wars" by Steve Coll (it won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize), you know its pretty obvious the Pakistani Secret Service, the ISI, created the Taliban. <BR/><BR/>Doing a mission in Afghanistan go after the Taliban is merely going after the symptom, not the problem. <BR/><BR/>This information has been known since before 2005 and yet no one, not even those that oppose the war there, have brought it up. So I don't expect anything other than stupid jingoism and accusations of treason in this so-called "debate". Its a debate meant to stifle dissent and ridicule opponents, not to really debate the issues.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06941875334878452635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-45673065736479519922008-02-23T13:37:00.000-08:002008-02-23T13:37:00.000-08:00The sad truth, JB, is that Harper and Hillier atta...The sad truth, JB, is that Harper and Hillier attack their own people with lies, half-truths, distortion and fear. These are weapons that are used to blind the Canadian people and manipulate their responses. It's a loathesome standard that they impose on all of us and the debate we have this week will merely enshrine their powers and successes.<BR/><BR/>If we were ever going to bring democracy and restoration to Afghanistan we'd have to dispose of the Taliban and then wrench the reins of power from the warlords. We'd be at war not only with the Pashtun but the Uzbeks, Tajiks, Turkmen, Baloch and Hazara tribes to boot the whole damned place.<BR/><BR/>Neither the US nor NATO will define the future of Afghanistan. That's a self-serving delusion of some pretty crass civilian and military leaders.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-51224278086419108732008-02-23T11:39:00.000-08:002008-02-23T11:39:00.000-08:00Whooee! Good stuff, Mound. Thing is, it ain't real...Whooee! Good stuff, Mound. Thing is, it ain't really new wrt the type of people whom we've helped install into power and whom we continue to prop up. There is a degree of willful blindness on everything about the Afghanistan mission. <BR/><BR/>We don't bother following up on detainee treatments because we don't want to have to admit we are complicit in war crimes. By not following up, however, we fail to stem the rampant bribery that has 60%-70% of detainees buying their way back to their comrades in arms.<BR/><BR/>We don't want to know that Hamid Karzai was a longtime CIA operative before the US installed him as president. We don't want to know that Karzai personally appoints provincial governors and they are made up from the ranks of his Northern Alliance warlord allies.<BR/><BR/>We don't want to know about Karzai's politically powerful brother who is also implicated at the top levels of the opium trade. <BR/><BR/>The information's been out there a long time. If we cared about it, we'd all know about it and it'd be part of the debate.<BR/><BR/>None so blind as he who will not see.<BR/><BR/>JBJimBobbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04603665575714484326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-49469806833040994742008-02-23T10:19:00.000-08:002008-02-23T10:19:00.000-08:00I too watched and listened to Sarah Chayes last ni...I too watched and listened to Sarah Chayes last night. This is the kind of on the ground information we need more of in the public debate.<BR/><BR/>Had some time before seen a report on her work there, so it was good to know she is still there, hopefully she will remain safe considering the risks involved. She is one brave woman!<BR/><BR/>Hopefully, she will get some media exposure here in Canada before she returns to Afghanistan.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-48444457634040424812008-02-23T09:46:00.000-08:002008-02-23T09:46:00.000-08:00You don't support the mission, so you don't suppor...You don't support the mission, so you don't support the TROOOOOOPPPPPSSSSSS!!!!!1111!1!!1ONE!!!!!111!!!<BR/><BR/>-signed,<BR/> a rightarded idiot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com