Ten year anniversaries provide an excellent opportunity to reflect on a situation, and the Afghan War is no different. Capt. Dan Mizak, a 28-year-old US soldier interviewed by Reuters, appears to be doing some reflecting on the war, which began when he was just an 18-year-old private.
“I think one way or another the war is probably going to go on for another ten years,” Mizak told them. Though officials often refer back to the 2014 “handover” pledge it appears many in the administration agree, with private talks ongoing to ensure US troops remain until at least 2024.
2011 Afghanistan in many ways looks worse than 2001 Afghanistan, and the occupation’s goals have not only swelled but blurred dramatically. Though officials seem reluctant to do anything but insist the war must continue, in many ways the end has become more difficult to visualize now. Incredible as it may seem, the US may be closer to the beginning of the Afghan War than the end.
We must also consider what Afghanistan might look like in 2021, when the new 2024 date is starting to approach. As Pvt. Mizak of 2001 became Capt. Mizak today, we may be hearing from a 38-year-old Col. Mizak in 2021, still fighting the same war as when he began, and dealing with 18-year-old privates who weren’t even born when it started.
Unless the political will to end the conflict shows up at some point between now and then, this is what many of the 100,000 US occupation soldiers have to look forward to, at least those who don’t become part of the ever growing list of casualties.
Two more US soldiers reported killed in Kandahar by IED. That is four US dead in Kandahar already in the first few days of September. These deaths follow the ten US soldiers who died in the last week of August in a series of IED and small arms fire attack in Kandahar.
For thousands of years, Afghanistan has earned the reputation as being "the graveyard of soldiers and of empires" – NO 'invader' has ever really 'won' a war there.
America arrogance and stupidity will be the end of the American empire.
They will never win there but the thing that will cause the empires collapes will be people not standing up for the constitution.The constitution gives the people the power that the government has ignored and spit on.Americans need the bravery that there founding fathers had when they come and made the constitution and fought a tyranicle king that had no care about the people.There are military schools that teach that are founding fathers were terrorists for standing against a tyranicle king.Search the internet and see how they brain wash your children and send them to die right after they lie to them.The American government is tyranicle.All politicians are good liers.Ron Paul has had the same voting recored for almost 40 years and he will do what he says.There may be hard times but to have your country back its worth it.Please Ron Paul 2012.
The American empire is coming to an end due to illegal wars corrupt government and corperations.All laws made and passed benifit the rich and hurt the everday American citizen.I really see only one hope for America and I'm Canadian and that hope is Ron Paul.Well he is president he can't change 100 years of laws that are not constitutional but he should make a law that anyone in government that takes the oath to upholed the constitution and then sways from there oath at the very least should lose their job and never be allowed to hold a government job.In cases like 9/11 inside job and the illegal unconstitutional wars Bush,Obama and all involved should spend the rest of there lifes behind bars.The penalty should be based on there involvment and what they new.Then the next President would have to follow the constitution or lose his job as President..And things may not be easy during the change it may be hard but it will be worth it for us and our children.
US soldiers are nothing more than brainwashed drones. Won't they be shocked when the US collapses and they're all stuck inside Afghanistan. Oops! I wouldn't wanna be them when that happens.