So, Trump has outsourced Afghanistan policy to the Pentagon and we're apparently sending more troops.
We've been there for 15 years. Our strategic position is essentially no different than it's been for the last dozen years or so, spanning 3 presidential administrations. Folks who are being deployed and dying over there were in grade school when our commitment began.
What's the strategy here? What's the end game?
Endless war against an unbeatable opponent ("terrorism")Originally Posted by Julio3000
Publicly it doesn't really matter. People have gotten used to us being there and you should know that once we invade a country we never really leave.
Secretly, the strategy is fluid and whatever we, I mean they, want it to be.
FFF - BB, BB, 2B, HR, 2B, HR, 1B, BB, BB, 1B, BB, BB, HR
Ultimately one of the biggest wastes of money and rarely talked about by most of those who are the loudest about cutting spending.
ahem
I of course mean the bulk of Republicans, not the libertarian conservatives.
What do you think would happen in Afghanistan if all the troops pull out?
So we're there forever, then?
You know that what gov co wants, right?
I'm serious what do you think would happen to Afghanistan if we leave it?
We can all agree that Afghanistan is a **** hole, with really no central government, and no one enforcing its borders. Due to its terrain there's a million places for people to hide and it's large amount of poppy can make whoever controls it beyond rich.
I think we can all agree on that.
Now if our troops pull out, Afghanistan will become a safe haven for terrorist again. Only the terrorist committing terrorism now are a low worse and more indiscriminatory in thier efforts and results than al-qaeda was 20 years ago. With isis being pushed out of Iraq and Syria they would no doubt regroup in Afghanistan, and since Afghanistan doesn't have the means to stop that from happening ISiS could get stronger and have a lot more terrorist than they now. ISIS would flourish in Afghanistan. That in turn would let them attack western countries more often. I don't think anyone here can argue against that it doesn't think that will happen.
And when that does happen, the West will have to put boots back on the ground and bomb the crap out of Afghanistan again.
Pulling out of Iraq early, led to ISIS. But if we leave a current presence in Afghanistan maybe we can curtail some of that from happening there too. It will happen as soon as we leave and when it does we'll have to return. So why leave?
My guess? Same thing that's been happening there for the last 4 decades or so. Warlords fight warlords, supported by regional proxy powers.
sturg33 (06-24-2017)
Again, what is the real strategy and end game? Our decade and a half presence there has done nothing to make it where terrorists won't strengthen if we do leave, as you suggest. Are we just going to police the country until the end of time, spending billions and billions along the way?
What led to ISIS is the US invading Iraq in the first place. ISIS is a creation of the US. The US wants ISIS to be there. You can see that by the fact that we're now funding them and threatening to put troops in Syria.
Probably a lot of instability like we have today. But they won't have US money and weaponry to aid them
There are a lot of ethno-cultural factors that make this a questionable assumption.
As a betting man, I'd bet the house on it. You don't think Isis would jump to Afghanistan? They really have no where else to go where they can thrive and survive.
Because Afghanistan has such a storied history of welcoming hostile outsiders, I guess.
To expand the industrial military complex, develop new weapons and maintain our technological superiority in the world. And occasionally to help certain parties stay in power.
FFF - BB, BB, 2B, HR, 2B, HR, 1B, BB, BB, 1B, BB, BB, HR
bravesnumberone (06-24-2017)
There's also the enormous geographical advantage (borders with Iran and China), a seat in Club Mid East, and oil reserves.
Do you think it's a worthwhile investment?
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