Speaking at a conference related to the release of the “Failed States Index,” Admiral Michael Mullen sought to downplay the fact that two countries currently enduring US occupations found their US-backed regimes in the top 10 of the list, insisting that Iraq in particular might have a theoretically bright future because it “has oil.”
He also downplayed Afghanistan, though in less glowing terms since “Afghanistan does not have such resources” (oil) and instead sought to focus on a nation which did not make the top 10 – Yemen.
In his comments Mullen said the US was extremely concerned about al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and warned that the group has “taken full advantage of the chaos” brought about by pro-democracy protests against the US-backed dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The US has dramatically increased military aid in Yemen over the past several years, and has recently been pressuring Saleh, currently in exile in Saudi Arabia after a near-fatal attack, to hand over power formally to his deputy, Major General Hadi.
I guess no one in our government has considered the option of modifying our behavior to lessen the recruiting appeal of al-Qaeda. 'Fretting' over them seems almost comical. I guess next one of our generals or senators will get the 'vapors' at the notion of them? Maybe they should re-work the threat level chart. Instead of yellow, orange, red they could have 'fret', 'vapors', 'pee our pants'.
Fretting conjurs up the picture of Mullen huddled by a tiny fire in an icy stone room, draped in a shawl, unable to find sleep because of all the "nasty" thing going on from which he is trying to protect the poor knucle-headed Americans who can't tell one continent from the other.
How great to have a Daddy Warbucks!
"" He also downplayed Afghanistan, though in less glowing terms since “Afghanistan does not have such resources” (oil) ""
I guess it has never occurred to anyone that Afghans have lived the way they live for centuries for a very simple reason- maybe they WANT to live simply and without the mind-numbing insanity of the so-called 'modern' world as portrayed by the West. Sure, better roads and and facilities might be welcomed, but not at the cost of an entire people's way of life. (Note that this doesn't apply JUST to Afghanistan, but to many other nations around the world as well- but since I'm on my soapbox I'll stick with Afghanistan as my example.)
We in the West always tend to judge others by our own standards, and completely disregard what others may hold dear. We say you must always, ALWAYS progress and make more money/ have a bigger house/ be MORE IMPORTANT than the next man or woman- why? Can a person just live in peace and in relative harmony with the land and each other and JUST SAY NO to the latest fashion, or the newest flashy car?
Granted, traditional Afghan life is harsh- there's no doubt about it- but in many ways that harshness produces a richness of life that we can only dream about. Yet we feel we must destroy that way of life because we have no place for it our narrow view of the world. Well it's time to wake up, America, and realize that most of the world does NOT live the way we do, and after seeing what it's done to our national character and our honor, I'm not surprised many are resisting our brand of 'freedom'.
I fret the presence of American troops in 700 overseas bases scattered all around the world.